I am very excited about this project. While there are other US-made carbon road frames on the market, the scope and scale of Allied Cycle Works, under the HIA Velo umbrella, is very promising. Their first road frame is the ALFA, and it’s made in their Arkansas facilities from start to finish. There’s more on this to come, but for now, you can read the press-release below.
“Bringing large-scale manufacturing back to the U.S. is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” said company founder and managing director Tony Karklins. “Almost all composite bikes from the major brands come out of just a handful of overseas factories, with little differentiating them. We managed to bring development, production, testing, painting and sales all under one roof. There are countless benefits to this approach, which we feel is a better way.”
The ALFA is the first bike under the ALLIED name and is envisioned with performance at its core. The design utilizes a carbon monocoque frame with industry-first use of Innegra fibers to improve impact resistance and vibration dampening, which are strategically utilized on the frame and fork, such as where the handlebar hits the top tube, seat stays, and the steerer tube.
Director of product and engineering, Sam Pickman, spent 11 years developing bikes that have won the Tour de France and world championship events and brings a pedigree of innovation and performance to ALFA. “It used to take a month before I could see the result of a layup change because everything takes so much time when dealing with an overseas vendor. Now I can do a layup and test it in just 24 hours. That allows us to bring to market a better product, quicker because our hands aren’t tied.”
ALLIED has designed the ALFA to be among best in its category, with a frame weight of just 875 grams for a 56cm with “naked finish,” room for up to 700x28c tires, and easy compatibility with every current drivetrain system. ALFA is offered in six frame sizes and within each, two head tube length options–standard and “+” that provides an additional 2cm in height. The ALFA’s frameset price of $2,700, complete Shimano Ultegra build for $4,000 or SRAM eTap option for $7,400 is on par or less than competitive top-of-the-line offerings.
Through ALLIED’s website, customers can make a number of choices to configure their ALFA rather than being limited to a bike that’s sitting on the showroom floor. A vast range of paint options are available, in addition to parts spec from SRAM, Shimano, Rotor, Mavic and Fizik for the build details. Beyond direct-to-consumer, ALLIED has partnered with 25 select dealers throughout the US, giving customers an option of having their ALFA shipped to the dealer or directly to their front door.
● US manufactured monocoque frame with a lifetime warranty
● Industry-first use of Innegra fibers adds durability and improved safety to the frameset
● Six sizes available with “+” 2cm taller head tube option for every size
● Internal cable management
● Personalized paint and parts options through the ALLIED website
● $2,700 Frameset in Naked Paint. Multiple custom paint options available.
ALLIED Cycle Works’ ethos of ‘Made Here’ isn’t just a slogan, it’s the differentiator from the vast number of brands that have lost their souls by outsourcing almost every step of bicycle development and construction. US manufacturing in HIA Velo’s Arkansas, facility is what the company believes in because it simply makes sense.
