I am a casual bike rider... last summer I had a Specialized Globe Sport which I rode about 30-40 miles every weekend. It was great, but I hit a financial hole and had to sell it

Well I'm back in the game, and I'm looking at some new bikes. I really didn't like the flat handlebar of the Globe... I definitely want a full-out road bike. My budget is $800.

I've been looking at the Specialized Allez... what's the difference between the regular, double, and triple? I understand the difference between the sport and the non-sport, but I'm still not sure if the additional upgrades are really worth the price for my situation. I'm also not sure if I should save some more bucks and go with the steel...

Any advice or other bike recommendations?

Triple means it has three chainrings on the crank and double means it has two. Compact means it has two smaller rings.

If you have lots of hills in your area that you are either forced to ride on, or want to ride on, a triple chainring crank is recommended. Otherwise, you're over-complicating your equipment needs. Some very good entry level bikes come with a triple crank, regardless if there's any hills to climb in your area. In that case, take the triple.

Ah, okay, thank you. I am used to having 3, and because there is no price difference, I will go with the triple (if I do decide to get an Allez)... I've been searching for a used one... is there anything specific to watch out for on these bikes or anything? And are there any other $600-$800 recommendations for an intermediate's road bike?

Cannondale CAAD9-7 and the Synapse, Trek 1.2, are some of the ones that I rode in the same price range (I ended up with the CAAD9)

I recently purchased a 2010 Allez Sport double and I have to say this bike feels completely awesome. It is my first road bike and I have only ridden about 50 miles or so on it (poor weather and work / school schedule to blame). I looked at the Trek 1.2 but I settled on the Allez Sport due to the fact that the overall build quality (to the eye) seemed more polished than the Trek. I definitely recommend this bike as great starter. If you have any questions PM me.

As a previous Allez owner, I want to also put my 2 cents in that as a first road bike, it is great. It has the geometry similar to a Tarmac, so moving from an Allez to a Tarmac later on (as what I did), is fairly seamless. I would recommend though changing the brake pads to Kool Stops ... and of course going clipless.

I got the Sport Double in mid December. I have about 450 miles on it. It's my first road bike in 17 years. It's a great bike for the price and looks great too. I'll be keeping it for quite some time.

Gene

I too am I previous Allez owner and, as my first road bike, I loved it. I went with the double, and even though where I live is pretty hilly, I had no problems. Of course, with bike purchases, it's personal preference on what you like and what feels comfortable. I would recommend taking a test ride on several different models and see what feels the best - and of course get one that you like to looks of, since you'll be looking at it more than anyone.

I opted for a compact double on my Allez. It shifts way better than a triple. Granted, I can't get as low of a gear as the triple, but close. I encourage you to not rule out the compact double...

I had a compact on my Allez, which was great to start off with. Then I went with a full double on my Tarmac. I miss the compact sometimes, especially on the hills - however somehow I manage, although it usually involves a lot of standing

You can get it as low by changing the cassette. I have an 11-28 cassette on my bike with a 50/34 compact crank and the gear ratio is almost the same as a triple with an 11-25. (1.20 vs 1.21). It's as low as I've ever needed, and I'm fat...

Thanks for the responses...

I have my eyes set on a 2002 Specialized Allez sport... it's used, and they're selling it from a local bike shop, so I think it's been checked over... here's what's said about it:

Used 2002 Specialized Allez Sport 56cm. Frame is aluminum with Carbon fork. Alex AT400 double wall alloy rims. Shimano Tiagra 3x9 STI shifters, Shimano 105 Rear derailleur, Shimano Tiagra front derailleur, Specialized alloy triple crankset, Specialized Turbo Pro 700x23 tires, and silver waterbottle cage. Pedals have toe clips installed. Bike has been professionally checked over. Bike has been riden about 300 miles.

It's listed for $600, this seems a bit high, what should I offer?

600 is way too high. I'd pay 300.

Edit: The tiagra bike then was just over a thousand. 600 is not too bad, but I would still try to get them down to around 450.

i'd do 400, but yeah 600 is too high. that's what i sold my 6 month old allez for! (buyer probably got a good deal out of it but i wanted to sell it fast)

I went into the store to take a look... they have it listed at 650 on the floor, but they won't go below 600. They are however providing some warranty-like coverage because the bike is actually one from the shop owners personal collection... that, and I'm sure it's been 100% checked and maintained by bike professionals, is that worth the slightly inflated price?

No. Unless the warranty coverage is for a LONG time and services are free. The bike shop I got my Allez from had lifetime adjustments for the brakes/shifters included as part of the purchase price, which was MSRP.