AbsoluteZ3RO

Everything I've seen on the Cannondale puts it at a couple hundred bucks higher than the 1500 or the Allez Elite. I like the Cannondales, but they seem to be more expensive for the same basic components (i'm guessing the extra money goes into the frame).

Flash

I own a 2007 Trek 1500, purchased for $945, mine is a double

Having ridden a Tiagra bike for five years, I can say with confidence that Tiagra -- while very reliable and quite robust -- is not equal to the 105 group on the 2007 Trek 1500. The 105 shifts with a reassuring snap, more precise than Tiagra, tighter feeling, less chain action, much quicker and precise espec on the front rings.

I love this bike, mine is all stock except for the seat, which I plan to change out soon.

Unless I'm mistaken, the Allez geo looks different than the 1500. Doesn't the Allez top tube slope upward a bit more than the Trek?

cheers

bbgobie

Yup. They seem a bit more to get the same component set. To me that is worth it though. It's very easy to upgrade components. On my MTB, I usually do so as parts wear/break. Swapping out a frame a couple years down the road though probaly wouldn't be worth it. (Last years Ultegra being this years 105) and so on..

To me the difference in ride between frames is more important than the slight difference in weight and smoothness between say a 105 and Ultegra.

To each their own though.

AbsoluteZ3RO

Yes, the Geometry is different on the Allez.

In fact the frames are very different between the Allez and the Treks. Specialized seems to focus on the frame more so than the components at this level.

AbsoluteZ3RO

I've heard a lot of Cannondale owners say the same. I have a friend who just bought a Six 13 frame and is building his bike from the ground up. He loves Cannondale.

I'd like to get a Cannondale, and will seriously look at them for my next bike, but I'm still "trying to get into the game" at this point, and an extra 300 bucks will buy me some decent pedals and shoes.

TheBUNKY

I pick up my Allez Elite Double this weekend. Pretty excited about it. I've been shopping now for over a month. Even strongly considered that Jamis Ventura that Jensen had but thought better of it. They do still have these in size small. https://www.jensonusa.com/store/produ...+20055+Le.aspx

My two choices were narrowed down between the Allez Elite and the Lemond Reno. The LBS worked with me better on the price of the Specialized since he had more wiggle room and sells more Spesh's than anything. That sealed the deal with me.

A word of caution to those others wanting a White Allez Elite, you may want to go ahead and pull the trigger. All they could find in my size, 52 was the silver. The silver looks nice and matches my truck but I would have rather had the white. I'll customize mine later on with different color seat, tape and tires to give the bike a little more pizazz. Now, it's all about riding and getting back into shape.

Flak

Compared to other road bikes with carbon stays ive ridden (breifly) mine seems to have better dampening, but that could be the properties of the frame in general, not the zertz inserts. I will say that i ride less than ideal roads in NE Ohio @ 120psi and im never bothered by vibration.