The allylic fluorides 1 and 2 are used as models to study the effect of the allylic C-F bond on the diastereoselectivity of reactions occurring on the vicinal double bond, as well as the compatibility of this C-F bond with various reagents. The configurational stability of the Z double bonds in enals and enones 1 and 3 is noteworthy. This allowed us to perform various types of reactions (including thermal Diels-Alder cycloadditions) on derivatives 1 with full control of the Z geometry. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.