topflightpro wrote:I'm going to start by noting I have an Allez Sprint, and previously rode a Caad 10, Caad 9, and Specialized S-Works E5 Aluminum, but at this point, I'm starting to wonder why bother with aluminum.
Aluminum used to be great because it was relatively light, relatively stiff, and relatively cheap - which made for a great combination for racing. It didn't excel in any of those areas, but it was a great combination of the three. And the thought was that aluminum would be a bit more durable than carbon in crashes and cheaper to replace.
But we've reached the point that carbon is now often lighter, stiffer, and cheaper than aluminum. Allez Sprints are $1200. Those Vynls are $1500 to $2k for a frameset. So, they're not so cheap any more. And carbon repair technology has reached the point that it only costs a few hundred bucks to repair a carbon frame. And many claim the repaired frames are stronger than before. So, the allure of aluminum as a quality race bike is diminishing.
I like the way my aluminum bikes ride - also have a Felt TK2 for the track - but I also like how my Gallium Pro rides.
I'm not sure it's fair to compare a high-end, candy frame made by a practically unknown company (as high as quality might be) in small numbers to a mass-produced mid-level carbon frame. I'm not sure top quality, "custom" aluminium has ever been cheaper than cheap or even mid-price carbon.
Decent quality, mass produced ALU frames are still significantly cheaper than the cheapest decent carbon offerings. A Caad12 can be gotten for 500 bucks and most people RAVE about them. They're also right around 1100 grams. You can crash a few of these before you even get close to the pricing on something like a TCR, where you'll be saving a whole 200 grams...