Specialized Road Bike Comparison

Specialized’s flagship model, the Tarmac is the bike the professionals are riding. Every detail of this bike is designed to eke out watts by maximizing aerodynamic performance, keeping weight to a minimum, and allowing for efficient power transfer from the rider to the bike.

Specialized’s original road bike model, the Allez carries a legacy of Tour de France wins and technological strides. Today, the Specialized Allez is the perfect gateway for anyone looking to try out road cycling. With an aluminum frame and disc brakes, the Allez is a capable road riding machine that’s sure to get you hooked on cycling.

A thoroughbred racer for the masses, the Allez Sprint features an aluminum frame that takes aerodynamic inspiration from the Tarmac. Specialized has called the Allez Sprint “the world’s first alloy superbike” which seems apt. Sure there is a weight penalty for using aluminum over carbon, but if you’re the type of racer who regularly lines up for fast, flat criteriums, this isn’t really a deal breaker.  

Named for the cobblestone-filled monument, Paris-Roubaix, this bike is designed to handle rough roads – all while keeping the rider comfortable. The focal point of the Roubaix is the Future Shock headset. Designed to absorb the chatter of bumpy terrain, the Feature Shock takes the sting out of your hands and minimizes upper body fatigue. The Roubaix also offers more tire clearance than most road bikes, which allows riders to venture off the pavement and onto gravel. 

To create the Aethos, Specialized flipped the narrative from “let’s design the fastest bike possible” to “let’s design a bike that is simply fun to ride.” The Aethos is a notable departure from Specialized’s “Aero is Everything” mantra – with round tubing and a classic style cockpit with non-integrated cables, the Aethos is unassuming in an elegant and somewhat retro manner. Just because it looks simple doesn’t mean it lacks performance, the Aethos is the lightest bike in the Specialized catalog with some complete builds weighing under 14 pounds. 

Technically it’s a gravel bike; however, the Crux is certainly capable of speed on the road. To design the Crux, Specialized took the silhouette of the Aethos, made it durable enough to handle offroad travel, and expanded the tire clearance to fit up to 47mm tires. With the S-Works build coming in right around 16 lbs, the Crux is perfect for any rider who wants to split their time between dirt and pavement. If you are looking for one bike that can do it all, the Crux is truly the horse for the job.