Specialized is upsetting the apple cart somewhat with the stunning Allez Sprint – a brand-new alloy racing chassis that claims to offer comparable performance to carbon framesJames Huang / Immediate Media
This is quite possibly the closest we’ve seen an aluminum frame come to truly mimicking the shape of its carbon counterpartsJames Huang / Immediate Media
The key to the Specialized Allez Sprint’s design is the truly innovative three-piece bottom bracket shell. Each half is separately formed from flat sheet while the bottom bracket sleeve is turned on a lathe. All three parts are mated together and then brazed to form the final structureJames Huang / Immediate Media
Such shaping hasn’t been possible with traditional mitered joints but with the Smartweld concept, aluminum frames can now truly mimic the shape of modern carbon onesJames Huang / Immediate Media
The Smartweld bottom bracket shell not only provides a better weld surface for the adjoining down tube but also allows for a much bigger cross-section than you’d normally get out of an alloy frameJames Huang / Immediate Media
The welds are still visible after the frames are painted but they’re hardly unsightlyJames Huang / Immediate Media
Specialized first introduced the Smartweld concept on the Allez’s head tube, which is formed as a single piece and features far more complex shaping than a traditional mitered pieceJames Huang / Immediate Media
When it’s fully built, the Smartweld bottom bracket shell has a visible seam but it’s still quite subtleJames Huang / Immediate Media
The down tube is truly massive, and closely matches that of Specialized’s lighter (but far more expensive) Tarmac familyJames Huang / Immediate Media
The huge bottom bracket shell creates room for bigger and taller chainstays than would typically be possibleJames Huang / Immediate Media
The seatstays are comparatively slim in an effort to help smooth out the ride a bit. Standard center-mount brake calipers are used at both endsJames Huang / Immediate Media
The compact dropouts are hollow where they’re welded to the adjoining stays. Don’t look for fancy internal cable routing here – it’s all business with the new Allez SprintJames Huang / Immediate Media