Is it worth the upgrade?

[Andrea]

Hi Everyone

I am about to get my first road bike and (after a slow and painful decision process) decided to go for a Specialised Allez Triple 09 (580 pounds).
http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=40644&eid=115

However, now I wonder whether I should directly go for the next one up - the Specialized Allez Sport 09 (750 pounds).
http://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=40140&eid=115

The main difference seems to be that the Allez Sport is equipped with Tiagra throughout whilst the Allez Triple has a Sora/Tiagra mix.

I should also probably mention that I'll get the bike through the Cycle Work Scheme which means that the price difference is about 110 pounds (380 vs 490 pounds).

In your opinion, is the Allez Sport worth the extra money?

 

[wlc1]

If your going to go for the sport - you may as well go for the elite.

That's well worth the cash.

Welcome to the world of difficult decisions.

Seriously though it depends on what you want. I have both an allez elite and an allez 27 and the difference is marked.

Go for the most you can afford.

 

[Andrea]

I did have a look at the Elite as well (niiice ), but the 2009 model costs 999 pounds and that's def over my budget.

Just wondering whether to go for the basic model, i.e. the Allez Triple, and invest the extra money in some better wheels or so.

Trick, tricky...

 

[oxbob]

Hi andrea, if this is your 1st road bike i would stick with your 1st choice, you'll need some money to buy basic kit (pump,light's, spare tube, multitool) then if you are bitten by the bug you can always upgrade bit's buy a better bike later and use 1st bike as winter hack

 

[Fab Foodie]

Andrea
Without the cycle to work scheem reducing the difference to £110 from 170 I'd say no. I'll give you my reasons why anyway.

Gearing... where are you going to ride, is the slightly wider range of the triple a benefit?
The Double is a "Compact" 50/34T, that means there is a big drop between the 2 rings and will require much more double shifting. Compacts are like Marmite, you either like them or hate them. Me I hate them, the next gear I want always falls in between the front rings. With a Triple the gearing is much easier and flexible, in fact you can stay in the middle ring an awful lot of the time and use just 9 speed. You can't convert a Double to a Triple, but you can do the opposite.
New Sora 9speed is very much improved over the venerable 8spd and very close to Tiagra, BUT the shifting mechanism is different on the brake levers.

Brake calipers, Tiagra may be slightly better than those fitted on the triple, but most brakes are pretty good especially if you put Koolstop Salmon pads on you'll stop anywhere. Brake caliper upgrades are pretty cheap anyway.

Wheelwise the more expensive model gets Mavic CXP22 rims, these are good and bomb-proof, but nothing special, they'll last forever though. If the Alex rims on the triple are eyletted they'll be fine anyway. BUT, wheels and tyres are the best upgrade to make a bike faster... I'd have used the £170 saved between the list price to buy lighter faster summer wheels and keep the originals for winter use...

Frame and forks are the same for both models, it's just a different drivetrain, a few quid saved on brakes (which'll work fine) and slightly better wheel rims.

I doubt the difference between wheel weight is much (wheel weight makes a big difference), or the weight of the other componants (which effectively don't have such an effect), thus the speed differential between the 2 would be marginal.

So for me it would be the gearing preference and using the saved cash to go towards some zippy wheels which would make a noticeable difference to the bikes speed and handling which the Tiagra upgrades would not.

Just my thoughts, it ain't easy

Either way, you'll have a damn nice bike

 

[oxbob]

+ 1 to FF comment's

 

[Fab Foodie]

I did have a look at the Elite as well (niiice ), but the 2009 model costs 999 pounds and that's def over my budget.

Just wondering whether to go for the basic model, i.e. the Allez Triple, and invest the extra money in some better wheels or so.

Trick, tricky...

I just used a thousand words to say that...

 

[Crackle]

I'd echo FF's excellent advice (does he ever give other), especially about the triple. Once you understand gears better and I don't mean that in a disparaging way, you may find that you'll want to make changes. Often a double is overgeared for many and they never make use of the full gear range. A triple will give you a fighting chance of a more usable gear range.

 

[gavintc]

Well if marmite is the analogy. I hate triples. You seem to spend all the time changing gear on the chainring. At night, you get lost between the three. The gear ratio is rarely correct when you are in middle ring.

But, I think a traditional double will be overgeared.

So, I would recommend the compact.

 

[birdie1]

Allez sport.

Hi! Ive got the allez sport but is a triple...just to confuse you.It is 07 model. Definitely worth the upgrade in my opinion. Just be careful of the wheels-not the best wheel set . Ive just had some new ones as 3 times the spokes broke off....I use it as winter bike now..
Birdie1

 

[wlc1]

Go on... get the elite.

Deep down you know you want to.

Why not get an 08 elite - for the price of an 09 sport ? ? ? ?

There - I've really thrown a spanner in the works.

 

[Andrea]

Hehe, I have to admit I was tempted when sitting on it in the bike shop.

I made up my mind and decided to go for the Allez Triple! Oxbob, Fab Foodie and Crackle had the better arguments .

I haven't had a road bike before, so (Crackle is right, I don't understand the gearing, yet) I don't prefer a compact chainset over a triple, neither Tiagra over Sora.

And it seems that the better wheels etc on the Sport would still need upgrading after a while.

@ wlc1: Unfortunately I am stuck with one online supplier due to my Cycle to Work Scheme and they don't have last year's models on sale.

I'll go for the basic model and upgrade bit by bit. This will give me a better understanding of what I really need (or want ) and where my money goes.

Thanks for all your good advice!