Review of 2009 Specialized Allez Sport

  So for my review I decided to review a product I have been using for the past two years regularly. Instead of giving a review on something that has only been used for a week, month, or year. I thought this would be more appealing and a more informative review.

Overview

So In 2009, I bought my first road bike at a the dutch wheelman in Bloomsburgh, PA. I had thought about getting a road bike for the past year or so, and decided to start with an entry level road bike because they would be cheaper than the more advanced road bikes that cost over $2000. So while looking around I spotted my future bike the Specialized Allez sport, it was black with white stripes which made it stand out to me. As I asked the guy about it, he took it down and at that point I was already sold on the bike, so I stood over the bike and it fit perfectly for my height. Not too short or too high. So once I did that I got all the accessories that I needed and I was on my way. So as three years passed I got used to bike, what I liked and what I didn't.

The bike

The 2009 Specialized Allez sport is based off of Specialized's Tarmac series of bikes. Which make it a more faster entry level bike than that of trek, or any other brands in that price range. While being based off of a race bike the Specialized is very light for a allumnium bike it weighs in at 21pounds I believe which isn't the lightest of the bunch but it gets the job done.

The Pros

The Pros of the bike include the Weight, Components, and frame geometry. For the weight of the bike its a lighter bike than the other entry level bikes that other companies put out. With the weight it helps with climbing hills which it seems this bike was made for.  The components for the bike where the Shimano Tiagra grouppo, this is more of an entry level group but for paying sub $1000 it works. This group is a workhorse I put about close to 3000 miles and the chain is still going good along with the shifters and derailleur's. The Frame Geometry for this bike is pretty good for someone that's just getting into racing or cycling in general, its more of a relaxed frame geometry but its still race oriented because of the Specialized Tarmacs influence. So overall the bike is pretty good.

The Cons

Somethings that I don't like about the bike now that Ive been using it for three years. The wheel set, Components. With using this bike for three years you get used to what it has, and what you would like to change. The wheel set on this bike is pretty subpar compared to other bikes in the price range. It has a very high unspun weight which makes it harder to get up to speed. While using this bike for three years I got used to the shifters and derailleur's and how good/bad they were. You can't shift under load like some other groups and if you cross chain it will make your bike shift terribly. Along with that the group set doesn't give you room to grow as a racer the chainring is too small to go at a faster speed than the bike wants to go. 

Conclusion

So would I recommend this bike to someone looking to get one, YES! Its very dependable, durable, and fun to ride. It's also very cheap compared to other road bikes.

check out the allez bike line