Specialized Allez Comp Cr-Mo 18 2003 Road Bike
4.9
/5
REVIEWS
4.9
QIKRATE
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USER REVIEWS
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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STEEL IS REAL!
BARS ARE A LITTLE WIDE
This bike is amazing! Having upgraded in summer of '04 from a 1991 Trek 1200, the difference in ride qaulity was astounding. I test rode several aluminum bikes is this price range and they could not compare. Getting a $400 discount (due to the fact that it was an '03 model) made it an even greater deal. I put in several hundred miles between August and November and it still feels like brand new. Haven't even had to adjust any moving parts!
Similar Products Used:
TREK 1200 GIANT TCR AERO
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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STEEL IS REAL!
BARS ARE A LITTLE WIDE
This bike is amazing! Having upgraded in summer of '04 from a 1991 Trek 1200, the difference in ride qaulity was astounding. I test rode several aluminum bikes is this price range and they could not compare. Getting a $400 discount (due to the fact that it was an '03 model) made it an even greater deal. I put in several hundred miles between August and November and it still feels like brand new. Haven't even had to adjust any moving parts!
Similar Products Used:
TREK 1200 GIANT TCR AERO
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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Comfort from steel frame shifters, brakes, wheels are fine
Paint scratches-chips easily
Purchased 2003 Allez-Comp Cr-Mo 56 cm bike after feeling cramped on Medium aluminum Sequoia Sport. I wanted to stretch out some but not assume racing posture. Have to echo previous reviewers' comments about steel's comfort. Gearing, components, handling (shorter wheel base than Sport)are all significant upgrades. Rode two 12 mile rides several days before doing 31 miles in 2 hours over weekend in 25 mph winds. Speed is up, comfort is up, and I have not tapped the potential in the bike yet. Have reached 24 mph in the seat with wind. At 50 years age and only 600 miles on cycle computer, believe I've found the match I was seeking. Great value for price. Was riding 50 miles on Sport. This bike makes that distance a breeze.
Similar Products Used:
Specialized Sequoia Sport Trek 730
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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Steel frame, compact geometry
The Cipollini Turbo tires are grippy and fast, but appear to be wearing quickly. In addition, I have flatted 3 times in 800 miles, much more than usual. It could be a bad tire/wheel set combo. Seat is questionable, takes some getting used to.
This bike is a candidate for the blue collar bargain of the year. For $1740 retail, it is an impressive package of all Ultegra components and a lightweight, comfortable steel frame. The frame is light, responsive and very vertically compliant (i.e. comfortable on rough Chicago-area roads). Several reviewers have quibbled about its weight, the wheel selection, and mysteriously enough, "frame flex". Surely there are lighter frames available for the money, but the frame is by not means heavy or plodding, and is more comfortable than a lighter comparably priced aluminum frame. As for the wheels, I don't know if the Shimano R540 wheelset would have been my first choice, but they are not unduly heavy and have held up incredibly well after 800 miles of pounding on some pretty rotten roads. Finally, as a 180lbs-plus rider, I have not detected any frame flex either while sprinting or climbing, even out of the saddle. I do not buy this as a legitimate concern with this bike. Between the Ultegra stuff, a solid set of other components from Specialized, and a very cool, well-mannered frame, this is an under-the-radar bargain. Buy one while you can.
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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Aweome steel ride. i will not go back to Al!!!!!
Paint is chipping a little. Watch out for that seatpost clamp as it can damage you carbon seatpost
Awesome bike. I have been riding a Fuji Team (Al Easton ultralite tubing) for the last 2 years and wow what a differnce. This bike weighs 1.5 - 2 lbs more but it is so much smoother and soaks up both the large bumps and the high frequency buzzing that was so prevalent on my al bike. It is just as fast and does not flex under loading and I am 215. Shimaon 540 wheelset is heavy but staying true.
Similar Products Used:
Fuji Team, Cannondale Caad5, Trek 1200
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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Great stable ride. Have done some minor hill/mtn climbs, feels great, no power lost. And on the descent very stable.
Have not come across any yet.
GREAT RIDE! GOTTA LOVE STEAL! Just got back on the road bike last year, had a Puch Austro-Daimler, vintage 1983. So this was a natural move for me. I love the ride. The group is great, Ultegra. Wheels are running well. I can't say enough good things about it right now.
Similar Products Used:
Vintage Puch Austro-Daimler, 1983, reynolds 531 frame, campy weimann brakes, :-)
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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Steel. Ultegra. Light and durable. Great paint scheme.
The wheel set could be a bit lighter, but for all of you that dont care about a few ounces here and there, keep the Shimanos..they work great.
As a pro mechanic, I can assure you that steel is a superior frame material...especially for road bikes. Just make sure that you spray Frame Saver into the bike before you take it out to the road, this way your bike will never rust. Steel has a great ride quality that no other materail can match. Ultegra is time tested and proven. Although the Shimano wheels may be on the "heavy" side, they are a great training wheelset, and very durable. Upgrading to a lighter wheelset will get the weight below 20 pounds, but as it stands right now, the bike is slightly over 20 lbs. My suggestion? Run the Shimanos into the ground until you are a stronger rider, then switch to a lighter set and see the results. Make sure you dont over tighten the carbon seatpost. Great bike, well worth the money. Here come steel back into town!!!
Similar Products Used:
Nothing but aluminum and Ti bikes...this is my first steel feel. And I'm not going back!
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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Obviously the great ride of steel. Great value for the price.
I didn't trust the clamp on the carbon seatpost, I prefer thomson.
I occasionally race, but mostly just ride for fun, so the steel frame seemed a great fit for me. As I have it set up its about 18.5 pounds. The compact frame geometry works surprisingly well with the frame material. It sprints and climbs great. The bottom bracket is flexy though even in my small frame size(52cm). The parts group is great, full Ultegra. The wheelset is heavy, I recommend switching. The stemis great. It adjusts to four different positions due to a spacer that is angled and can be rotated to the front or back depending on the preferece of the rider. This bike may not be for everyone, but for someone who wants a a great riding bike at a great price, should try this one.
Similar Products Used:
Specialized aluminum frame, C-Dale CAAD5, Trek aluminum.
OVERALL RATING |
4 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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S-T-E-E-L quick, comfortable, efficient, not heavy (mine's a tad over 18lbs) Appearance is top notch!
Kudos to Specialized for saving consumers money with this adjustable stem (it accomodates -16,-8,+8,+16), but don't set up a large (58cm) bike with -16. It doesn't make sense. C3 fork is nice, but this bike is so potenially light and deserves a lighter fork like the C4 or a True Temper Q fork (but Colombus wouldn't like that arrangement for sure!)
Smooth, quick, agile,and purty to look at! This is the type of steel bike that people can get excited about! It's light (Dura Ace helps). It accelerates very well. The ride stability is very good, and it's comfortable. There are these railroad tracks that sometimes eject my water bottles - no problem with this bike. I couldn't believe how smooth it was. The carbon seatpost helps a lot to smooth things out. I've done some climbing with it - the compact geometry feels different out of the saddle, but I got used to it quickly. I'll be hitting some mountains this spring, so I'll know more then. For now, i'm anticipating them. Seated climbing seems very good and efficient on this bike. It came set up with the stem angle on -16 degrees. Don't ride it like this. Switch it over to -8 or +8 and shorten the steerer tube. The front end will feel much stiffer then. (If you're a german reader and you follow "Tour" magazine: the STW value will be much better) The rear end feels very stiff laterally, and has some compliancy vertically. I like this. It gives good efficiency without a harsh ride. Nice details to the bridge across the chainstays. Someone put some thought into it and made it minimal and functional. It's not just a tube welded across. I had some difficulty with the aheadset, but that was quickly replaced. no problems since. I was skeptical of the BG Pro saddle, but it really is very comfortable. I had extra money set aside to buy a Sella Italia, but spent it on a 12-27cassette instead! I'm 6'2" but don't have huge hands (no jokes please!!). Mine are almost too large for the Team Handlebars - they feel about the same as Ritchey Pro WCS (they might be the same but re-labeled). If you have large hands, you may want to plan on different bars (Ritchey BioMax are better suited). Cable routing is clean. The C3 fork rides nice, but isn't the lightest.
Similar Products Used:
Cannondale R800 (CAAD3) Shim.105 Trek 5500 Shim.Dura-Ace '02 Scott USA TEAM Issue Shim. Dura-Ace '00 Colnago Master Light Campy Rekord