FIRST LOOK: Specialized Races in with New Aluminum Allez DSW X1 Expert

Love it.

@Birdman

How much should it cost? Rather, how much are you willing to pay? Because Specialized should ask all their consumers how much money they have before deciding on an MSRP.

I could understand other companies in other industries charging a lot for their products, trying to make a corporate profit. But bikes are built and ridden by kumbaya circle-loving, granola-eating, egalitarian hippy yoga teachers who are in it for the love of bikes, not the money. Thus, they should just give these away.

(Also: I’m a broke-ass cheapskate always looking for a deal JensonUSA.com. Heck, I’ll buy a 5-speed Alivio derailleur for $9.99 if it means I can put more gas into my Porsche.)

Anyone else wondering where the heck is the Disc Break Version !!!!

I’d throw down some cash on this DSW if it came with disc breaks and a thru axle!

Oh Well…

2x version in Q1 2016.

Trey, thanks for the link to that American Flyers scene. That was some retro fun.

@Charlie: you do know that $2600 is for a complete bike, right? $1350 for a “basic aluminum frame.”

Good God, I can’t believe I am defending Specialized, but c’mon man.

To all the 1×11 whiners: Eddy won the Tour 5 times as well as another 500+ victories. He had one LESS gear than a 1×11 drivetrain. He also did it on a steel bike that most of you babies would dismiss as being too heavy and not having good enough brakes. Still, there he is – the greatest cyclist of all time…while you’re a complete unknown who hasn’t won anything worth noting. Quit making up excuses and blaming the equipment.

To the “it’s too much money for an aluminum frame” crowd: (deleted). There’s no reason a well made alloy frame shouldn’t cost more than a poorly made carbon frame. The fact that you can’t recognize the difficulty in welding extremely thin walled tubing just shows how little (as is none) experience you have in making frames. Frame material is only one fairly small factor that goes into how a frame performs. To automatically say a frame made from X is better than a frame made from Y is absolutely asinine and shows a really poor understanding of frame design. Calling this a “basic aluminum” frame proves you don’t know (deleted) about frames! I say this as someone who has no love for Specialized but has actually held a torch.

Not a Spec fan at all, but the Smartweld BB idea is pretty sweet. Perhaps one of the best looking alloy frames they have made to date.
It has a similar look and feel to the Cervelo Soloist Alloy.

If it is suppose to be a crit bike, what’s it doing with a compact chainring and a wide range cassette? Stick a 53 on the front and a corn cob on the back.

hints of a non hydraulic force 1x system?

Question to the alloy experts: Why not just stamp the entire frame in two halves (main triangle) and weld it down the middle? OK the form would be expensive – about the same a carbon maybe but after that…

Yup, that’s true, cycling IS expensive. I’m just used to seeing the prior Allez and CAAD10 frameset under $1000 and assumed this would be priced at the same range. Not saying this frame isn’t worth the money though because it is beautiful.

Also, not shown on this post, but on another website I saw a build with the silver frame with full length rear brake housing zip tie to the top tube. I wonder if is really officially routed that way by design.

No front derailleur and wide spaced cassette!!! It amazing how easily people are herded. Wont touch this with a 10 foot pole. I bet it has a pressfit bb also.

@brattercakes

From Bikeradar.com: “Front derailleur-compatible Allez Smartweld frames (that are otherwise identical save for the multiple chainring capability) will be released in December, just three months after the release of the 1x-specific ‘X1’ models in September.”

I think it is pretty cool. I’d be happy w/ a 44t front ring and 11-36 cassette. I don’t care about racing and that range gives approximately the same spread as a 50-34 with a 12-25.
The price seems reasonable, especially compared to the S-works bikes.
I know a Specialized dealer and he prefers the aluminum Allez models for his personal bike over the carbon models.

Also not sure the big deal on the lack of FD. One can buy a very nice Allez DSW SL frameset that is basically the non-aero road bike version of this that accepts a FD for $900. And an almost full Ultegra bike, sans crankset, for $2K.
Would I buy the X1. No way. Nobody is beating anyone on an X1 vs an SL due to the aero back-end and lack of FD. But I can’t complain as long as Spec doesn’t eliminate the SL.

@JBikes: Spesh will fill the retail channel initially with 1x models, and the typical LBS won’t be able to stock sizes of both models Not to mention, anyone who is actually going to use this as a “Crit bike” is going to need a larger chainring and smaller cassette.

@James: Enjoy those 14% – 16% jumps between cogs.

Bazz,
That is pretty wild. I never knew someone made something like that in Al. Thanks for that!!

There has to be at least $500-600 tied up in just the carbon fork & seatpost, headset and bottom bracket. Considering that, and the technology that went into it, its actually not that bad for $1350. Don’t get the 50 tooth ring though.

Ventruck – that answer is nobody. More to the point, one can always remove a FD for whatever perceived benefit. But its hard to install one when when no provision is provided on a non-round seat tube.

@bazz

Look to the past. Norco had monocoque stamped and welded VPS DH frames for years. So were Intenses for ages.

This bike is too (deleted) sick. I’m stoked. People have no idea on this website.

FD’s are neat, 8/10 cyclists don’t know how to shift one of them. Bigger gaps between teeth is a perceived problem, not a real problem. I wish every bike on my floor was 1x. Would make my job so much easier. Yes, more difficult at first to convince people of gear range. But once they rode it would be an instant seller, people get easily confused by a second ring or god forbid a third ring. Especially them being operated opposite of each other.

My Awol is setup 1x with an expander cog and a directmount chainring. Its great for climbing out here in the Rockies both on and off road. (deleted).

(deleted).

Not a CAAD12. Obviously.

Take a look in the portuguese web site, they have the Allez with front derraileur!

http://www.specialized.com/pt/pt/bikes/road/allez/allez-sl-x1-comp

It’s a nice bike. If you like it you should buy it, if you don’t then know you’re roll and buy something else.
(deleted)
Specialized is awesome, Love the new Allez look.