2011 Specialized Allez Elite, Sport

Submitted by jonathan on Sun, 07/18/2010 - 08:02


To be quite honest, I never really thought specialized had their head screwed on straight in the Entry Level road bike market. Let's just analyze this picture from 2010 right quick. Skip to the bottom for the 2011 roundup.

Three things I dont like, right off the bat. First, HOLY SPOKE COUNT. What's the deal with that? A lot of people purchasing an entry level bike are probably going to buy on cool points above all else, I know I did when I first got one. And a 32 spoke wheel just looks bad, in my opinion. How come on Cannondale's similarly priced line, they can give you a decent pair of Shimano RS10s with 20/24 and bladed spokes? Remember, you're looking at their top model allez with 105.

Second: that black crankset. What part of the frame has black paint on it? Im not saying it should be white, just the black detracts from a lot of the cool white writing on the bike. A wag of my finger at you, Specialized.

Finally, take some spacers out of that headset for the showcase photo!Why are you flipping the stem if it is still going to be a mile high!? Look at any other bike pic on their website and you will see that the stem is slammed. I guess they are trying to appeal to riders who want a more relaxed geometry. Not saying there is anything wrong with riding a bike with high bars, just saying that for a photo that is supposed to make a bike look cool, take all the spacers out.

So Specialized, what have you learnnnnnned?

Not a lot, apparently. Check out the 2011 version pictured below.

Well, they did get rid of that black crankset. But oh, wait, there is now black lettering on the bike. It would have matched perfectly. Better luck next year, I suppose.

Poor color coordination? Check.
Massive spoke count? Check.
Bazillion spacers in showcase picture? Check.

But other than that, the bike looks ill. There apparently is going to be two versions of the Allez frame, the E5 and the A1, steak sauce.

The carbon blades on the fork are straight.

Oh my, what is that? Is that Sram Apex I see? RIP Shimano.

Good night, sweet prince.

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