Look across our huge range of bikes today and it’s hard to believe that the grand ol’ duke of Specialized, Mike Sinyard, is at heart a roadie. In the sepia-tinged California of the 1970s our long-haired founder loved nothing better than road riding, cross racing and touring. The first bike with the Allez name appeared in 1984 and reflected over a decade of Mike’s experience all squeezed into a road bike that appealed to a huge range of riders. We still follow Mike’s philosophy in 2019, learning every day and designing the best bikes for the best people.
Since it first made waves back when Wham! were top of the pops, we’ve refined the Allez, perfecting every aspect of the bike. 35 years down the line it is the ultimate aluminium road bike for every type of riding, from long distance touring to the heady world of full-gas, head down racing. The latest Allez is so good it would have blown Mike’s flouro socks off back in the day.
Alu love
We love, and have always loved, aluminium as a material for building road bikes. While it may have lost some of its cred with the introduction of carbon fibre to the mass market, the Allez proves that this underrated metal still makes a truly kickass bike. And because the process of making an aluminium frame is less complex, it’s you that gets all the benefits – a light, zippy bike that will put a massive grin on your face without the daunting price tag that accompanies carbon bikes.
Ensuring the Allez rides as damn fine as it does is no easy job. Its aluminium frame is combined with a carbon FACT fork, preserving the ride quality that has been its calling card for over 30 years. The geometry has been refined following some serious late-night swatting by our engineers, poring over our massive Retul fit database to put together a frame that caters for a multitude of riding positions. Internal cable routing across the range keeps the Allez neat and tidy, and the saddle, stem, bar tape and handlebars all benefit from our BodyGeometry technology. It all works, beautifully.
We’ve specced out the Allez with reliable, proven components. Shimano have been in the game even longer than Specialized and there’s no name we’d rather rely on for shifting duties. From the Sora groupset found on the Allez Sport through to the truly superb 105 on the Allez Elite, there’s no smoother, slicker and simpler way to ride.
In keeping with the philosophy of the original Allez to be a true all-rounder, we’ve included integrated mounts within the frame on these three stunners, so that you can get the weight off your back and mounted onto a lightweight rack. You might have noticed that in the UK it rains from time to time too, but with the mudguard mounts there’s no reason to let that get in the way of a good ride. All this not only makes the Allez a great road bike but it also means you can switch it up to be a seriously quick commuter too.
Race, hard!
The Allez has always been considered a superb bike for stepping into the world of racing. The resilience of the aluminium frame and the racy geometry has provided the launch pad for many riders’ racing careers – ask around the start line at your local race and nearly all riders will have started out on, or are still racing, their beloved Allez.
With the latest Sprint model we’ve stepped things up a level. Using Smartweld technology, a process that makes the frame stronger and stiffer where it needs to be, we can make the frame lighter by using thinner layers of aluminium. Short chainstays create an extremely stiff rear triangle, so that every watt you produce gets transferred to the road. A light, stiff frame? Sounds fast to us.
Don’t be fooled into thinking the Allez Sprint isn’t capable at the very top level of racing as well as down the local crit. Peter Sagan took his frankly stunning Allez Sprint Disc to the season-opening Down Under Classic in Adelaide, narrowly pipped to the post by local hero Caleb Ewan in the sprint.
The 11-speed Shimano 105 set up complements a bike that is as fast as it looks, and the Sprint Comp Disc gives you even better braking performance in all conditions with the bang up-to-date R7000 disc brakeset. When you’re going as fast as the Allez, it helps to be able to slow down every now and then.
We’ve even had Peter Sagan sprinkle a little of his Slovakian magic on the Allez Sprint Disc frameset. If you’re up for the challenge, this is the frameset to set you on the right track. Pop down to your local Concept Store or check out the range online. Don’t delay – as they say in France, allez allez allez!!
