it;s something like 800 newm but i liked the feel of the cockpit more than the trek, lemond, and felt i tried today. is this a good enough frame to potentially try racing on, or begin to get serious about road cycling on? i did alot of training last year but this summer i'd like to ride with other people. is it a good enough frame to add nicer parts too as i progress?

here she is (despite the fact i promised never to buy a red, white and black "color scheme of the moment' bike).

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n35/letterswewrote/allez.jpg

white bar tape is already on it :)

sure.

My first bike was the Allez. I bought it to do a tour ride, and it was great! A lot of people with more expensive bikes praised the Allez for everything that it offered for the price.

I don't know about racing. I guess it depends on how serious the racing is. When it comes to upgrading parts, some would say that you can save money by purchasing a more expensive Specialized model now, but if the Allez is at the top of your budget, then you probably can't do any better for the price.

Good Luck!

I knew a guy back in the early 90's that went from Cat IV (they didn't have cat V at the time) to Cat II on a used 105 equipped Cannondale. It was the original frame, the one before the 3.0 frame. Downtube shifters. I'm guessing it was about a $400 bike new. He did 100 mile road races and a zillion criteriums on that thing. Luckily, the internets weren't around to tell him how foolish that was or I'm certain he would have retired long before he got started.

If the bike fits and shifts, you too can become a Cat II on it. It's the rider, not the bike.

Plenty nice for everything you describe. But if you replaced anything besides wheels (which are easily moved to a new bike) you're already at the point of diminishing returns. The good news is you really don't need to replace anything. It will probably serve you well for a year or two- and many years longer if you want. If you get serious about cycling you'll probably start to notice _little_ shortcomings in that time and get the upgrade bug. The only time I'd caution against getting something like an Allez is if you have a 'gear head' mentality and can't leave well enough alone. No matter what parts you change it will never be an S-works. If you want to ride, however, you don't need the S-works. The Allez will serve you well.

If you do want to change something put black bar tape on it. The white will get grimy pretty fast. It's for pro racers who have someone else working on their bikes, and posers who don't want to touch their bikes for fear of adding a smudge ;)

I rode an Allez for 3 years. Would still be riding it if Uncle Sam hadn't just bought me a Tarmac. I love my Allez, and I'm not getting rid of it. The only problem I had was the stock Alex wheelset. They kept going out of true. But, I was like 265 pounds when I started riding it, so if you are more of the traditional cyclist size, you may have better luck.

As for adding nicer parts... well, I haven't had a problem with the 105/Tiagra stuff on my Allez. I always told myself that when I broke something or wore it out, I'd upgrade it. I'm still waiting on that day.

Hey

I started out on a Roubaix and it did me a lot of good service I still have the bike and it is probably going to get sold and replaced with a new Madone. I had the base model alum/carbon frame one that was made in 05. The only thing that I replaced was the handlebars and put a set of shimano 105 wheels on the bike which made a lot of difference. It is just another option to look at and probably pretty close to the same price point.

Hey

I started out on a Roubaix and it did me a lot of good service I still have the bike and it is probably going to get sold and replaced with a new Madone. I had the base model alum/carbon frame one that was made in 05. The only thing that I replaced was the handlebars and put a set of shimano 105 wheels on the bike which made a lot of difference. It is just another option to look at and probably pretty close to the same price point.

I rode a Roubaix for a few rides and came away very disappointed. The bike just felt slow and sluggish. The wider tires and longer chainstays were probably a lot of it. It felt like driving an 18 wheeler.

Plus, if you are talking about new ones, the cheapest model is $1600.

Hey
I started out on a Roubaix and it did me a lot of good service I still have the bike and it is probably going to get sold and replaced with a new Madone. I had the base model alum/carbon frame one that was made in 05

Hi I didn't know the original Roubaix had Alloy in it. I'm curious, was it the bottom bracket that was alloy? Also do you know which FACT carbon it was in the Specialized list ? FACT6, 7, 8 etc

Thanks.:)

Hi I didn't know the original Roubaix had Alloy in it. I'm curious, was it the bottom bracket that was alloy? Also do you know which FACT carbon it was in the Specialized list ? FACT6, 7, 8 etc

I have the Roubaix from 2004. Carbon fork, seat stays, and seat post. Here's the frame description from Spec website: Specialized compact design, Columbus SLX fully double butted, heat-treated tubing, advanced composite seat stays with Zertz inserts

http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?arc=2004&spid=21225

I have the Roubaix from 2004. Carbon fork, seat stays, and seat post. Here's the frame description from Spec website: Specialized compact design, Columbus SLX fully double butted, heat-treated tubing, advanced composite seat stays with Zertz inserts

http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?arc=2004&spid=21225


Thanks dude!:) I forget they made a alloy/carbon one...looks nice!

I love the fit of my Allez but I have nothing else to compare it to since it's my first road bike. I purchased it back in 2003 and from there I have gradually upgraded parts. Basically, I have chosen parts that better suit my weight and strength. The bike might be slightly heavier but it makes up for that with better performance and durability. It was worth it.