Okay so I finally pulled the trigger on a 168 frameset. Should arrive eventually, and I'm interested to see if I win the quality control + fit/finish lottery
Truthfully I only have one
general reason for wanting the 168, which breaks down into smaller sub-details:
2022 Allez Sprint#1 Geometry - The new Allez Sprint/SL7 is my ideal geometry. Long and low. But the 168 shares the identical geometry.
#2 Weight - However, the Allez Sprint is HEAVY. A size 52 weighs like 1400g. I imagine a 56 is around 1500-1600g.
#3 FSA/ACR/DEDA - Being able to use a handlebar/stem combo of my choice is a total game changer, and no longer restricts me certain frames. Huge thanks to the Chinertown community for putting me on to these headset options.
#4 Price - I was initially drawn to the new Allez Sprint mostly because of the way the frame and headset handles cable routing. But spending $1700 for cable routing sounds silly, knowing what I know now about headset options.
#5 Comparing to my 177, Dengfu R12, and Winspace T1500 - Lots of people have asked me about this. Will be interesting.
Having owned the previous Allez Sprint in rim brake, I'm not exactly expecting an identical ride feeling. And while I like my 177, at the end of the day I live in a flat city where being aero is king. Both in optimizing your position on the bike and your frame/wheel setup. On my weekly club rides we are regularly hitting speeds on the flats around 35mph/56kph. Yikes