On Monday evening I took one last rip on the Allez Sprint.
Some bikes are so good that you don’t want to give them up. The Allez Sprint is one of those rare bikes. I logged nearly 4,000 miles on this 58cm aluminum frameset in the two years–almost to the day—since Specialized sent it to me. That is more than any single bike in my three-plus years at Bicycling.
I trained on it, raced it for ten days at Intelli, used it for centuries, and rode it to get ice cream. I laughed, cried, puked, and smiled on this bike.
The bike felt like my personal bike even though it wasn’t. And, for weeks now, I have dreaded the day it finally leaves.
The Allez Sprint frameset served as a platform for a revolving assortment of new gear and setups.
When the frame arrived, I built it with Shimano Ultegra Di2. After almost a year, I swapped on SRAM Force AXS. I rode each group about the same mileage. Wheels from Zipp, Reserve, Roval, Shimano, and Fulcrum saw time on the bike. I ran tires as narrow as 26mm and as wide as 35mm—usually from Vittoria but Specialized, Continental, and Pirelli rubber also rolled underneath this bike.
I constantly changed chainring combos—50/34T, 52/36T, 48/35T, 50/37T, and 52/39T—and cassette sizes. Both 42cm and 44cm bars (carbon and aluminum models from Pro and Zipp) were tested on the front end of the Allez. I wrapped those bars many times—Supacaz and Zipp Service Course bar tape were used most often but LizardSkin and some generic black tape also were sampled.
Aside from the Zipp Service Course stem, stock carbon post, Ultegra pedals, and base-level fizik Tempo Argo R5 140mm saddle, almost every part got swapped out at some point.
Many cyclists knock the Allez Sprint, but I love it. Some see it only as a crit bike; its handling too aggressive for everyday use. Many riders eschew the bike because of its aluminum frame and the assumption that it is heavy or overly stiff. Others don’t want something so basic or think the Allez is overpriced.
This bike somehow meets none of those stereotypes and all of them at the same time.
The Allez Sprint’s geometry is refined but requires precision to ride at maximum speed. Cyclists with the ability—or boldness—to push the bike to its limit will be rewarded. I am not a fast bike racer but I fancy myself as a good bike handler—the Allez Sprint is among the best-handling bikes currently on the market. I feel so comfortable on the bike that I referenced its cockpit measurements for a custom Firefly.
However, even cyclists who will never press the Allez deep into a corner praying their 28mm wide Corsas hold grip can also love this bike. Put some wider rubber on and drop the pressure a few psi and you will not notice the frame’s stiffness quite as much. Plus the thicker tires raise the bottom bracket a few millimeters so you don’t risk slapping pedals on the ground in turns.
Ok, I’m probably not selling it too well to most of you that the Allez Sprint is anything more than a crit racer. But trust me, I swear it is a great all-around road bike for those who like fast handling and stiff frames.
The aluminum frame, quick feel, and versatility make the Allez Sprint almost seem like a throwback to bikes I rode and raced when I first got into cycling. But the bike is also firmly planted in the present. It has aerodynamic touches, a few carbon bits, disc brakes, thru axles, and internal cable routing.
Specialized’s PR folks have hounded me for months to return this frameset. I ducked their emails, made bad excuses, and even offered to buy it. But Specialized needs this frame back. So it’s getting stripped down and shipped back to Morgan Hill.
I will try not to get teary-eyed but probably will; I welled up a couple of times already writing this story. Even though the Allez was rarely the same bike for longer than a few weeks, I grew attached to it. I felt at home riding this aluminum and carbon fiber machine.
Bicycles move along quickly when your job is to test them and your quiver always has another new bike awaiting ride time. Sometimes you don’t get two months with a bike, much less two years. So there is barely enough time to get fully comfortable with any particular one and rarely fall completely in love with it.
Most of the Allez’s parts will be reassembled on a BlackHeart Road AL scheduled to arrive soon. I look forward to the new bike and seeing how it rides. The Road AL’s geometry closely matches the Allez Sprint. It is supposed to have custom paint. It all sounds very promising. But I certainly will miss the Allez Sprint.
As Deputy Editor, Tara Seplavy leads Bicycling’s product test team; after having previously led product development and sourcing for multiple bike brands, run World Championship winning mountain bike teams, wrenched at renowned bicycle shops in Brooklyn, raced everything from criteriums to downhill, and ridden bikes on six different continents (landing herself in hospital emergency rooms in four countries and counting). Based in Easton, Pennsylvania, Tara spends tons of time on the road and trail testing products. A familiar face at cyclocross races, crits, and bike parks in the Mid Atlantic and New England, on weekends she can often be found racing for the New York City-based CRCA/KruisCX team. When not riding a bike, or talking about them, Tara listens to a lot of ska, punk, and emo music, and consumes too much social media.
