Hey all,
I´ve heard there will be a special edition frameset of the Allez Sprint Disc this christmas - have you heard/seen anything about that or about a 2022 version of the frame?
Still thinking about buying one for building it up as a winter bike…
Thank you & stay safe
I doubt we’ll see another high-end Allez soon, maybe never. S clearly doesn’t want to offer any affordable bikes right now. I bet if the frame you are talking about or an updated version of the Allez did come to pass, the frameset would be over $2k and the 105 hydro equipped model would be over $4k. Along with Covid production issues, their aluminum guru Chuck Texiera’s house burned down in the California/Big Basin fires in 2019/20? Both these events are probably parts of why we haven’t seen anything yet. I’m not really sure where this bike would even go. I’d like to see it actually go back to more of an all-rounder like the OG Allez smartweld, with a round seat tube. A threaded bb would be cool, too, but not sure that’s possible with a hydroformed bb shell…of course they will make it a fully integrated front end and use that to justify the insane price of an aluminum frame made in a soul-sucking factory. If I were looking for a sweet aluminum racer I would probably go with a Low MK II.
Why the love for threaded BB?
Less chance of squeaky BB when threaded
Specialized has been released 2022 bikes on the AU website but I don’t see a single Sprint bike/frame.
20k for the top end tarmac. omg
Hopefully that 20k in Austrailian dollars
Only $14k in the US 
I’ve been waiting on an update to the Sprint for awhile now. Maybe unpopular opinion, but I do not want the sprint to become an all-rounder or more tempered. Leave it rad.
If things must be changed, swap in a D-shaped seatpost, threaded or T-47 bb, much bigger tire clearance (32 or more) and Bob’s your uncle. The only reason for a threaded bb is an alloy frame to me means nothing fancy or complicated. Being able to abuse it is one of the benefits. Given Specialized’s recent track record it will be none of these things and way more expensive so I’ll not get my hopes up. If they go the sensible route i’ll order on day one.
It will almost definitely get more expensive but I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t/wouldn’t go to a threaded BB. The new Tarmac SL7 has a threaded BB and so does the new Diverge. It would be cool if the Sprint had a bit more tire clearance but it already fits a 30c comfortably and could probably fit a 32 (maybe not with wide rims though).
But I definitely agree that I don’t want it to become an all-rounder. Sure it’s great when bikes can fit multiple purposes but there is also something great about a purpose built tool.
For me, it’s because it is easier for the home mechanic
Definitely, threading a BB has been the same for years, and it’s pretty foolproof. You’ve really got to be going ham at it to destroy one.
Few different tools but everyone loves new tool day!
The home mechanic, sure, but I’m thinking of the amateur kid who also just doesn’t have the tools or know-how.
The best part of the allez is it gave kids and amateurs like myself a bike to be competitive on. If anything, I see a huge spot for Specialized to go the other direction with the Allez brand as a whole. Keep their racing heritage, scrap that Allez elite w/e, and make the Allez an alloy alternative for the Tarmac and Venge. Make long-time customers from those early racers and watch them come back for the actual expensive shit.
Re-tool the weld jigs for the Elite to give it proper racing geo, slap in the SL7 fork, and seatpost. Barely any work. Shift the chainstays however needed for more rear clearance on the Sprint, pop in the SL7 fork, and thread the bb. If that was all they did and chose to sell it cheaper? I’d call that a huge win for the sport because we do not have enough competitive cheap bikes at the moment.
Specs on the 2022 Allez range, but no sign of a Sprint yet…
There’s a more general issue of the death of the higher end alu bike. CAAD, Emonda ALR, probably others, now max out at 105. The manufacturers have decided, rightly or wrongly, that performance = carbon.
The only problem with 105 is you’re too good for it. There’s nothing better on Dura Ace except the weight.
I have an Emonda ALR and it’s great; a carbon version of the same bike wouldn’t make me any happier. A lot of that has to do with the paint job and I’ve got a very nice seatpost, saddle, and bars on it.
Who’s ‘too good for it’, and what exactly is meant by that?
He means ‘too good’ as in your ego won’t let you think 105 is good enough.
Not that I think that’s what you were trying to say. R7000 is awesome but it would be sweet if they sold an Allez Sprint with Ultegra Di2 and some mid level carbon wheels and components. Since when they only sell it with lower end components then it gets perceived as a crappier bike, even though it really isn’t.
Have the manufacturers “decided that” or have the consumers made their choices clear, similar to when suppliers offered rim and disc brake options and the overwhelming majority of consumers chose discs?
Yeah I wonder this too. Which I’m sure then drives up the price of the aluminum bikes since there are less units to spread the tooling and design costs over. Not that that has helped with carbon bike prices. It’s a bit of a chicken and egg though. Less people buy aluminum, so they make less bikes and trims, so there are less good choices, so people go to carbon, and back around.