Specialized Allez Sprint Comp 2022

The 2022 Specialized Allez Sprint Disc is a very fast aluminium road bike that handles brilliantly. The frame is stiff enough to cope with sprints, but it won't beat you up on a long ride. The hefty weight and high price might put some people off, though.

The ride

The original Allez Sprint was designed as a bike for racing the short and twisty courses of the town centre criterium. The geometry made the original very nimble and an absolute blast to ride, but the handling could, for some, be a little nervous. The ride on this new version has been tamed just a little, with geometry identical to that of the Tarmac SL7, and this translates to a bike that is perfectly suited to faster road rides.

Taking the bike out on one such ride highlighted just how good this aluminium racer is. While it isn't as speedy as a lighter carbon machine up the steeper hills, pretty much everywhere else saw the Allez Sprint easily keeping pace with carbon bikes. The fact is: this bike isn't going to be slowing you down.

The name is a pretty good indication of what the bike is best at. Get yourself mixed up in a flat-out race for bragging rights at a town sign and the Allez Sprint rewards you with a very stiff platform to lay down all of your power.

It also feels very planted at speed, which goes a long way towards inspiring confidence.

The stiffness of the frame isn't just good for top-end sprints. It also helps to make the bike feel a fair bit lighter than the 8.7kg weight would suggest. Getting the bike back up to speed when exiting a slow corner is okay, but I feel that the new model is losing something to the version that Stu reviewed back in 2019. A lighter wheelset would certainly help here, but we'll get to the components later.

Climbing the steeper stuff isn't where the Allez Sprint shines, though I'd suggest that the build has a lot to do with the underwhelming feel when going uphill. Build the bike from the frameset up with some decent parts and I think it'd fly.

What Specialized has absolutely nailed, in my opinion, is the handling. Giving the Allez Sprint the geometry of the Tarmac SL7 means you've got a bike that is designed for handling well in road races. So tip this into a fast corner and the bike tracks effortlessly, allowing you to build your confidence as you push for apex after apex.

Despite the frame's ability to handle your power, comfort hasn't been lost. There is, to me, a difference between this and my slightly more comfortable SL7, but I emphasise slightly. The bike comes with 26mm clincher tyres too, so there is plenty of room to make things more comfortable if you wish with a set of wider tubeless tyres.

Frame and fork

Specialized deserves a very large tip of the hat is when it comes to the aluminium frame. Aluminium isn't the most exotic of materials when it comes to frame design, but there's no arguing that it's the most cost-effective way of constructing a bike, hence, it also makes aluminium bikes some of the most affordable. To see a big brand pushing this material into some very clever tube shapes is brilliant to see.

As with the previous model, Specialized has again used its D'Alusio Smart Weld technology and you can see this in the weld points that are shifted away from the traditional tube junctions. Specialized says this allows it to make the tubes lighter and stronger.

According to Specialized the head tube has been cut from a single piece of alloy and then mechanically formed to create a more aero head tube shape with consistent tube wall thickness.

Then there's the one-piece bottom bracket and down tube, which has been hydroformed from a single piece of alloy.

While that's all very clever, the weld lines are a bit noticeable, which is disappointing on a £2,650 bike. This is well into entry-level carbon bikes territory, where it's up against the likes of Canyon's Ultimate CF SL7 Disc – a far cheaper option, in fact, at £2,099. The higher price alone would make it a hard sell to most people, never mind the messy looking welding compared with the smoother lines of carbon.

What the Allez Sprint does boast is fully hidden cable routing which can, with a decent routing job, create a very clean-looking bike. Specialized has also been sensible and given it a threaded bottom bracket rather than press-fit, for easier servicing and, hopefully, a quieter life.

The fork here is simple. You get the same Specialized Fact 12r carbon model as you'll find on the Tarmac SL7. It's stiff and handles braking forces easily.

Another bit of the frameset to be dug out of the Tarmac SL7's parts drawer is the seatpost. It is carbon, has a flat back aero shape, and can house a Shimano Di2 battery with the Junction A box tucked up inside. It is a seatpost that works well on the SL7, and it works well here, too.

Geometry

While the aero aluminium tubes might be stealing a lot of the headlines, in my opinion one of the best changes that Specialized has made to the Allez Sprint comes in the geometry.

It's made this bike into an aluminium version of the Tarmac SL7 and the handling has gone from pure criterium racer, with a super-twitchy ride, to a slightly more stable road racer. I think it is a change that will suit a larger proportion of riders than the old bike.

In terms of numbers, I'll pretend that I've got a size 56cm on test so that we can compare it to the bike that Stu reviewed in 2019. That came with a stack of 554mm and a reach of 395mm, whereas the new bike gets a bit taller and longer with a stack of 558mm and a reach of 398mm.

Groupset

Shimano's 105 R7020 groupset is a very welcome sight and it performs brilliantly, with dependable mechanical shifting alongside hydraulic disc brakes that offer tons of control in all weathers.

We've reviewed it so many times before, so I won't go into detail, but I will mention that the groupset is about due for an upgrade, though who knows when that will materialise.

One change from the previous model comes at the chainset. Gone is the Praxis Works Zayante and in comes the Shimano 105 R7000 model to match the rest of the groupset.

The gearing provides a pleasing balance between flatland speed and enough spin to get you up the hills, with 52/36-tooth chainrings and an 11-28T cassette.

Wheels and tyres

The first place I'd look at spending a bit of money is the wheelset. DT Swiss's R470 wheels are actually quite good – they're tubeless ready and have a decently wide 21mm internal rim width – but this bike is crying out for deeper carbon wheels, which I would pair with 28mm lightweight tubeless tyres.

While the wheels are tubeless ready and will serve you well for general riding, the tyres are the Specialized Turbo Pro. This is a tube-type clincher tyre, but even though it's missing the bead hook to allow you to ditch the inner tubes, I do like it as a fast road tyre.

The 60tpi (threads per inch) casing does mean that it isn't as supple as a higher-end tyre, but the rubber compound is one that I really like; it offers very good levels of grip in mixed conditions.

On the R470 rims, the 26mm road tyres – likely chosen to help the bike to feel fast – sit out at 27.4mm, but I'd still be looking to swap these out for a wider tubeless model.

Finishing kit

Most of the finishing kit is Specialized's own aluminium stuff and it's decent but basic, though I did find the Power Sport saddle to be a particular highlight.

The bar is the Specialized Shallow Drop. With a reach of 70mm and a drop of 125mm, it is quite a compact bar that will allow for comfortable changes in hand position.

The bar is wrapped in Supacaz Super Sticky Kush tape which gives you excellent grip, even with sweaty hands, but I would be quick to put something a bit thicker on. Prime's Comfort tape, which I tested last year, would be a good option.

Value

If you're looking at the groupset, wheels and finishing kit and getting a spot of deja vu, you're forgiven. The latest Allez Sprint is dressed up in the same kit as the old model. It is a solid component package, but I was hoping for a little more for the money.

The 2022 Allez Sprint comes with a 39 per cent price hike over the 2019 model; bearing in mind the spec sheet is remarkably similar, even with prices of components rising that's still a big increase for the frameset.

> Buyer’s Guide: 14 of the best aluminium road bikes

It is quite tricky to make alloy conform to these shapes, though, so some of that can be forgiven, and you're also paying for the fact that everything, from raw materials to shipping, has become more expensive.

But then, Trek's Emonda ALR 5 Disc comes with a very similar spec and costs £2,200 (Mat tested a previous version in 2019), while Cannondale's CAAD13 Disc is £2,300 (another one Mat tested in 2019). Those are two incredibly good aluminium options which are both significantly cheaper than the Allez Sprint.

> Buyer’s Guide: 18 of the best £2,000 to £3,000 road bikes

And as I said earlier, at £2,650 you're also into the territory of some very good carbon bikes. The Canyon Ultimate CF SL 7 Disc is £2,099 and even comes with Canyon's CP0030 one-piece carbon bar/stem and 28mm Continental GP 5000 tyres.

Conclusion

The Allez Sprint is a fantastic bike to ride, with excellent handling and plenty of stiffness. It easily matches the Tarmac SL7 on fast group rides, but the weight does mean it suffers a little on the climbs, and at this price there are brilliant carbon bikes to tempt you, as well as cheaper aluminium options.

Verdict

Fast race bike with excellent handing – the price is high, but so is the performance...