New Specialized Allez first ride review: Is it still one of the best bargains around?

The brand's entry level road bike aims to appeal to a wide audience, with a split personality

Specialized Allez blue on yellow background
(Image credit: Richard Butcher)
Cycling Weekly Verdict

The new Specialized Allez plays host to a handful of changes that well and truly usher in a new future for one of the longest standing models in the brand's range. Disc brakes, big tyre clearance, mudguard and rack mounts mean versatility is the order of the day. Don’t be mistaken, though, this bike has a split personality and is certainly no slouch when shown some power. However, all this ability doesn’t come as cheap as it once did, and you may have a tough time justifying the cost.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Ride quality

  • +

    Ease of set up

  • +

    Versatility

  • +

    Ability to change ride characteristics

  • +

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Price

  • -

    Performance of mechanical disc brakes

  • -

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

The roads where I lay claim to  - humblebrag alert - a handful of Strava ‘Local Legend’ titles played host to the majority of the rides on which I took the new Specialized Allez - a long time fixture in any best cheap road bike list - for my initial review. 

It's a varying landscape of fast flats, flowing descents and 20% ramps which meant that I got to understand how the bike performs in a multitude of parcours. 20-mile lunchtime blasts and 50-mile ventures into the hills meant that I got to see different sides to the bike. So, does this new Allez live up to what now amounts to more than four decades of heritage?

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Sam Gupta
Video Manager

After discovering his love of cycling in college, Sam has always kept two wheels very close. Having spent over five years working in a couple of local bike shops, it's fair to say he enjoys getting hands on. He also loves to push himself to ride ever longer distances and to explore as many new places as possible. 

Sam has been Cycling Weekly's video manager since January 2022. You'll find him on our YouTube channel where he brings you the latest cycling tech news, rides, reviews and all of the most important new launches while taking in some incredible cycling adventures too.