201x Specialized Allez Sprint DSW and Gen2

[hjb1000]

This Colorway is pretty sweet...
What wheels are they?

[53x12]

What wheels are they?

Roval CL 64

[tranzformer]

Borrowed my teammate's 56 Allez Sprint today. It is definitely better than a CAAD.

Better than a CAAD in what ways? And which CAAD?

[Skylark]

Check out the geo. 74 seat angle across all sizes.

[KWalker]

Tranz- scroll back and you can read why I thought its better. Not because of Skylark's spam post, but its stiffer in the BB and HT than the CAAD10. Can't comment on the new CAAD. I thought the bike handled better as well. Was more harsh, but probably from the stiffer rear end. I liked the CAAD and its pretty stiff itself, but out of the saddle the Sprint feels much more lively. For me, a 56 CAAD geo always felt like it didn't track as well out of the saddle as well.

[Nefarious86]

KWalker, by the sounds of it its a fun crit bike but keeping my SL4 would be a better all round crit/road race bike? Think I need to get my arse onto one to see how they feel

[Skylark]

Don't pay any attention to that KW fellow. He is irrelevant.

I used to be a staunch supporter of alloy frame and chose to ride them over any carbon frame. This was until a couple of years ago. The carbon craze had started to get a real foothold since some 10 years ago. Nowadays everyone is on carbon and you can't give it away.

Tarmac is a phenomenal bike with its hill destroying stiffness et al. If you have a Tarmac everything else is just going to pale in comparison. Forget crit specific bike. Just the sheer satisfaction value of riding the Tarmac can't be substituted by an alloy frame any longer.

Furthermore, the Allez Sprint is valued at $1100. This value is factor is lower than expected. This intricately engineered frame appears to be more high maintenance, yet considerably cost effective on the face of it. But this seems to represent quite good value in my view. However and certainly, the satisfaction value will 100.26% be lacking in comparison to a Tarmac.

[KWalker]

Its a solid anything but bumpy-ish long saddle day bike. But, even then, if I were on a budget I would have the Sprint with some wide rims plus 25 or 26 tubeless run at 80-85 to take that away, some decent 60mm carbon rims with latex tubes and maybe a 25 rear on the "race wheels", -17 stem and Aerofly bar for the marginal aeros, and be more than happy.

Sure, the bike beat me up in a 90mi road race, which also had 10mi of gravel roads and another 10mi of absolutely awful pavement. It was going to be a tough day regardless of bike, but having that, a perfectly smooth circuit race on a race track, and then some riding on regular roads it was easy to see when the stiffness made the bike unpleasant.

If Speci came out with some sort of elastomer around the post clamp or in the post I think it would be better than many carbon bikes I've ridden. I also haven't ridden the new CAAD12, but I would take the Sprint over my last SS Evo Hi-mod.

[Skylark]

Please stop making unfounded accusations of Spam on my part. Or Trolling for that matter.

Leave your complex behind and read plainly what I have written. No one is attacking you so you might as well turn your sensitivity dial down. Right down. OK?

[beeatnik]

Cat I ride with regularly whose team is on now Sprints says the frame is stiffer than his Tarmac. He digs it but would never use the word comfortable to describe it. Also, he knows enough about tuning the ride with wheels and tires as he's a professional wheelbuilder.

[mythical]

Personally, I really like the Allez SmartWeld frames. I find them quite striking apart from the loathsome headset cups. This is 2016 and not 2000! Why can't Specialized engineer some bearing seats integrated into the head tube?

[tinozee]

I'd get a sprint for full time if I lived in Socal, roads like glass, it's not even fair. In New England - still would as long as I have the Evo for long rides. Seems like a cool option for crits and sprints. It really does seem a more attractive and modern frame than the Caad due to the stiffness and aero. Would also want to test the alu propel and aeroad prior to buying. If I lived in Europe full time I doubt i would get anything like this.

[Derf]

I'd get a sprint for full time if I lived in Socal, roads like glass, it's not even fair.

My daily commute would certainly disagree with you! Our roads, at least in population centers, are beat up and have 10-15 years of sewer/utility "re-pavements" on them without a proper resurfacing.

Mythical--do they use the same (terrible) headset design as my now-retired 2004 Allez Pro? Eesh.

[tinozee]

I lived in Laguna beach and Newport but this was 2004-6. At the time the roads heading inland were really good like I said. I used to be blown away seeing lanscapers manicuring medians with flowers, etc. lol. In New England (near Boston) you see holes that you could literally fall into with your entire bike. Salt, sand, chip seal, giant holes, snow, ice... the pavement is usually like grape sized stones glued together. It's another planet surface really. You see nice decorations like Dunkin Donut cups, scratch tickets, cigarette butts, glass... it's a wonderful area.

Another thing you see out west and in midwest are shoulders. Those simply don't exist here. Sometimes there is a white line but it's maybe six inches before grass/dirt/guard rail.

[Derf]

Yeah, it's hit or miss, and once you get out of town, you definitely have the advantage of no frost heaves. And, yeah, I'm bummed we're not getting some of the aero alloy frames here in the US. Sprint definitely looks interesting, although like Prendrefeu, I'd be looking for a used aero-weenie frame at a similar cost.