Specialized Allez - The ULTIMATE Review

Specialized Allez – the road bike range for all budgets.

If you are on the market for a new road bike, odds are you fall into one of two groups of people; Those that can comfortably spend north of £1000, and those who need a little more bang for their buck. The Allez range of bicycles by Specialized speak for themselves, in that they are seemingly the only road bike praised by both elite road racers and frugal city slickers alike.

Whether you’ll favour the race-inspired Allez E5 Elite, Dsw Sl Sprint Expert, or an Allez E5 Sport for its proven performance, Specialized continues to excel in their market with a combination of thoughtful packaging and master craftsmanship.

We know Spesh Allez bikes look great, but how good is the hardware?

Let’s have a look at the hardware Allez bikes are comprised of – A1 premium aluminium frames, with meticulously engineered tube shaping and welding for ideal aerodynamics. AXIS wheelsets deliver tight handling and do a good enough job of absorbing bumps on unkempt roads. For tires, Allez’s standard Espoir brand is adept at hugging on corners and resisting punctures with their additional blackbelt protection.

Allez bikes pick from a menu of always-reliable Shimano gearsets and brake sets, which many will tell you is the best for your money. The smooth sound and transition you get from shifting through gears is satisfying, and the level of responsiveness when braking is invaluable for downhill coasting or manoeuvring traffic. In addition, Allez models come packaged with a compact chainset, enabling the rider to more easily conquer those steep hills or accelerate quickly.

For just £800 the Allez E5 Elite’s stiff frame and 10-speed, Tiagra transmission lends it the raw acceleration you need to burst through green lights, while its responsive Axis brakes will halt you in a pinch. Most models weigh around 9kg, which is slightly heavy for some but overall manageable and decent. Unless you’re prepared to spend insane amounts of money weight is not everything. Allez bikes are fashioned to ride smooth and quiet, built without excess proportions or wasted money spent at the seat and handlebars. The extra money spent by some brands on expensive carbon seat posts and handlebars will not make you a better cyclist. Comfortable seats and handlebars will make you a comfier, happier cyclist.

But will the Allez go fast? This video should answer that question.

Why the Specialized Allez gives you more ‘bang for your buck’ than other bikes.

One of the reasons for Specialized’s ability to utilise quality specs while keeping its price tag down is that they manufacture much of their own hardware rather than outsourcing. Their own standard is respectably high, and through this method they have also been able to increase specification and uniqueness of brand. Indeed, within their niche in the cycling world the Allez range of bikes seemingly stands a head above its competition, having balanced the line of pairing a high end bike with a price tag that won’t terrify you; bike costs fluctuate from roughly £500 to £1,500, depending on your preferences.

Even if your budget restraints lead you to buy a bike from the most cost-effective end of the range you’ll still be buying a bike that is well worth upgrading. Buying a bike with a decent frame but cheaper components, then upgrading the components makes a lot of sense. I personally bought a bike with a decent frame then (using ebay mostly) I bought high-end second hand components over the space of a couple of years or so. Upgrading a bike this not only makes financial sense (and spreads the cost) it also enhances the sense of ownership; you’ll end up with a machine you partially built, and that’s a brilliant feeling. But I digress…

The Allez bikes are classically good looking.

So Allez bikes have the price, they have the hardware, but do they have the looks? Often it is the bike that stands out aesthetically that sticks in the buyers mind, and in this distinction Allez holds the trophy. No other bikes in its price range look as good, from its sharp proportions to its clean welds. Its build is more squared and compact, with seemingly immaculate proportions that make other bikes look too long or imbalanced.

The uniqueness of an Allez’s appeal should really be underlined. When you disregard its quality, reputation of brand and variety of specification, you’re still left with a bike that looks attractive and distinct. The thin, arching upper tube paired with a thicker, masculine lower tube gives it a professional appeal that raises it above other bikes in its class.

Christmas Tree Disposal in Suffolk

Your local council	Rules and advice
Baberg	Real (not fake!) Christmas trees can be left next to your brown wheelie bin for any scheduled brown bin collection in January. Brown bin collections start on 7th January.
Forest Heath	If you are a subscriber to the Forest Heath brown bin service then you can place your tree inside your brown bin. Make sure you tree is placed inside your brown bin in such a way that the lid can still close. Cut your tree into smaller pieces if needs be.
Ipswich	Put your unwanted Christmas tree inside your brown bin. It is important that if you put your Christmas tree inside your brown bin that the lid to your bin can still close fully. Cut your tree up if you need to. If your tree is too big for your brown wheelie bin or is too large to be cut up then you can leave your Christmas tree beside your brown bin on collection day.
Mid Suffolk	You can leave your Christmas tree beside your brown bin, on any collection day throughout January.
St Edmundsbury Borough Council	If you are a part of the brown bin collection scheme you can place your Christmas tree inside your brown bin. If the lid won't close then you will need to cut your tree into smaller pieces.
Suffolk Coastal	Place your Christmas tree inside your brown bin for collection on any scheduled collection day. The lid of your brown bin must be able to close full. Do not place any part of your Christmas tree into your brown bin if it has a diameter of more than 4cm (1.5 inches).
Waveny	If you are a subscriber to the green bin recycling service then you can place your Christmas tree inside your green bin for collection on any scheduled green bin collection days. The lid of your green bin must be able to close. Don't place any stems or branches in your green bin if they have a diameter larger than 4cm (1.5 inches).

Which Allez is right for me?

There is also some interesting variation in the look and feel of Allez’ different models, though all of them carry a comparable level of performance. The Elite is tight and compact, responds eagerly and has a slimmed-down, sleek appeal. The Allez E5 Sport (Bike Radar editors choice) fits in aesthetically with other road bikes, but you’re still likely to stand out and zip by the rest with a few MPH to spare. The Allez AL Sprint offers advances in performance technology S-Works FACT full carbon-carbon forking and Axis Elite wheels for control at top speeds, and it carries a “tankier” appeal.

So, while the Allez may be an affordable road bike, one should not make the mistake of thinking it is for casual riders; the high, flat seat and low handlebars encourage the biker to “engage” the ride rather than sit back and coast, and yet despite this many Allez riders comment on the comfort of riding for long periods.

Specialized Allez review – Conclusion

In conclusion, Allez bikes stand firmly atop their own tier; Affordable and right at that fringe of top-end hardware and performance. Serious cycling city commuters can unite behind the myriad of possibilities that Specialized offers; Whether it’s a daily commute or a relentless pace to push your limits, you’re not likely to feel or look better on the roads than you will atop any of the bikes from the Allez range.

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