Road Cycling - Allez Elite, Sport, or 24 ???

Hello all,

I've talked myself into getting a road bike. Not knowing if I am really going to like the whole "roadie" experience, I figured I would get the Allez 24 (Sora, aluminum seat post, yada yada) as not to take a big hit in the wallet in the event it becomes a clothing rack (I'm really motivated to ride now, but history shows that can change).

Well, my friendly salesman is really pushing the Elite and I can't really justify (to my wife, or myself) why I need a $1000.00 road bike. But after riding the Elite I find that is far more comfortable than the cheaper "24". I contribute this to the carbon fiber seat post as that seemed to be the only difference between the basics of the bike (comfort wise).

I wanted to test ride the "Sport" as it has a carbon fiber seat post (w/o some kind of "elastomer" as the Elite) but they did not have one in my size.

Does anyone have any experience in riding both the Sport and Elite, and is there a big difference in the comfort of the ride to justify not ordering the Sport, and just getting the in stock Elite?

Thanks,

ehenz

Well I have the 2004 Elite and I love it. But I also had it fit for me. I would say no matter what you spend make sure that bike fits you, otherwise you could not get the full enjoyment out of riding it. I have about 400 miles on my Elite and it has been a great joy to ride.


edit by the way if they order you a Sport.. it cant take that long to get in..

Good luck

Chaz

I have had the Elite for just under 1 week and put about 100 miles on it including one ride of 50+ miles. It's quick, stable at speeds over 30mph, climbs great and is not harsh on the body. Overall I love it and am glad I got it. Compared to other bikes with similar equipment it's a great value. I didn't ride the Sport version so I can't offer a comparison.

If your concerned about ride quality you might want to check out a Specialized Sequoia, its a touring/road bike made for longer distances so the geometry tends to be more comfortable. I'm also pretty sure the new Sequoia forks come with 'Zertz' inserts which are supposed to have some very serious road damping properties. That said, I ride a rather upgraded Allez Sport and since I switched seats I've very happy with the ride quality (though I'm a 19 year old racer so my ideas of comfort might be a bit different)

One of the first questions the salesman/saleswoman should have said is "What type of riding are you going to be doing?" If it is just riding around town, I'd recommend either the Specialized Sequoia or the Elite.

The Sequoia is a more "relaxed" bike that is for comfortable riding and still has the strength and awesome components of an Allez! The Elite is more of a road/racing bike. The Elite has better components for racing. It's also a little lighter. This is also reflected in the price tag.

I own a 2001 Sport, and I just hooked it up with an awesome sporty look :D
http://www1.coe.neu.edu/~dschilli/pics/Pict0129.jpg

The Sport is comparable to the Elite. I believe they have the same A1 Aluminum Frame Alloy.... They might have different components on they depending on who built the bike. A large priced item is the wheelset. You can almost say that the least amount of spokes... the more expensive it is (just as a benchmark).

-Dan the Man-

If you are more comfortable on the elite, you will be more likely to ride it. If you think right now that the 24 is not comfortable (and that is on short test rides) it is going to be even less comfortable on longer rides.

As Chaztrip said, fit should be your number one priority. That said, I don't think there are any major differences between the 24, sport, and elite frame, so if you fit well on one frame, you will fit well on the other.

Ockey53 makes a good point about what you want to do with your bike. When I got my road bike, I went in knowing what I wanted....a bike to allow me to do a century. What are your goals? How motivated are you about this goal. I wouldn't worry about you not being in good enough shape for your goals. When I got my road bike (Allez Comp) 2.5 months ago I was basically at zero --- I had just received clearence from my doc to start exercizing after heart surgery. Now, I'm up to doing 40 milers.

When I was test-riding bikes, I tried several bikes in the Allez series, but unfortunately, I didn't test the 24. The sport and elite are both fine bikes. I did notice a difference in "feel" of the bikes. The elite seemed to have a smoother ride, especially with shifting. The wheels are also better in the higher end bikes.


If you think the seat post is a big part of your added comfort on the elite compared to the 24, why not ask your LBS to swap the seatposts for a test ride? Then you can decide if that is the factor. If it is only the seatpost, maybe see if your LBS will upgrade the seatpost on the 24. From your comments, I am guessing you are looking at 04's. The sport has a CF seatpost, but not the one with Pave insert.

If you can do the swap, please let us know the difference. It would be interesting to see a direct comparison between AL and CF posts on the same bike with the same rider.

If the bike is in stock at Specialized, it won't take too long to get it in. My bike took about a week for the LBS to get it in and get it set up.

The Sequoia has been mentioned as an option. The price difference between the Sequoia and Allez series is modest. I think the lowest end Sequoia is about the same price as the sport. But, the sport has a better equipment group. The Sequioa does have the Pave seatpost though.

Good luck with your decision. Whatever way you go, if you make the decision based on good research and your needs, you'll have a great ride. Whichever you choose, you'll get approval from other riders.

In reality CF seatposts unless alot of it is exposed they don't offer that much shock absorption. One big difference other then the drive train is the Carbon fork and wheels which would make a dramatic difference in how the bike feels when ridden.

Well, I could only hold out a month and a half.

I bought a brand new in the box 03' Allez Elite, 820.00 to my door (how does that sound?).

It will be shipped Monday, I can't wait!

Thanks for the advice!

ehhenz

Hey ockey53, nice bicycle websites. I love your road bike and the detailed built up pictures. Good call on the list with the breakdown of parts with prices and pictures also.

I have an 03 sport and its a great bang for the buck, the only thing i can say that i didnt like are the wheels but for the price you cant beat it!!! The ride is VERY smooth and the carbon makes it feel like a steel bike. I have 1K miles on mine and have had no problems.

I got the 04 Elite this last summer as my first road bike. I have been extreamly pleased with it. It has the same frame/form combo as the sport so the ride should be relatively the same.