Specialized Allez A1

Price Paid:  $330.00 at ebay

Favorite Ride:
Anything near my house through Los Altos Hills

Bike Setup:
Salsa Bar
Weyless Stem & Carbon Spacers
Shimano 105 9 Speed Derailluers and STI's
Sora Brakes
Alex Rims
Michelin Tires
Cane Creek Thudbuster ST Seatpost
Mosaic Carbon Fork
BG Saddle
Nashbar Pedals
Stock Cranks

Summary:
This bike is awesome for someone who is moonlighting from his full suspension bike on the road. The price was awesome, I have no experience with a road bike, but the upgrades have made it run better, and the ST takes a lot of heat off the tookus. Great frame to hang upgraded parts on.

Strengths:
PRICE! LBS has been awesome for me: I got the full 105 uprade (derailluers, shifters, cassette and chain) purchased and installed for less than $300! Rides well, especially with a carbon fork.

Weaknesses:
Sora/Tiagra set up was good, but 105 is much smoother. The WORST thing is getting used to the higher gear ratios on a road bike than on my MTB.

Similar Products Used:
Hardtail I put slicks on.

Price Paid:  $375.00 at Supergo

Favorite Ride:
McDowell Mountain Ranch

Bike Setup:
SPD Pedals, have ordered a new seat, and will probably get a new seatpost.

Summary:
Great bike for the money. Got it at close out pricing - but I would have paid twice the amount. Very competitive when compared to others in the same class. Very comfortable to ride.

Strengths:
Stiff, smooth, and quiet.

Weaknesses:
Seat, seatpost seat clamp is platic(tends to slip). Front up-shifting is a pain

Similar Products Used:
Giant OCR3, Trek

Price Paid:  $450.00 at Ebay

Favorite Ride:
Any with fast friends

Bike Setup:
Stock allez A1; 105 front derailleur; "vintage" 105 8 spd. levers; Profile BRC Carbon fork; Profile century bar

Summary:
After years of riding a heavy steel Kona on the road, I finally sprung for a road bike. With three kids and an unemployed ex, I have, like NO budget. Grabbed the '02 A1 new on eBay for a song.

This is a great first bike for someone getting into road biking. You get agressive geometry and racer-boy Specialized looks. The frame's a bit heavier than their other models, but for the price it's hard to beat. I've read the numerous complaints about the saddle, but I found that once you get some miles behind you it's fine.

If you're interested in the A1, a few things to consider: it's an 8 speed, and upgrading it much means a FULL upgrade, from the levers to the bottom bracket. Many hundreds of bucks await, so think twice about a sport or elite, even with Tiagra 9 speed. The Sora front Derailleur is crap... but 105's can be had for $15 - $30 and it's an easy swap (you'll need a chain tool). My biggest problem was with the Sora levers... they're not dual action, but instead have a thumb-tab for releasing cable. That means no down-shifting from the drops. I found a set of used 8 speed 105 levers (older Ultegras will work, too). However, those are old-fashioned style levers, if looks mean anything to ya! I also added a profile carbon fork, so my total investment in this baby is well under $600. And for that I have a quick, responsive and surprisingly comfortable ride and I manage 150-ish miles a week and 100k rallies regularly. I will add a carbon seatpost in the next few weeks and likely some aero wheels, as these can go with me to a better bike someday.

The frame is nice and a great value, but again, doing a 105 or ultegra upgrade is an iffy value... you might be better off trading her in for a lighter-framed 9-speed. The Allez sport and elite models seem noticeably lighter to me.

I imagine the A1 will keep a novice or budget-minded rider happy; and if you find you've outgrown the 8 speed setup or are ready for something a couple pounds lighter, a look at eBay shows decent resale value (my LBS is ready to take mine in trade, too... they say they can move 'em fast). You simply can't go wrong for this price.

Rating this a "4" because of the great value; Specialized has done a great job in giving entry-level riders some fairly serious hardware.

Strengths:
Fantastic value; great looking bike
Decent hubs, tires, and saddle for the money

Weaknesses:
Sora levers & front derailleur
8 speeds instead of 9
Shifting a bit "chunky" under load

Similar Products Used:
First road bike

Price Paid:  $499.00 at Circle Cycle

Favorite Ride:
Palos Verdes hills

Bike Setup:
stock, except for Time ATAC Carbon clipless pedals.

Summary:
This is my first road bike, and I bought it based for one reason only: it was the cheapest bike I could find that fit me (56cm equivalent). However, I've been really happy with it over the two months I've been riding. It's light and stiff, which took some getting used to. The finish seems to suffer quickly, as I've already got some scratches but don't know how they got there. Perhaps that's normal though for bikes.

I replaced the pedals (cage and straps) with some clipless pretty quickly, which made an improvement in my ride. Not a necessity if you're using it to commute, etc.

I've heard complaints about Ritchey components but they seems fine to me. The Sora front derailleur seems a bit fragile, but the rear Tiagra setup feels more solid. Overall, and excellent first road bike.

Strengths:
Light, nimble, looks flash, comfortable to ride.

Weaknesses:
The Sora components a bit fragile (Tiagra OK)

Similar Products Used:
mountain bike from way back.

Price Paid:  $550.00

Favorite Ride:
Greylock loop 40mi

Bike Setup:
Plan on pedels soon, but i will keep the bike stock until it falls apart on me.

Summary:
Just got the bike and have already put about 100mi onto it. So far so good. Stock everything, but pedels are the next purchase. The bike rides smooth and is very responsive. The price is what I couldnt pass up, it blows the competitors out of the water for what I was looking for, a recreational ride that I can pound on a little. I average 60 miles a week

Strengths:
Frame, it will carry me for years to come. Everything else is replaceable

Weaknesses:
Sora, its the low end for a reason. Shifting is ruff. The seat is a little hard too but other than that no real complaints.

Similar Products Used:
Fuji ACE