found it in the road bike forums...

$600 MSRP...

I'd do a link but I'm too lazy ATM...

$600?

A steal of a deal on a steel Allez? Oh great now I have to go to the roadie forum

yes... only up to 61CM ^*&$^&%% &*&%^$)(#*^^@%

if this was posted before... shoot me later

What's "Allez steel"? 4130 cro-mo? Hi-ten? What's w/ the dt shifters? I'm not a retrogrouch, I just like the way steel smooths out the ride.

edit: Why's the steel Allez listed at $610 while the steel Langster is listed at $660? Fewer gears for more money? Frame spec says Reynolds 520 (cr-mo) for the Langster. I wonder if it's the same as "Allez steel".

If I had to guess it is because of the considerably better wheelset. I don't know, that steel Allez is rocking 2200 front and rear. For 600...ef that, buy used or save up a few hundred more. This is a big swing and a miss at an entry priced bike to compete with 2-3 year old used (IMHO). I like the notion of trying to get the entry level cost down but this...I don't think will do particularly well when the price is so close to the current entry level market.

I think that this (the new base level Allez and the Steel bike) are a response to Trek's release of the 1.1 About the same price point, etc.

What I do not understand is why the step down to 8 speeds on the 2300 grouppo?

How else you gonna hit the price point and still turn a profit on a bike w/ no clear or accurate sales projections? Use the cheapest stuff you can get away with.

Both are sharp looking bike though, if they would upgrade the allez to 105 but still keep the downtube shiflters, I would have to really consider getting one.

It is hard to tell who the intended market is for the new steel Allez, but my guess is that they are trying to use it as a retro bike. It was mentioned on the roadie, forum, but that was my first thought when I saw the specs on it. There is quite a market around here the vintage bike versions of bikes like that, but they are getting harder to come by. Many of the old steel frames are being converted to fixies's and such, making a shortage of what would otherwise be a reasonable priced bike. It will be interesting to see how well Specialized does with this new offering.

I agree with the 105s at least...

they should have built it in classes... low. mid. high. and adjust the price accordingly...

61cm is the biggest that there is?! that is baloney too...

I think that bike looks sweet. Buy it cheap, when the parts wear out, up grade.

Phooey on DT shifters.

What's wrong with downtube shifters? I just looked at the geometry chart and the top tube length seems short. I guess I've never seen any non-compact frames before. I'll need to ride one sometime before I rule it out.

Wrong? Nothing wrong with them. They will shift your gears. I used them for two years and got annoyed with taking one hand off the bars and reaching that far down to shift. For me, it doesn't make for the quickest shifts or the best control. Phooey.

Phooey on black licorice too.

Those are intriguing bikes. Looking forward to seeing what the other manufacturers are going to ship for 2010. If it was dolled up in 105 I'd be all over it though, but upgrading to that's not terribly difficult or expensive really.

The more I look at that bike, the more I'm starting to fall for it.

I've always gone the retro route when it comes to road bikes because they're cheaper and I like steel. However, it would be nice to be able to walk into a bike shop and pick out a steel ride that fits me exactly instead of settling for whatever I can find on Craigslist. Not to mention the free lifetime tune-ups I would get from my LBS.

yeah! imagine my dislike that it only get to 61cm...

*drool* It sure does look nice, but only $600? The wheels & drivetrain must be super cheap. Even the steel/downtube shifter Kona ***** Tonk was around $900, which included respectable parts.

I frequently ride my commuter with downtube shifters ('86 Bridgestone 500), and don't mind them one bit. They make me shift less and plan a little better, though I must say STIs are convenient.

It reminds me of the steel Schwinn I had as a teenager, but with 8 gears instead of 6 in the back. Ah, nostalgia. Someday I will dig the old bike out of my mother's shed, dust it off, and take it for a spin.

For 130 more... List. Right now both my local Specialized and Trek dealers are having a heckuva sale. I might not have gotten the Globe if these prices were extant a few weeks ago.

As tempting as it is, I bought a Kona Kapu with 105 all around for 200 hundred last year. If someone wants the warranty work and service of a shop and the comfort of the steel, this isnt a bad bike, but better can be found.