Test Specialized Allez Sprint, the king of aluminum

In the world of cycling on route, where carbon often reigns supreme, Specialized proves with the Allez Sprint that an aluminum bike can compete with the best, and for a lower price. Billed as the " world's first alloy super bike », it's not just a budget alternative. So what makes the Allez Sprint so special? Let's dive into its features and endearing behavior with the test of a frameset that has nothing to envy many carbon competitors in terms of performance.

By Guillaume Judas – Photos: ©3bikes.fr

First launched in 2015, theallez sprint quickly became a bicycle worship for ultra-fast criterium racers in the United States. With its aerodynamic tubes, a rigid structure, aggressive geometry and an affordable price, this model was quickly considered the ultimate racing beast.

Specialized has apparently softened the behavior of this second version, launched in 2022.. A slightly less extreme Allez Sprint at all levels, with in particular a little more stability, and therefore more accessible on more varied courses than the turn-turn in the city center.

A design inspired by the Tarmac SL7

To design it, Specialized engineers literally dissected their flagship carbon model at the time of its launch, the Tarmac SL7, to try to reinterpret it in aluminum. The geometry is thus perfectly identical. It is therefore also the same as that of the Tarmac SL8 released since, with only a slightly less top tube sloping. The lines are aerodynamic and studied in the wind tunnel, with fully integrated cables and complex tube shapes obtained by hydroforming..

Aluminum bicycle frames have seen some major innovations over the years, and hydroforming is one of the most prominent examples. This involves applying hydraulic pressure to the inside of the tubes to shape them to achieve the desired behavior and weight. We are thus very far from the manufacture of aluminum frames that some people knew 25 or 30 years ago..

Finally, the Allez Sprint benefits from the same Fact carbon fork as the Tarmac SL7, as well as a carbon seatpost directly derived from it.

Affordable price

Only one version of the Allez Sprint as a complete bike is available, equipped with a Shimano 105 groupset and DT Swiss R470 aluminum wheels, at €2900. Not to be confused with the Allez that simple, the top prize among racing bikes at Specialized.

The Allez Sprint is also available as a frameset, at €1650, which allows you to give free rein to your imagination for a montage personalized and in keeping with the original spirit of the bike.

So it is from a test of the frame kit in question here. The montage is customized, with a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 11-speed groupset, mid/high profile carbon wheels (several wheels were test(available with this frame), a Roval Rapide cockpit and a saddle Power Mirror.

It is difficult to establish a precise price for the bike, since the group used is five years old and has several tens of thousands of kilometers on the clock. But As we will see later, the performance is well on par with most carbon bikes, and all this from a frame priced reasonable.

The magic of Smartweld technology

At the heart of the Allez Sprint is D'Aluisio Smartweld technology, an innovative welding methodBy moving welds away from critical stress areas, like the head tube or bottom bracket, Specialized achieves a frame that is both stiffer and more durable.

The steering tube was cut from a single piece of alloy, then mechanically formed to create a more aerodynamic shape with consistent wall thickness. The one-piece hydroformed down tube and bottom bracket are designed to provide great stability.

The welds are very visible. A regret for some, especially if we compare the Allez Sprint to carbon frames or bikes of the same price, which are cleaner aesthetically due to the different types of manufacturing related to the material.

But from my point of view, the only real complaint that can be made about the Allez Sprint in terms of overall harmony concerns the junction between the top of the headset and the stem mount.

The frame can be built with any stem or monobloc combo like here, without any special cable routing required. It is compatible with both electric and mechanical drivetrains. It is a shame, however, that a better integrated headset top cover with the Roval Rapide cockpit is not offered by Specialized.

Weight increase

Surprisingly, the weight of the Allez Sprint frame is up compared to the first version from 2015. In size 52, with paint, saddle clamp, derailleur hangers and bottle cage screws, the frame weighs 1500g, about 300 more than the previous version.. For comparison, that's almost 800g more than a S-Works Tarmac SL8 weighed under the same conditions.

The integration of cables, the switch to disc braking, the standard of the bottom bracket (BSA rather than BB30) and the compatibility with tires up to 32 mm explain this increase in weight compared to the first Allez Sprint. Features that nevertheless promote performance and versatility.

I weighed the complete bike at 7,95kg as assembled on occasion, with power sensor pedals, bottle cages and computer mount. It would still be possible to easily save 200g without much effort. The Allez Sprint can thus compete in the field with many carbon bikes sold between €6000 and €7000.. While showing more personality in my opinion.

Sensation accelerator

From the first pedal strokes, the Allez Sprint sets the tone. The frame offers excellent rigidity, close to the very best on the market.. Every watt produced seems to be transformed into immediate propulsion, especially on the flat. In the sprint, the answer is straightforward: no parasitic flex, just clean acceleration.

But I also don't find the totally uncompromising side of the aluminum frames that I used in competition 25 years ago. Bikes that were very efficient in certain conditions, but on which you could quickly stumble if your legs weren't up to it.

The Allez Sprint is very responsive. It responds instantly to the slightest request. When dancing, you don't feel any part of the frame flex. But thanks to the angle and the trail of the front part and the fork, the steering is lively, which allows you to turn very quickly, and especially to make small movements of the front wheel to avoid feeling restricted by the stiffness of the frame.

Besides, this one is well attenuated for a montagand with 28mm tires on fairly wide rims. With an inflation pressure of between 4 and 5 bar, the bike is not only a little more comfortable – enough to help cope with the gritty parts of the tarmac – but it is also a little less brittle in terms of its lateral stiffness..

And while the larger tires slightly lessen the impression of rigidity it gives off, a montage with 25 mm tires shows on the contrary that the contact with the surface of the route is drier, with more resonance and more vibrations. The bike is also a little sharper when changing pace, but more tiring in the long run too.

Like on rails

With its responsive steering and ultra-precise carbon fork, The Allez Sprint fits like a scalpel in tight turns. At 60 km/h downhill on a route winding, no hesitation: it holds the trajectory, brakes hard and inspires confidence.

Where with identical geometry the Tarmac SL7 sometimes seems a little too playful with very touchy steering, especially when the wind blows from the side, the Allez Sprint seems to benefit from a slightly more pronounced rigidity at the front, which gives it more stability at high speed. And finally more comfort, because this behavior encourages a little more relaxation, which ultimately leads to less fatigue at the end of a ride.

When dropping the chain onto the 11th sprocket to sprint, I feel no difference in performance with an S-Works Tarmac SL7 or SL8

A stability that I was able to find on the flat by pushing hard with a big gearThe bike doesn't seem to come apart even when riding hard with the 53/13 or 12 (wind at your back!), and when it's time to drop the chain onto the 11th sprocket to sprint, I don't feel any difference in performance with an S-Works Tarmac SL7 or SL8.

Honorable Climber

On climbs, the Allez Sprint does not perform miracles against bikes whose frame weight is halved.. If its slight overweight is of no consequence on short bumps of a kilometer at 6 or 7%, it marks time a little when it is confronted with very high-end machines in the high percentages.tages, where it appears a little less airy.

But a bike is not just about raw numbers for a frame.. The montagThe high-end model here partly compensates for the few small bulges of the Allez Sprint. Complete and ready to ride, the bike weighs barely 8 kg. The handlebars and brake levers are very light, which further improves the impression of maneuverability. The wheels Roval, Mavic or Fulcrum testées on the bike are all high-end models, with rigid and responsive behavior. And the tires Shelf installed for the occasion are also among the best in terms of rolling resistance.

As I mentioned above, the weight of the Allez Sprint with such equipment rivals that of many bikes on the market sold between €6 and €7000. You can do better with a little imagination.. Or even for a reasonable price, by carefully choosing each piece. Not to mention that the weight of a frame is of course not the only element to take into account.

Not such a difficult choice 

If I had to choose between a Shimano 8 equipped S-Works Tarmac SL105 with basic small carbon wheels and this Dura-Ace Allez Sprint (11 speed) with good medium profile carbon wheels, what would I do? Of course, I know that a 105 S-Works doesn't exist, or almost doesn't, but just for the exercise, we know that the weight and price of the two proposals would be equivalent.

To be honest, I felt much less difference between a Tarmac and an Allez Sprint than between a Dura-Ace groupset and a 105.. Same for the wheels, or for the pilot's position.tage. Weight gain is present at all levels, even in components more or less distant from the bike's center of gravity, which can ultimately change the perception we have of the machine as a whole. In this case I would keep the Allez Sprint without hesitation..

A racing beast without breaking the bank

Although significantly heavier than a high-end carbon, the Allez Sprint frame is laterally stiff, it has perfect geometry for my taste and its handling is almost unmatched.. I even wonder if its slight extra weight doesn't give it something extra in terms of stability at high speed. As for comfort, without being exceptional, it benefits greatly from the increase in the tire section. Besides, are there still frankly uncomfortable bikes on the market since almost everyone rides 28 or more?

In short, I love this frame Allez Sprint, despite the few small aesthetic defects that can be found (welds, junction between the steering and the stem, etc.). His behavior is much more vivant and responsive than the weight listed on the technical sheet might suggest.. This frameset demonstrates above all that a clever competitive cyclist can build himself a super racing bike without reaching the very high (and often criticized) price of the most high-end machines, with a hint of customization in addition.

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