New weapon: 2012 Specialized Allez Elite

m3ta1head

My new steed & first real road bike...just picked her up 3 weeks ago, have been racking up the miles and have already started the process of upgrading components

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EarlofBarnet

Looks great. Nice colour scheme.

Yellow Peril

Great choice. Hard to beat as a first choice. Enjoy!

MountainMonster

Lovely bike and lovely back drop as well. Where are you located? I would kill to see that weather right now!

diamonddog

Bike looks nice as does the location.

ashleydwsmith

Nice bike, and lucky you aren't in the uk

m3ta1head

Thanks fellas...I live in Southern California. It may look nice (and I have a lot of elevation to play around in), but it's absolutely scorching this time of year. This morning (630am) I left for a 84mi ride down to the beach and back with ~2000ft climbing, and by 11am the temperature was already 102F/38C :shock: Was pretty beat after riding home through that (return is all climbing too).

Gb_Rae

Nice, liking the colour scheme. Whats the spec?

MountainMonster

m3ta1head wrote:

Thanks fellas...I live in Southern California. It may look nice (and I have a lot of elevation to play around in), but it's absolutely scorching this time of year. This morning (630am) I left for a 84mi ride down to the beach and back with ~2000ft climbing, and by 11am the temperature was already 102F/38C :shock: Was pretty beat after riding home through that (return is all climbing too).

That is the kind of weather I like. I spend a lot of time in Austria and we regularly ride in 40 degrees. It is what I love

m3ta1head

Spec is fairly stock, Tiagra 4600 all around with a FSA crank and Ultegra 6700 wheelset. Tips the scales at 19.8lbs (w/ pedals and bottle cages). Having already replaced the stock wheelset, what do you guys reckon is the next best place to shed a few grams? Tbh I am quite happy with the performance of the Tiagra groupset-shifts are quick and smooth, and the brakes are superb as well (even on stock pads). The ride is stiff and can get a bit harsh on rough surfaces. Should I look at getting carbon bars/stem/seatpost next to shed weight/improve road comfort?

diamonddog

Belly if you need to.
Sorry had to say it.

diamonddog

Tyres quite a few grams to be saved if yours are heavy and less rolling resistance but TBH I would just ride it and replace stuff as it wears out.

m3ta1head

diamonddog wrote:

Belly if you need to.
Sorry had to say it.

I weigh a lean 58kg, plus about 10kg for the bike as it stands right now. Not sure I can lose anymore on my side

mfin

An 84 mile ride with only 2000ft of climbing, blimey, California has more in common with Norfolk than just the cool hip residents

m3ta1head

Updated pics

dwanes

Nice looking bike. The ultegra chainset is a good improvement. Good job.

Good quality photos also.

buckles

Linking the off-centre composition of these photos

supermurph09

Buckles wrote:

Linking the off-centre composition of these photos

Me too, funny how I'd never even contemplate putting the bike smack bang middle of the shot.

dwanes

Putting the bike there in the frame gives the bike somewhere to go, as they say in the trade

M3TA, what camera do you use?

m3ta1head

Buckles wrote:

Linking the off-centre composition of these photos

Rule of thirds, a basic principle of photography

I rarely put my subjects in the center of the frame unless I am shooting a portrait.

dwanes wrote:

Putting the bike there in the frame gives the bike somewhere to go, as they say in the trade

M3TA, what camera do you use?

Exactly. Equipment is nothing special, Canon 450D + 50mm f/1.8

sloppyschleckonds

Nice work metalhed

RideOnTime

lovely... nice clear shots.

buckles

m3ta1head wrote:

Buckles wrote:

Linking the off-centre composition of these photos

Rule of thirds, a basic principle of photography

I rarely put my subjects in the center of the frame unless I am shooting a portrait.

I dismissed that rule instantly when I first started photography... I hated the idea of composing photos using some sort of numerical rule... like a calculating robot instead of a spontaneous human being. However I'd say most of my photos can roughly be split into thirds, it's just the way a lot of photos naturally end up! I find it quite disappointing, even irritating when you see professional photographers (or anybody for that matter) shoot bike races with the subject always smack bang in the centre of the frame, as if they're slaves to autofocus and haven't yet figured out that the camera has more than one autofocus point...

Anyway, rant over, nice bike!

buckles

Buckles wrote:

Linking the off-centre composition of these photos

Argh, I meant liking, not "linking"!

m3ta1head

Buckles wrote:

m3ta1head wrote:

Buckles wrote:

Linking the off-centre composition of these photos

Rule of thirds, a basic principle of photography

I rarely put my subjects in the center of the frame unless I am shooting a portrait.

I dismissed that rule instantly when I first started photography... I hated the idea of composing photos using some sort of numerical rule... like a calculating robot instead of a spontaneous human being. However I'd say most of my photos can roughly be split into thirds, it's just the way a lot of photos naturally end up! I find it quite disappointing, even irritating when you see professional photographers (or anybody for that matter) shoot bike races with the subject always smack bang in the centre of the frame, as if they're slaves to autofocus and haven't yet figured out that the camera has more than one autofocus point...

Anyway, rant over, nice bike!

Yup. I agree on all points...the advent of digital photography has made it far too easy for any schmuck to pick up a multi thousand dollar DSLR and fire away like a machinegun at 24fps...photography is an art form, and it should be treated as such! I'm lucky to have learned how to shoot on film (where every shot must count) before picking up a digital camera

Paul 8v

m3ta1head wrote:

Buckles wrote:

m3ta1head wrote:

Buckles wrote:

Linking the off-centre composition of these photos

Rule of thirds, a basic principle of photography

I rarely put my subjects in the center of the frame unless I am shooting a portrait.

I dismissed that rule instantly when I first started photography... I hated the idea of composing photos using some sort of numerical rule... like a calculating robot instead of a spontaneous human being. However I'd say most of my photos can roughly be split into thirds, it's just the way a lot of photos naturally end up! I find it quite disappointing, even irritating when you see professional photographers (or anybody for that matter) shoot bike races with the subject always smack bang in the centre of the frame, as if they're slaves to autofocus and haven't yet figured out that the camera has more than one autofocus point...

Anyway, rant over, nice bike!

Yup. I agree on all points...the advent of digital photography has made it far too easy for any schmuck to pick up a multi thousand dollar DSLR and fire away like a machinegun at 24fps...photography is an art form, and it should be treated as such! I'm lucky to have learned how to shoot on film (where every shot must count) before picking up a digital camera

I have learnt something today! Must look at some more photo tips, those pictures look great.

m3ta1head

Just finished installing new gruppo (full 6700), only thing missing from this photo is the 3T Dorico Team seatpost (currently on the way). Will take better pics soon.

bluemoon17

That looks great, nice saddle to bar drop and the groupset looks great on it. I have the same frame and wish mine looked half as good as this!

Devastazione

m3ta1head wrote:

Just finished installing new gruppo (full 6700), only thing missing from this photo is the 3T Dorico Team seatpost (currently on the way). Will take better pics soon.

Why in the world you decided to put the dreadful Ultegra 6700 :shock: :shock: ??

Grill

Devastazione wrote:

m3ta1head wrote:

Just finished installing new gruppo (full 6700), only thing missing from this photo is the 3T Dorico Team seatpost (currently on the way). Will take better pics soon.

Why in the world you decided to put the dreadful Ultegra 6700 :shock: :shock: ??

Probably because it's a good groupset available at a good price.

m3ta1head

Devastazione wrote:

m3ta1head wrote:

Just finished installing new gruppo (full 6700), only thing missing from this photo is the 3T Dorico Team seatpost (currently on the way). Will take better pics soon.

Why in the world you decided to put the dreadful Ultegra 6700 :shock: :shock: ??

Dreadful? I picked up the group dirt cheap and couldn't be happier at all.