I owned a 2016 Foil 10. Probably one of the best all around race bikes I have had the pleasure riding/racing. Comfort, handling, weight, aero properties all top shelf. Not a fan of direct mount brakes but, that would not hold me back from buying another one in the future.

While I have not ridden the new Allez I have several friends who currently ride it and rave about it. Didn't Jon Brown win US Pro nats on one? Anywho, an amazing bike at a great price if your on a budget. Even if not on a budget it might be the sleeper bike of the year.

That was one of my main concerns the bottom bracket brakes. I use a stages so would need tr trp brakes for clearance. Not sure if you can mix and match a shimano up front and trp rear, the feel might be a bit risky.
I had a 2013 foil at one time and that thing was a stiff bastard, good for crits. I could buy one of them second hand but would need to put an 12 speed groupset on it I guess

What about a tarmac sl5? Stiff, agile, and comfortable. Have seen them do really well in crits.

Well that ain’t no fun

This frame is not nearly as harsh/stiff as the older Foil and I for one think that's a good thing. Not sure on the clearance question as I run Quarq. Fwiw I have more than one friend who used a stages pm with this frame. I didn't note what type rear brake though. Just send a direct inquiry to Scott perhaps...

Caad12 is worth a look

I like the Allez. It and the CAAD12 are good options for keeping the price down on your crit bike. I'm still using my 2013 TCR Advanced. Best crit bike I've even had. Faster than my C59 (2011), Lynskey Helix (2014) and Litespeed Ultimate (2004).

thanks all....the foil was a second hander 10 speed circa 2013 by the way. Just update the groupset on the cheap. Or get the alu allez, maybe build a frame like the sagan edition below

Fuji Transonic. Shimano direct-mount brakes in conventional locations on fork and seatstays, with stiffness/handling apparently inspired by their track frames. Also cheaper than some of the others mentioned, so you would be out less money if you destroyed the frame in a pile-up.

I have the Allez Sprint and it's an awesome bike. Stiff, aero and pretty light. On longer rides, it less forgiving than a carbon frame, but still not too bad. It also costs about a quarter of what a upper end carbon bike might fetch.

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Human Person

Check the geometries - the Allez comes with a much lower stack. I'd be more worried about showing up to a crit with 2 spacers under your stem. :-0