Many lifelong cyclists got their start on an entry-level bike bought from a local bike store. And if your entry into road cycling occurred over the past three decades, then chances are likely that you owned a Cannondale CAAD, Specialized Allez, Giant OCR/Defy, Trek, or a similar big-name bike.
Long-running bike lines like the Cannondale CAAD and Specialized Allez series often hold a special place in the hearts of those that have owned them. Partly it’s nostalgia, as these bikes are where many of us found cycling, but it’s also that they’re functional workhorses.
In recent years Specialized had all but neglected its entry-level Allez road bike range. Where the brand often refreshes more premium models every three years, the Allez E5 had sat unattended since 2017. Last year they revitalised the Allez Sprint, a premium alloy bike made for racers, but a redesigned, beginner-friendly Allez was nowhere to be found.
Thankfully that changes today, with Specialized once again catering to the lower end (but not absolute budget!) of the market with a revamped Allez. I’ve been riding the new version around for the past few weeks and will preface this in-depth review by stating that this is possibly the nicest riding entry-level road bike of the long list I’ve tried. Oh my, tickle me impressed.
Good stuff: A zero-fuss aluminium frame that rides, handles, and fits well. Room for 35 mm tyres. Can take fenders and a rack. Sensible component choices with no obvious flaws. Easy to service. A bike worthy of upgrading.
Bad stuff: Disc brakes make entry-level road bikes heavy. Limited to low-level specifications. Like everything, even entry-level bikes are more expensive than ever.
The new Allez, explained
The Allez has long stood as Specialized’s entry-level platform to the road cycling world, and this new bike doesn’t stray too far from that. What has changed is that the E5 naming has been dropped and that the Allez is now disc-brake-only. Moving away from rim brakes inherently means the Allez isn't an absolute bottom-dollar choice, a market that the California-based bike company is seemingly willing to leave to others.
Those disc brakes have opened the Allez up to be more versatile and in turn competitive to great bikes like the Giant Contend AR and Trek Domane AL Disc. There is now ample room for light-gravel-friendly 35 mm tyres, or 32 mm tyres with full-length fenders. The mention of fenders of course means mounting provisions, and those mounts also allow for a proper rear rack and panniers.
Like the Contend AR and Domane AL Disc, the Allez offers more-relaxed fit dimensions that should be welcoming to most potential customers. In this sense, the key fit metrics of the new Allez are most comparable to the company’s endurance road bike, the Roubaix. There's also a very broad range of seven sizes that Specialized claims will accommodate riders from 1.42 to 1.96 m (4' 8" to 6' 5") in height.
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