Specialized owners / fans

I've flogged a Tarmac for the last 14ish years and that's still alive. No idea the weight difference but surely materials tech would actually make it stronger? What's the limit?

Limit is the same as their other bikes at 125kg.

I figured it'd be pretty high. Gotta cope with us MAMILs.
How else are they gonna sell bikes to the only fuckers that can afford them?

I bet their warranty department will be busy with the 125kg blokes riding a 500g frame

Got a couple hardrocks with inverted colours.
Yellow should be rebuilt soon SS/Fixed

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My carbon epic

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First ever specialized. Only done a handful of miles, but already loving the frame.

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This is quite a short thread for a brand that sells a lot (and rides pretty decent). Anywho, I got one to share. This here allez epic from 1992 or something, pictured right after pick up ages ago. I rode it for 1500km on the original tubs without a single puncture. Really lovely ride.

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Deffo a fan of the Big S here. Let's see, my first proper MTB ignoring the pig-iron Halfords jobbie I bought was a 2001 FSR Enduro. I loved that bike and rode it everywhere from the local trails to Welsh trail centres to my first trip to Morzine/Les Gets/Porte du Soleil in 2005.

It's still in bits in the back of my garage. All the pivots are shot and need replacing.

This is it in its October 2002 configuration at Cwmcarn which is pretty much stock. Soon replaced the v-brakes with a set of Hope M4's (which I only retired from another bike late last year)

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The next buy was in early 2006 and was a Spesh SX trail. After riding the above FSR in Morzine in 2005 I realised I needed a bit more travel.

Again I rode this everywhere from the Surrey Hills to multiple Morzine/Les Arc/Areches-Beaufort, Spain trips and only retired it when I bought my YT Capra in 2015.

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Almost forgot, trips to Chicksands bike park too as well as one of my favourite Les Arcs shots

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Again after sitting unused, dismantled and generally shagged out in the garage for five years I renovated it during lockdown 2020 and sold it within 24 hours of sticking it up for sale

EDIT: You can see the different colour (green) chainstays/lower swingarm in this pic. After going large once too many times off one of the ladders at Chicksands I cracked the original. A mate who ran a bike shop managed to get me this beefed up replacement FOC.

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After two alpine trips to Morzine/Les Gets in 2005 & 2006 I decided to try Les Arc in 2007. This coincided with my eldest boy turning 16 and he was keen to join me so I bought him a Big Hit 2nd hand.

This was the model that featured a 24" rear wheel but a previous owner (there were a few) had also switched in a 24" front wheel too.

It was both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time to watch my boy flying down those mountains #goodtimes

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Yet again, more bikes came and went and this one fell out of favour. It sat next to the SX trail in the back of the garage in a similar state of disassembly until I renovated this too during lockdown 2 2020.

Put it up for sale and this took 48 hours before it was out the door and the cash was in my hand

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Onto the road and back in 2010 an office colleague and friend got knocked off his bike while commuting and broke both his wrists as well as the fork. His broken bike was left outside in his garden for about 12 months before I made him and offer and for £150 this bag of bits was mine.

A new carbon Tusk fork for about £60, a clean, lube, getting rid of the Dork Disc and general bit of TLC and the Specialized Allez Pro 2009 Gerolsteiner team colour bike was reborn in June 2011 (don't worry; this was a test configuration. I soon cut down the steerer tube)

This was my main commuter for about 5 years and according to Strava I've covered 25,000 km on this.

My eldest boy uses it as his road bike when we have been to France to follow Le Tour

It's still the most comfortable road bike I have ridden irrespective of whichever tyre/wheel combo I've had on there, and believe me over 25k I've had a few variations.

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my eldest riding the Allez in the Pyrenees in 2014

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and in the alps in 2015

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Dredge for buying advice.

Casually looking for a new commuter/weekend ride and have narrowed my choice to either:
Specialized Allez Disc Sport
or;
Specialized Diverge

Allez is slightly discounted (so "only" £99 more than the Diverge)and seemingly better specced, but I know nothing of current range of equipment.

WWLFGSSD?
Not an exclusive list, share other suggestions if available.
Price cap e is probably about £1500, can stretch a bit as it is salary sacrifice.

I have a rim brake Spesh Allez comp circa 2007 which I bought crash damaged from a mate for £150 and have covered over errrr...checks Strava ... 25,000 recorded km on it (I had it for a few years before Strava existed so have done more). Alu frame and carbon forks it now sits on my turbo trainer and is still one of the comfiest road bikes I have ever ridden.

I also have a Spesh Diverge E5 circa 2017 which I bought 2nd hand from Facebook marketplace 18 months ago for £600 and have ridden 3,300 km on including the Traka 100 last April. It's now my go to bike as i mainly ride gravel. I'm looking for a newer version (2nd hand) as they have increased tyre clearance. Aside from that, not much has changed since 2017. Alu frame.

Depends on how much off road you ride. I find that the cheaper models have been downgraded in terms of finishing kit since the noughties and aren't as good value as they once were.

Ha, just scrolled up and saw my previous posts. That is the Spesh allez mentioned above

I have an 08/09 Allez Elite, I might just spend much less and treat it to a new drivetrain and finishing kit then.

Thanks for the input!