im looking into getting my first road bike, and i can get an allez elite for around $750 (i work at a bike shop). is this a decent starter bike? also, should i wait for the 07s or go with an 06?
specialized allez elite?
- Thread starter arboc!
- Start date
tarmac
ok idiots. the tarmac is not a "starter" bike. it is $2200 minimum carbon fiber job.
fyi, many club-level euros use aluminum bikes, not carbon, so they can have a strong and reliable bike for many years. their road conditions are not as good as ours, so something than can last is important.
i think the frame is excellent on the allez elite, being columbus e5. I would man up and get a double, and eventually replace the crankset/bb from sugino to shimano/truvativ/fsa. you will probably notice some flex in the cranks if you are over 170lbs...
for the heck of it, i would also replace the brakes from the no-name's to ultegra. the wheels are not the greatest training/racing wheels either, but i don't like any wheelset which comes on a production road bike. i would build a set, 32 hole if it is a trainer....
fyi, many club-level euros use aluminum bikes, not carbon, so they can have a strong and reliable bike for many years. their road conditions are not as good as ours, so something than can last is important.
i think the frame is excellent on the allez elite, being columbus e5. I would man up and get a double, and eventually replace the crankset/bb from sugino to shimano/truvativ/fsa. you will probably notice some flex in the cranks if you are over 170lbs...
for the heck of it, i would also replace the brakes from the no-name's to ultegra. the wheels are not the greatest training/racing wheels either, but i don't like any wheelset which comes on a production road bike. i would build a set, 32 hole if it is a trainer....
FYI... the the 2006 allez elite is modeled after the tarmac.bikerpunk98199 said:
i found out we have 06 s-works shoes on close out, $50 isnt bad at all for a $250 shoe... woot!
ok, first of all, the tarmac and the allez ride completely different. second of all, the price points are completely different. the allez model, whether its the base, or the highest model, is a good starter bike. there are lots of models to choose from, all with really good build kits for the price. the allez elite is a great starter bike, and has lots of quality components on it. and being that you can get a really good discount, i would spend the extra 250 making it a flat 1000 and try and get the Comp instead. if 750 is your cut off though, the Elite would be an awesome bike.
I picked up an Allez Elite (the full Ultegra Groupo version) about a year and half ago and couldn't be happier with it. The Ksyrium Equipes could be replaced for something lighter, but hey, they're still straight and true after 2k miles so I can't really complain. I can't see it being a bad call for your first road bike.
e5 is the ****. I have a 2003 comp with the slxE5 tubing. that and a carbon post is sweet.
