Allied Echo Frameset (XS) with Chris King Headset and 100mm Stem

This is Allied's top-of-the-line road/gravel race machine.
This frameset (retail $4,925) has flip-chips in the dropouts to switch between road and gravel mode, with 40mm of total tire clearance. I bought it new from Allied with a custom paint job. The 100mm Allied carbon stem is painted to match. I'm also including a Chris King DropSet headset and Industry Nine thru-axles.
The size is XS. The stack and reach are very close to a Specialized Aethos in size 52cm. You can see the geometry comparison here: https://geometrygeeks.bike/compare/allied-cycle-works-echo-2021-road-geo-xs,specialized-s-works-aethos-2021-52/. The steerer tube is uncut.
There are a few cosmetic things to know about: some minor paint chips on the bottom bracket and drive-side chainstay; a very small chip on the top tube; and some paint rubbing on the top tube and head tube from bikepacking bags.
This frameset is in great mechanical condition and it's ready to build. The carbon is handmade in the U.S. and rides beautifully. Let me know if you have any questions.
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THE SHAPESHIFTING ALLIED ECHO
https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/a39613132/allied-echo-review/ TAKEAWAY: Lots of bicycles pass through our test team over the course of a year, but few drop-bar bikes this year have impressed us with their versatility like the Allied Echo. Riding a fast group ride on the road? Go for it! Need to fit some wider tires for a day of gravel? It has you covered! Want to race some cyclocross on an autumn morning? Yep, it can do that too! The Echo easily changes between categories with a couple of tools and a few minutes of spare time. Plus, the frame and fork are manufactured in the USA.
Whether at coffee stops, on group rides, or even on the car rack in
traffic, everyone wanted to chat to us about the Echo. Maybe it’s
the bike’s clean lines and satin wineberry paint upgrade? Or the
ability to change up the geometry from gravel to road? But often the
questions pertain to this being one of the few American-made carbon
frames you can buy.
You read that correctly: Allied designs, manufactures, and paints the
Echo (and its two other drop-bar models—the Able gravel bike and the
Alfa Disc road bike) at its Bentonville, Arkansas, factory, where
about 35 employees produce more than 1,000 framesets annually. This
includes the frame’s small parts, like the beautifully crafted and
intricate hidden-cable stem used on the bike.
But making a bike in the U.S. doesn’t automatically make it better
than a bike made in any other corner of the world. So, how does the
Echo ride? In short, beautifully, as should be expected from an over
$7,000 bike with electronic shifting. What sets the Echo apart from
other endurance road designs or fast gravel bikes is its ability to
shapeshift between the two with relative ease. Simply reposition the
dropout inserts at each end of the bike and the Echo takes on two very
different characters.
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ON THE ROAD
Based on appearance alone—the dropped chainstays, slightly chunky
flip-chips, and satin-finish paint job—the Echo doesn't display the
traditional elegance and featherweight appearance of road race bikes;
pulling its styling cues from the gravel world. But in road
orientation, our first rides on the Echo felt stunningly...normal.
When paired with 28mm tires and lightweight road wheels the Echo feels
fast. It rides lighter and more nimble than its looks and listed
weight might suggest. The handling in road mode resembles that of a
bike purpose-built for smooth high-speed corners and long climbs. A
quick peek at the geometry numbers revealed the reason.
Aside from slightly longer chainstays and a longer wheelbase length
the Echo's other key geometry numbers (stack, reach, headtube angle,
seat tube angle) were more in line with some of our favorite road
racing bikes than those of endurance road bikes. Thanks to that longer
wheelbase and generous bottom bracket drop, the Echo feels planted and
confident on the road, particularly when descending.
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FLIPPING THE CHIPS
OK, so Allied made a road bike. With most road bike reviews we would
now just talk about the niceties of the drivetrain, brakes, and
cockpit and then call it a day. Well, this is where things start to
get interesting. Not only is the Echo a road bike, but it's a rather
capable gravel bike too.
Spending a little time swapping the flip-chips at the rear dropouts
and fork transforms the Echo into a more gravel-capable machine. With
the chips flipped, stack and reach both shorten by 5mm, while the
chainstays lengthen by 10mm and the wheelbase grows 14mm. The headtube
and seat tube angles also both slacken by a half degree. Most
importantly it allows fitment of tires up to 40mm wide.
Paired with 40mm rubber and some wide rims, the Echo is well suited
for those long jaunts across wide-open farmland or even exploring some
class-4 roads. But, this is not an extreme gravel bike and certainly
not something for singletrack trail use. In gravel orientation, the
Echo is plenty suitable for fast gravel riding or racing (like a
Specialized Crux or Cannondale SuperSix Evo SE).
The Echo's handling still feels quite similar to a road bike in the
gravel setting. This is largely due to the short, 48mm offset and
steeper headtube angle as compared to other bikes in the fast gravel
sub-category. If you like your gravel bikes to feel like road bikes,
and you're not concerned with fitting super-wide tires or adding lots
of racks and bags, the Echo is worthy of consideration.
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FOR THE GROADIES
We often ended up riding the Echo set up in between the two published
positions. Riding with the front end in gravel position and the rear
in road mode, the Echo has a balance of upright positioning and fast
handling. The folks at Allied were happy to send over the geometry
details for this configuration as the brand does not list this info on
its website.
This groad configuration felt like unlocking a cheat code to a bike
that could ride as spirited as a pro tour–style road bike but with
the poise of a purpose-built gravel machine when conditions got
dirtier. The more time we spent on the Echo, the more we liked this
position of the flip-chips. It just felt right; the type of bike you
could comfortably ride any day and almost anywhere. Not a race bike,
not an extreme gravel bike, just a great all-around road bike. In a
further example of the Echo’s versatility, one of our test riders
raced the Echo in this groad setup to the top step of the podium in a
pair of local cyclocross races.
Allied lists clearance up to 30mm with the rear dropout in road
position, but we comfortably ran up to 35mm width tires. Though we did
find on one particular ride that 36mm tires on wide rims combined with
some thick mud did not go over so well and removed some paint from the
back of the seat tube.
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THE BUILD
Allied offers various build kits for the Echo, including our test
bike's almost-flawless SRAM Rival AXS 12-speed groupset. Though a tad
heavier than pricier drivetrain offerings, it's hard to find fault
with Rival for shifting or braking performance, as the stuff just
plain works. The power and feel of the Rival hydraulic discs remained
good throughout our test period with the Echo. We also like the hood
shape of the Rival levers a little more than the pricier Force and Red
versions.
The Echo's cockpit parts were functional, but aside from the stem,
just not flashy. The bar and seatpost were aluminum models by FSA and
the saddle was from Ergon. No real issues there.
Compared to the rather staid bar, post, and saddle, the Allied
internally cable stem is a piece of functional art. Unlike some other
hidden cable systems where the brake lines route through the stem and
swapping stem lengths requires rerouting/bleeding of brakes (I'm
looking at you, Cervélo), Allied's design allows for quick stem
swaps. It's a particularly handy feature if you're the type of rider
who might want to change stem lengths to compensate for geometry
differences when changing between the Echo's road and gravel
positions.
As described by Allied: “The cables run through a channel on the top
of the stem and are concealed by a faceplate, top cap, and the steerer
tube. Headset adjustment is moved from the traditional position at the
top of the stem to a threaded portion on the bottom of the stem that
effectively increases the steerer clamp length to provide headset
preload, much like a threaded headset. The Echo stem comes in 5 sizes
from 80-130mm in 10mm increments and is a -6 degree.”
Since the headset preload functions like a traditional threaded
headset, Allied ships the Echo with a headset wrench—just in case
your toolbox no longer carries such a tool. On two of our initial
rides on the Echo, the headset loosened up. After taking the system
apart, reassembling, and retightening we did not encounter the issue
again.
Rolling on aluminum-rim Industry Nine UL250 CX wheels with 700x40c WTB
Vulpine tires set up tubeless, the Echo weighed in at just over 19
pounds. Not flyweight, but not too heavy either. The Industry Nine
wheels remained problem-free throughout our ride testing, not even
needing to be trued. We did slice a sidewall on one of the stock WTB
tires, though admittedly, it happened from a jagged piece of shale
when we ventured onto some singletrack.
To have sufficient rear tire clearance during road and groad
configuration testing, we set up the Echo with Zipp 303 S wheels and
Challenge TLR tires. This shaved some weight from the bike and added
some additional liveliness to its ride characteristics. Unless you
plan to ride strictly on gravel, go with one of the lighter wheelset
and tire options that Allied offers when you configure your bike.
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Lots of bikes are designed to meet very narrow usage parameters, so
much so that their limitations quickly become noticeable when ridden
outside of their element. Other bikes seem to be marketed across
different riding categories but fail to adequately deliver exceptional
performance in any one of them. The Allied Echo stands out from the
crowd and is unique in its ability to morph between categories in a
meaningful way.
If you need a very specific bike for a very specific set of riding
needs (for example, if you only race crits or you ride lots of chunky
gravel and singletrack), then the Echo probably won't be for you. But
if you're the sort of rider who dabbles in different types of drop-bar
riding depending on the particular day or season, then take a closer
look at this bike.
At over $6,700 for the least expensive Rival build (our test bike cost
$7,410), the Echo is not a cheap bike. But, with Rival-equipped carbon
bikes from large brands now extending into the $5,000-$6,000 price
range, an American-built bike from a smaller-scale builder costing not
that much more is reasonable. Plus, Allied offers numerous options to
make your bike truly unique rather than riding the same bike as
thousands of other riders.
If you are seeking a bike that can do the skinny-tire road thing, then
get dirty on some gravel, or even throw in a little cyclocross fun on
an autumn weekend, then this is one of the best choices out there.
With the Echo and an extra wheelset, you really can have two, or even
three, bikes in one.

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