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TECH NEWS

Specialized celebrates 40th anniversary with limited edition Allez steel frame

Just 74 steel Allez frames to be made with all proceeds going to World Bicycle Relief charity

Specialized is this year celebrating its 40th anniversary and to mark the occasion it is producing a limited run of 74 specially produced Allez steel frames. They will be sold on eBay on Monday 8th September with all proceeds going to the World Bicycle Relief charity.

The special edition Allez steel frame uses a traditional lugged frame construction, something you rarely see from the big manufacturers these days. One of Specialized’s original frame builders Mark DiNucci developed the special incarnation of the Allez, a model that was first introduced way back in 1981, a time when steel was the dominant frame material choice in the bicycle world.

Specialized says that the special edition Allez has been designed from the groundup using all the lessons they've learned in the past 40 years since they first introduced the Allez to the world. As we know there has bene a lot of innovation in steel tubesets in recent decades. Specialized don't state what tubing they're using in this frame, we've sent them a request though so as we'll let you know once we do.

“Every lesson we have learned over the last 40 years has been applied to create a totally new and totally modern steel frame,” said Bryant Bainbridge, R&D manager for Specialized in the 1980s.

“Keeping with the 40th theme, we will build the 40th Anniversary Allez in the very factory that created the first Stumpjumper, a factory that continues to produce some of the finest handmade bikes in the world.”

All proceeds from the sale of each of the 74 frames will go to the World Bicycle Relief charity, and will sold through eBay’s Giving Works section. Once these 74 frames are sold they’ll never be produced again, so if you want to get your hands on one you’ll probably be wanting to act quickly. We’ve no idea what sort of price they’ll be going for, but we’ll check into the online auction when it goes live on 8th September to have a look.

“This division of Ebay has one of the largest global reaches of any charitable organization and works with the trusted online payment solution, Paypal,” says Specialized.

The eBay page isn’t currently live, but it’ll be here when it is http://givingworks.ebay.com/specialized/

And here is how the original Allez from 1981 looked, just in case you were wondering.

More at www.specialized.com and www.worldbicyclerelief.org

David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes

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13 comments

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LarryDavidJr | 9 years ago
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As nice as that looks, I generally now avoid Specialized due to their well publicised nonsense of trying to sue small business into submission over trivial copyright infringement claims. Not that I could afford one of these regardless .....

Personally, I think Ribble's 525 Reynolds frame looks even nicer anyway ....

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CJSTEVENS1955 | 9 years ago
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Personally I love it. What I would love even more would be a re-run of the original allez epic carbon frame. Dreamt of owning one since I was a kid. ANY CHANCE SPECIALIZED???

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Binky | 9 years ago
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Wouldn't touch that company with a poop stick  102

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Vin Cox | 9 years ago
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Can't forgive their law department anywhere near that quickly.

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notfastenough | 9 years ago
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Add shallow rims and a retro 7-eleven kit and you're onto a winner...

(Are we allowed to like Spesh again yet? No? Oh.)

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Scoob_84 | 9 years ago
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That's a beautiful looking bike, i had to fight the urge to wolf whistle at it from my desk  13

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DrJDog | 9 years ago
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I might watch "American Flyers" later.

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MKultra | 9 years ago
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I like it but I am not sure about the deep rims on the skinny frame.

Someone will undoubtedly interject claiming that it's "outdated technology" or "ugly" because it's not made from hydro carbons that mysteriously empower fat blokes to ride like gods but I don't care I think it's rather pretty

I already have a red steel bike though...

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jova54 | 9 years ago
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Why only 74? Could understand a multiple of 40. Anyone got any idea?

Now, where's my secret credit card?

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David Arthur @d... replied to jova54 | 9 years ago
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jova54 wrote:

Why only 74? Could understand a multiple of 40. Anyone got any idea?

Now, where's my secret credit card?

Because Specialized was founded in 1974

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jova54 replied to David Arthur @davearthur | 9 years ago
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David Arthur wrote:
jova54 wrote:

Why only 74? Could understand a multiple of 40. Anyone got any idea?

Now, where's my secret credit card?

Because Specialized was founded in 1974

Doh!  40

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stuke replied to jova54 | 9 years ago
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jova54 wrote:

Why only 74? Could understand a multiple of 40. Anyone got any idea?

Now, where's my secret credit card?

1974, the year they started was 40 years ago  4

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CJSTEVENS1955 replied to jova54 | 9 years ago
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Doh...lack of reading before typing

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