salesman

Question
Hi Mike,
 Ok, I recently bought a 2006 (it was a sale price closeout) Specialized Allez Elite Triple.  The salesman told me it had an alumnimum frame, with carbon fiber forks.  I'm happy with the bike so regardless, no problems.  But it bothers me that I looked (after I purchased it) at the sticker on the frame tubing and it says "MAX SLX E5 ALLOY- COLUMBUS."  I looked on the Specialized website and the Allez models all come with "SPECIALIZED A-1 ALUMINUM TUBING,"  but this doesn't help since they are the new 2007 models.  Now, as far as I remember, Columbus SLX is old school chromoly.  I called back to the same salesman and he told me that, AS FAR AS HE KNOWS (now hes not sure), it is indeed aluminum but a "BETTER QUALITY ALUMNIMUM THAN THE STANDARD QUALITY."  Now, I'm getting annoyed.  Yes, I love the bike, but the idea that I may have been decieved is bothering me.  Can you help?

Thanks
Tim  

Answer
Hello Tim,

I have solved this out for you!
Your salesman is also right. A Columbus SLX is also real old skool chromolly, I ride myself a Columbus Max tubed roadbike which is perfect for me. So enjoy your Special bike, designed for having fun on it. And no hard feelings for the salesman!
I give you now a quote from a Specialized brochure.
"When Specialized and Columbus engineers sweat the details, they get right down to the atomic level. Case
in point, E5 material. It抯 a unique alloy of aluminum, copper, silicon, manganese, magnesium, and zinc, with two remarkable mechanical properties ideally suited to building
lighter, stiffer, stronger framesets.
First, E5 alloy has an exceptional modulus of elongation. Which means our partners at Columbus can draw,
butt, swage, and manipulate it in ways that would literally tear other materials apart. So they can create
tubesets with more material where it抯 needed, for higher strength and stiffness.
And less where it抯 not, for lighter weight and directional
compliance. E5 also retains more of its strength after welding than other materials. In fact, the closer you get
to the welded area, the greater the difference. Since welds occur at the most highly stressed areas of the
frame, this gives our E5 material梐nd therefore, our  Columbus Aerotec tubesets?a tremendous advantage:
we can make it into lighter, more aerodynamic frames (a production 54cm S-Works hovers just above the one-kilo mark) that still provide consistent, durable performance
for the 20,000 grueling kilometers that go on them in a typical European road season."