Hawk
Veteran
- Location
- Glasgow Southside
Hi folks,
My 12 year old Tricross is at the end of the line and I'm looking for my next do-it-all bike. I'd be doing mostly rural commuting (13miles each way) but also possibly some sportives down the line, fast club rides or some endurance days/touring. I'd really need sturdy panniers - I'm guilty of fairly heavyweight cargo compared to most commuters and managed to previously jam then break the pannier bolt on my tricross inside the frame. I'd also need enough gear range to get up steep Scottish hills when loaded.
The new Specialized Allez 2023 comes with disk brakes allowing 35mm tyres, which is quite versatile because I have used ice tyres to commute before, on shorter commutes admittedly. The mechanical disk brake option costs £1,100 and is Claris shifters etc, whereas the Allez Sport (which I'd be more inclined to go for) is £1,600 and upgrades to Tiagra and hydraulic disk brakes. It also comes with tubeless-ready rims which seems useful although not sure if I'd go down that route in future.
One alternative I can see is the Cannondale Synapse 1 which is a similar £1,650 RRP although now available in sales from around the £1,100 mark from some stores (eg link). It also has eyelets for the pannier and the same Tiagra hydraulic disk brakes and a slightly wider gear range (11-34), otherwise extremely similar spec.
What are the main differences between those options? Is the Allez really still so much more of a pure racer now that the 2023 model has been made more "versatile"? I also don't really see what the £500 price difference would be paying for, is it just that it's the latest model from Specialized which might end up similarly discounted a few months down the line? And are there any other obvious contenders to consider in this category?
My 12 year old Tricross is at the end of the line and I'm looking for my next do-it-all bike. I'd be doing mostly rural commuting (13miles each way) but also possibly some sportives down the line, fast club rides or some endurance days/touring. I'd really need sturdy panniers - I'm guilty of fairly heavyweight cargo compared to most commuters and managed to previously jam then break the pannier bolt on my tricross inside the frame. I'd also need enough gear range to get up steep Scottish hills when loaded.
The new Specialized Allez 2023 comes with disk brakes allowing 35mm tyres, which is quite versatile because I have used ice tyres to commute before, on shorter commutes admittedly. The mechanical disk brake option costs £1,100 and is Claris shifters etc, whereas the Allez Sport (which I'd be more inclined to go for) is £1,600 and upgrades to Tiagra and hydraulic disk brakes. It also comes with tubeless-ready rims which seems useful although not sure if I'd go down that route in future.
One alternative I can see is the Cannondale Synapse 1 which is a similar £1,650 RRP although now available in sales from around the £1,100 mark from some stores (eg link). It also has eyelets for the pannier and the same Tiagra hydraulic disk brakes and a slightly wider gear range (11-34), otherwise extremely similar spec.
What are the main differences between those options? Is the Allez really still so much more of a pure racer now that the 2023 model has been made more "versatile"? I also don't really see what the £500 price difference would be paying for, is it just that it's the latest model from Specialized which might end up similarly discounted a few months down the line? And are there any other obvious contenders to consider in this category?
