VERSATILE, STABLE AND EASY TO HANDLE

The roads where I lay claim to a handful of Strava ‘Local Legend’ titles were my Specialized Allez proving ground. Flowing descents and 20% ramps meant that I got to understand how the bike performed on both 20-mile lunchtime blasts and 50-mile ventures into the Surrey hills.

I was riding the eight-speed Claris equipped Allez with the Tektro mechanical disc brakes. The standard 27.2mm seatpost and round alloy bars made the set-up refreshingly straightforward. The steerer tube had 50mm of spacers under the stem, so my first ride was quite upright and relaxed. However, on shorter rides, I did slam the stem, and this really changed the personality of the bike. No longer did it feel like an endurance thoroughbred, but instead came alive with a more direct-feeling front end. Overall, it offered an easy-tohandle and predictable ride.

The 30c Specialized Roadsport tyres performed well despite their harder casing, providing impressive confidence through corners and comfort too thanks to the added tyre width. While 35mm tyres may be a great option for commuting, for general road riding they could be considered overkill. The brakes, after some bedding in, did bite reasonably well, but the delivery of power is much lower than their hydraulic counterparts – a clear trade-off for the lower price.

Although the versatility of the Allez is unquestionable, the spec on the base model does hold it back slightly, which at £1,100 is hard to overlook. The Sport addresses these concerns, but with that comes an even higher £1,600 price tag.