Road Cycling - Specialized Allez Epic... how old?

hello, i just picked up a Specialized Allez Epic Carbon. how old are these bikes? i found one like mine on ebay, and says a 93. his was all 105 and a 7 speed. mine has a triple Ultegra crank and Ultegra derailers. with a 9 speed. is mine newer? or was it upgraded?

i love the bike but was just curious.

I think they started them in 1987 or 1988. I bought a 1989-1990 one when I started road biking 3 years ago. Trek had the same bike as well, both used frames built in Taiwan, I think by Giant. Early models (1987-1988) had joint issues where the carbon tubes separated from their aluminum lugs. Problem was apparently solved in the 1989-1990 year. It's a nice frame to ride though a bit flexi at the bottom bracket.
Mine had a Shimano 600 7 speed group (old Ultegra) so the stays had to be forced a bit to accomodate a 9 speed wheel. You should be able to find your frame age by its color.

well, this looks just like my frame. this one is a 93 off ebay. and the rear rims fits perfectly in the stays, i didnt have to bend it at all. thats why is was wondering if they made them past 1993.

Mine's from '91... 15-years old and still ticking!!!

here are some pix if anybody knows about these bikes...

how old do you think this one is?

http://www.usedcamerabuyer.com/digital-camera/fuji_s3_pro_0428140.JPG

it has full 105 and a turbo saddle. it also doesn't appear to be branded allez.

from one of the last years they were made, 92 or 93. if i had my catalogs handy i could tell you for sure.

I loved that bike... black carbon tubes with aluminum lugs... I bought mine new in 1992--it was a 1991 model--7 speed 105. I rode it until last year, when I gave it to my son-in-law's brother. I upgraded it to 8 speed, because the 8 speed fit in the rear. You want to be very careful about forcing the carbon outwards--it's not designed for that and could have catastrophic results-- if it's a 7/8 speed, leave it there- I probably put 40,000 miles on that bike...

thanks a lot fro the response. it arrives tomorrow but i don't get to ride it for a week.

well, this looks just like my frame. this one is a 93 off ebay. and the rear rims fits perfectly in the stays, i didnt have to bend it at all. thats why is was wondering if they made them past 1993.

That frame looks just like my old Allez Epic, which I bought new in 1991. Mine came with a Shimano 600 (Ultegra's precursor) 7 speed group and a double crankset. I would guess that the 9 speed Ultegra on yours is an upgrade, as Shimano didn't come out with that until a few years later (with a couple years of 8 speed groups in between...).

Anyway, it's a nice bike, so enjoy it!