# 2011 Allez comp



## zach.scofield (Apr 11, 2010)

Has anyone built up one of the new Allez comp framesets? I will be ordering a frameset next month as a training / crit bike and would like to see some others for comparisons. I will be using a good many parts from my '11 Felt F5 as that is in the process of being upgraded.

2011 Specialized Allez Comp frameset 54cm white/blue

Parts spec so far:

Shimano 5700 front der.
Shimano 5700 rear der.
Shimano 5700 cassette 12-25
Shimano 5700 chain
Shimano 5700 brakeset
Specialized Romin SL or Felt SL saddle
Felt SL seatpost
Felt SL stem 100mm
Felt H-bar or Ritchey WCS logic 2
Felt cxp22 Wheelset
Specialized s-works turbo tires

Need:
Shimano 5700 shifters(currently on my Felt, waiting to find 6700 or 7900)
Crankset & BB preferably Shimano 5700 blk
Pedals


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## darkest_fugue (Mar 14, 2009)

id really like this bike, id like something different to my roubaix and i cant afford a tarmac, i can get an allez comp for 1000 dollars with full 105, if i changed out the wheels with something better i think it would be a really fun bike, i need more feedback on this frame as i cant test the bike where i live


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## zach.scofield (Apr 11, 2010)

It looks to be a super nice aluminum frame. At its price its great fit is the same IMO as a tarmac. Geo is the same as the tarmac I believe and has a carbon fork to boot. I dont have to worry so much about going down in a crit either cause its alu.


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## darkest_fugue (Mar 14, 2009)

im just after finding out the cannondale caad 10 is available where i live now, most say the caad was always a better frame than the allez, thing is though the caad wont be available till march itll only be available second hand and it will be around 1400 euros with a 105 spec, the allez has a 105 spec and i can get it for about 1200 euros new, im still leaning towards the allez, no reviews on this frame yet though


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

zach.scofield said:


> It looks to be a super nice aluminum frame. At its price its great fit is the same IMO as a tarmac. Geo is the same as the tarmac I believe and has a carbon fork to boot. I dont have to worry so much about going down in a crit either cause its alu.


A couple of clarifications....

The 2011 Allez does share its geo with the Tarmac, but because the TT slope differs, standover is higher than its comparably sized Tarmac counterpart, so something to be aware of. From a sizing standpoint, I don't think that was a wise move on Spec's part.

Also, FWIW the fork has CF legs and alu crown and steerer.


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## zach.scofield (Apr 11, 2010)

PJ352 said:


> A couple of clarifications....
> 
> The 2011 Allez does share its geo with the Tarmac, but because the TT slope differs, standover is higher than its comparably sized Tarmac counterpart, so something to be aware of. From a sizing standpoint, I don't think that was a wise move on Spec's part.


Having stood over both a 56 tarmac and 56 allez I really couldnt feel much of a difference to be honest. However, with that said they are both a size too large for me and were in my crotch. 
Here is a list of the measurements that I put together as a comparison

Felt F5 54 / spec allez 54 / spec allez 52 / tarmac 54
HA: 73 / 73 / 73 / 73
SA: 73.5 / 73.5 / 74 / 73.5
TT hor: 545 / 548 / 537 / 548
HT: 120 / 145 / 120 / 145
ST ct: 520 / 510 / 490 / 510
BB drop: 70 / 69 / 71.5 / 69
CS: 405 / 405 / 405 / 405
Front center: 580 / 583 / 576 / 583
Wheelbase: 974 / 978 / 970 / 978
Rake: 45 / 45 / 45 / 45
Stand over: 750 / 798 / 777 / 777

I am not much concerned w/ standover as long as it is not up my crotch. You'll notice that the 54 allez has 25mm more HT height which attributes to some of the additional standover of the allez and I am going to venture and say the remaining difference in standover comes from the rounded profile of the toptube on the allez compared to the straight sloped toptube of the felt. Both bikes are within mm's of each other otherwise. As you'll see also the 52cm allez's standover is still 27mm higher than my 54cm felt. This bike frameset reminds me of the 04ish s-works E5 frame:thumbsup: so far in the chart the only difference is the standover, otherwise the tarmac and allez share identical geo's.

I'll get a pic side by side of my felt and a comparable tarmac. If the shop has a built 54 allez I'll get a picture compared to the felt and 1 to the tarmac showing the differences for you guys to reference.



PJ352 said:


> Also, FWIW the fork has CF legs and alu crown and steerer.


Fine by me for what it is.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

All points taken. I posted simply to make you (and others) aware of the one difference in geo in the event it _was_ an issue. 

Given my 30.5" inseam, the 52cm Tarmac's 755mm standover suites me fine, but the 777mm standover of the new 52cm Allez puts it out of the running. Thus my comment that from a sizing prospective, I don't think it was a good move - especially considering a lower standover is an advantage with compact geo bikes. As always, YMMV.

RE: the fork comment.. same deal. I just offered it in the event someone cared that it wasn't full CF.


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## zach.scofield (Apr 11, 2010)

PJ352 said:


> All points taken. I posted simply to make you (and others) aware of the one difference in geo in the event it _was_ an issue.
> 
> Given my 30.5" inseam, the 52cm Tarmac's 755mm standover suites me fine, but the 777mm standover of the new 52cm Allez puts it out of the running. Thus my comment that from a sizing prospective, I don't think it was a good move - especially considering a lower standover is an advantage with compact geo bikes. As always, YMMV.
> 
> RE: the fork comment.. same deal. I just offered it in the event someone cared that it wasn't full CF.



I was agreeing with you, not trying to argue. Internet forums are hard to pull the context out of stuff. Just adding some data to back up the statements.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

zach.scofield said:


> *I was agreeing with you, not trying to argue*. Internet forums are hard to pull the context out of stuff. Just adding some data to back up the statements.


Ironically, that makes two of us...


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## zach.scofield (Apr 11, 2010)

Today I put my order in at the shop for a 54cm allez comp frameset. Other than the standover it feels remarkably like a 54 tarmac..........who would have thunk it.


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## 2Slo4U (Feb 12, 2005)

Zach -- you'll need to change your signature


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## zach.scofield (Apr 11, 2010)

2Slo4U said:


> Zach -- you'll need to change your signature



LOL! :thumbsup: I might just add a notation to it.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

zach.scofield said:


> Today I put my order in at the shop for a 54cm allez comp frameset. Other than the standover it feels remarkably like a 54 tarmac..........who would have thunk it.


With standover being the only difference in geo, I woulda thunk it.  

Congrats in the new bike. It's a small, seemingly insignificant step, but your future signature might read....
_I ride Specialized bicycles, and Felts in shitty weather_. :thumbsup:

j/k, Felts are nice bikes as well...


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## zach.scofield (Apr 11, 2010)

PJ352 said:


> With standover being the only difference in geo, I woulda thunk it.
> 
> Congrats in the new bike. It's a small, seemingly insignificant step, but your future signature might read....
> _I ride Specialized bicycles, and Felts in shitty weather_. :thumbsup:
> ...


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## IAmSpecialized (Jul 16, 2008)

Here is my 2011 Allez. These are the preliminary photos when I first started building it a few months ago. I'll get some more recent photos when I'm able. I love it. It's a good solid bike. It certainly is not as smooth as my S-Works SL3, but it cost me 1/5 the price of what it cost me to build up my SL3. The color scheme is based on my team colors.

The cool thing is I can go from my SL3 to the Allez and back and never feel a bit of difference in terms of fit. 

Good luck on your Allez. I definitely like mine!


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## darkest_fugue (Mar 14, 2009)

that allez looks great, i really want one, would i be right in saying its as stiff as the SL3 but a little harsher and a slight weight penalty, if thats the case i can live with that


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## IAmSpecialized (Jul 16, 2008)

darkest_fugue said:


> that allez looks great, i really want one, would i be right in saying its as stiff as the SL3 but a little harsher and a slight weight penalty, if thats the case i can live with that


I'm 150 pounds and my peak power in a sprint is 1247 watts, so I'm not exactly going to flex a frame. With that said, it feels stiff. It is not as smooth as my SL3, that's for sure. But it's a really sweet ride. I built it up to use for criteriums so if I crash I have the money to replace it. I do NOT have the money to replace my S-Works frame. I'm racing it with Easton EC90 SL clinchers, and I'm also running a Ritchey WCS carbon seat post with a Fizik Arione CX with braided carbon rails. These bits of carbon really soak up a LOT of the road bite. Not sure how harsh it would feel without them.

If it matters, I'm also planning on replacing the fork with an SL2 carbon fork. That will take a lot of bite out of the road and really lighten things up. The weight of the Allez comes from the alloy steerer which is quite a pig.


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## darkest_fugue (Mar 14, 2009)

yes im disapointed with the alloy steerer in the fork, thats just cheap, one reason im also looking at the caad 10, id like to stick with specialized though and a cheap stiff racy alternative to my comfy roubaix, the allez could be what im looking for, looks gorgeous too


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## zach.scofield (Apr 11, 2010)

I cancelled the order last week. I had to get some other things taken care of first. Now Im thinking I may just sell the parts I have to get some 7900 shifters and ders for my felt. Although I could just order the frame and fork next month and get some shifters when I can. At this point shifters and pedals are all I will need to complete the bike.


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## IAmSpecialized (Jul 16, 2008)

I hate to say it, but after a couple months of riding the Allez, I do NOT think my SL3 frameset is worth $3300 dollars more. I will say the carbon railed Arione soaks up a lot of the road on the Allez. But I will also say that when I get off the Allez and get on my SL3 I do not say to myself,

"wow! holy f*cking sh!t! This is a huge leap above the SL3."

And for $3300 difference in framset price, that is exactly what I should be saying.

The Allez does feel a little heavy in the front end with the alloy steerer, but that is easily solved with a new fork. And to be quite honest, after you've been riding the Allez for a week, you really don't notice the front end weight anymore.

All you SL3 owners can flame me if you want, but this is my opinion. Simple as that. I love my SL3 and it rides like a dream. But in my OPINION, it is not $3300 better than the 2011 Allez. And even after 4+ hour rides on the Allez I feel just fine; feel no different than after 4+ hour rides on the SL3.


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## learlove (Jan 18, 2009)

double post


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## learlove (Jan 18, 2009)

iamspecialized, 

What size is your allez? 54 or 52? If you don't what is your seat height (bb center to to of seat) in the pic. 

I'm just trying to get an idea if I should go 52 or 54. I fall between but either will work in reality.

thanks


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## mlaborero (Mar 28, 2011)

here's the inevitable question...has anyone weighed the 2011 allez comp frame or fork?


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## cryoplasm (Jun 14, 2008)

1360g in size 52. 550g fork.


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## IAmSpecialized (Jul 16, 2008)

Yeh, the fork is the downfall. But I just raced mine for the first time in a crit last Saturday and Sunday and it perofrmed just fine. I have no complaints at all. I imagine it will only get better after I change the fork out for an SL2 fork with carbon steerer tube.


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## BluesDawg (Mar 1, 2005)

How much lighter would a fork with a carbon steerer be? Does it really make that much difference?


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

BluesDawg said:


> How much lighter would a fork with a carbon steerer be? Does it really make that much difference?


Depends on the fork. My '08 Tarmac Comp fork weighs ~550g's, while my '11 Tarmac Pro fork weighs 358g's. My Easton EC-90 SLX (uncut) fork weighs 350g's. The overall construction dictates weight, not just whether or not it's full CF.


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## BluesDawg (Mar 1, 2005)

PJ352 said:


> Depends on the fork. My '08 Tarmac Comp fork weighs ~550g's, while my '11 Tarmac Pro fork weighs 358g's. My Easton EC-90 SLX (uncut) fork weighs 350g's. The overall construction dictates weight, not just whether or not it's full CF.


Sure, but keeping things in context - I have seen several comments posted suggesting that Specialized slighted this bike by including a heavier fork than would be expected and that it affects the feel of the bike. I don't think anyone would expect a bike at this price level to have a fork similar to a Tarmac Pro. I just wonder how much lighter a fork deemed more appropriate for this level of bike would be than the one included and how noticeable the difference would be to a rider.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

BluesDawg said:


> Sure, but keeping things in context - I have seen several comments posted suggesting that Specialized slighted this bike by including a heavier fork than would be expected and that it affects the feel of the bike. I don't think anyone would expect a bike at this price level to have a fork similar to a Tarmac Pro. *I just wonder how much lighter a fork deemed more appropriate for this level of bike would be than the one included and how noticeable the difference would be to a rider*.


Points taken, but the first part of your question...
_How much lighter would a fork with a carbon steerer be? _
... didn't make such distinctions, thus my more general answer. It's pure conjecture to say what that same Allez fork would weight if designed/ built using a CF steerer, because a variety of factors would dictate the end result.

Re: the bolded statement, since there are no established standards and offerings in the market place vary widely, I think 1) it could be argued that the OEM fork IS within an acceptable weight range and 2) rider impressions are highly subjective. Many cyclists post that they can't tell a discernable difference with bikes weighing +/- 2 lbs, and a ~200g difference in fork weight is well within that. 

Every product we buy is built to a price point, so Specialized apparently decided that this fork was a good match for the frame, for a variety of reasons. I personally think that given the frame weight, the fork weight IS acceptable given that my Comp frame weighs just shy of 1200g's and the fork weighs close to the same as the Allez's.

As another point of reference, I'd also point to the wheelsets offered on complete bikes. Almost without exception they ARE (IMO) below what the buyer should expect, thus the standard advice of 'upgrade wheels first' to most members asking about worthwhile upgrades.

Last thought. As a somewhat different but similar comparison, Some pre - integration brake levers weigh about 270g's. The new Ultegra STI's weigh about 450g's - roughly the same difference in weight as a lighter fork, yet I've read little about how the handling or feel of bikes suffers because of them, probably because a riders ~40% frontal weight overcomes any of those relatively small variables.

I'm not bashing Spec in any way, but IMO if a buyer is in the alu bike market and placing a priority on weight, they'll likely opt for a CAAD10.


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## easyridernyc (Jan 10, 2008)

IAmSpecialized said:


> Here is my 2011 Allez. These are the preliminary photos when I first started building it a few months ago. I'll get some more recent photos when I'm able. I love it. It's a good solid bike. It certainly is not as smooth as my S-Works SL3, but it cost me 1/5 the price of what it cost me to build up my SL3. The color scheme is based on my team colors.
> 
> The cool thing is I can go from my SL3 to the Allez and back and never feel a bit of difference in terms of fit.
> 
> Good luck on your Allez. I definitely like mine!



ahhh so this is the new e-5...

beautiful both the comp and the works. well done man


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## o0adam0o (Jul 24, 2010)

IAmSpecialized said:


> Yeh, the fork is the downfall. But I just raced mine for the first time in a crit last Saturday and Sunday and it perofrmed just fine. I have no complaints at all. I imagine it will only get better after I change the fork out for an SL2 fork with carbon steerer tube.



WOW! Sweet! Im looking at getting that exact bike/color. What wheels do you have on it?

The LBS i went to had it for $1400 with an Apex groupset. If you also have it.. what do you think about the shifting? Im coming from Shimano Sora. How much did you pay for yours aside from the wheelset?
https://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCProduct.jsp?spid=52848&scid=1001&scname=Road


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## IAmSpecialized (Jul 16, 2008)

o0adam0o said:


> WOW! Sweet! Im looking at getting that exact bike/color. What wheels do you have on it?
> 
> The LBS i went to had it for $1400 with an Apex groupset. If you also have it.. what do you think about the shifting? Im coming from Shimano Sora. How much did you pay for yours aside from the wheelset?
> http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCProduct.jsp?spid=52848&scid=1001&scname=Road


I have a set of Easton EC90SL carbon clinchers. I had the rear Easton torn down and laced up to a PowerTap with Sapim CXrays. I use the front Easton on race days. When out training I use a Fulcrum 3 on the front. My rear Easton/PT combo is my everyday training wheel and also my race wheel.

I do not have Apex. I bought the bare frameset through my team and then built it up with: SRAM Rival shifters and brakes, DuraAce 7800 crankset, SRAM Force derailleurs, Ritchey WCS alu stem, Thompson seatpost, Fizik Arione CX with carbon braided rails, and a Bontrager Race SL variable radius bar (which I love!!), SRAM 1090R chain and a SRAM 1070 cassette.

Believe it or not, this bike sees more ride time than my S-Works SL3. I do break out the S-Works when I'm going to the mountains. But I have zero complaints about my Allez. My seat with the carbon braided rails makes a night/day difference in ride quality.


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## 1fast-SL1 (May 3, 2010)

I have the same bike in black....
Ritchey stem,seatpost and handlebar...
Ultegra sl gruppo besides the crankset i have the dura ace 7800...
Forte apollo wheelset,continental 4000s tires..
This bike is awesome.......
I have pix but i don't know how to upload it here....


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## 196nautique (Sep 23, 2005)

Anyone change out the fork yet?

How much heavier is the frame/ fork than a carbon Tarmac (non sworks)?


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## little (Apr 30, 2011)

whats the price on the frame?


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## o0adam0o (Jul 24, 2010)

little said:


> whats the price on the frame?


$580

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCProduct.jsp?spid=52847&scid=1001&scname=Road


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## little (Apr 30, 2011)

thanks website wasnt working last night. Heading to the lbs this afternoon to order one


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## o0adam0o (Jul 24, 2010)

little said:


> thanks website wasnt working last night. Heading to the lbs this afternoon to order one



I have the white one.. looks sweet!


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## little (Apr 30, 2011)

they couldn't get it! i have to wait until tuesday now till it gets ordered!


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## rsschmidt (Feb 1, 2011)

*Allez comp fork*

I just ordered this bike this morning, and am planning on doing some upgrades. I was wondering if anyone changed out the fork yet, and what the results were?


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## noobikeen (Jul 18, 2010)

I guess i can answer some of the weight questions in here. I swap out the the orginal fork (590g) to a S-Works Tarmac fork ( 320g!!!) The fitment is perfect on the Allez. All u need is a new bolt for ur brake installation. Iamspecialized is right, the full carbon fork did soak up ALOT of road bite and the front doesnt feel like a pig anymore. Somehow i feel corning is even sharper than the orginal fork as they are sharing the same rake. Its worth to do the fork upgrade IMO 

Here is the setup of my 2011 Allez Comp E5 52cm...

Full Ultegra 6700 group ( i have both 6700/ 6750 crankset, they didnt make more than 20g in weight difference)
Sram 1070 11-28 cassette
Dura Ace 7900 chain
Specialized Pave seatpost
San Marco Pave saddle
FSA K Wing Compact handlebar w/ Specialized Comp 100mm stem
Specialized Turbo Pro tires
Look Keo Plus pedal
Cateye comp
Specialized water cage

Weight in 16.6lb with Fulcrum Racing 4, and 17.1lb with Spinergy Stealth PBO ( both with comp and water cage)

Pls check my user gallery for pic


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## rsschmidt (Feb 1, 2011)

How much did the shop charge you for the fork???


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## noobikeen (Jul 18, 2010)

@rsschmidt, I have been keep hunting the fork in ebay for awhile ( for color matching and fork rake issue). I found out the price of a Tarmac fork usually goes from $75-120 and i did the installion by myself. 

FYI, the crown is sitting on the headset bearing perfectly without changing anything. In case u have never play with full carbon steerer, an expander plug is required ( never use a star nut for carbon steerer)


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