Upgrade time

[iamRayRay]

I'm looking to upgrade my Carrera Virtuoso Limited Edition 2012 to a Specialized Allez (which apparently has hardly been used according to his details)

Price is down to the £350 mark I've been talking to him quite a bit.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Specialized-Allez-2014-52cm-Road-Bike-With-Accessories-/171790511895?


Selling my Carrera, I should get about £150 - £200.

 

[TheSoulReaver03]

Make sure you test drive it first. Check if you can move the wheels with your hands side to side. Also, 52cm sounds a bit small. How tall are you?

 

[iamRayRay]

I'm 5ft 9ins, but have short legs.

29/30 inside leg measurement. Have a long torso.

 

[Rob3rt]

If you have a proportionally long torso, you will need a longer than average bike for your height, not a shorter one!

 

[HarryTheDog]

What @Rob3rt said I would say you will need bigger than a 52, my son is 5 ft 7, short legs long body, he has to have a 120 stem to fit on a 52 properly. Seats go down. bikes only get longer with stems . As @SoulReaver03 said, take it for a test ride.

 

[Sittingduck]

+1 for the test ride advice. I'm 5'9" with a fairly short inside leg (30) and ride a 54 on my nice bike but wouldn't want any smaller. Rode a Specialized Venge last year in a 56 and it certainly didn't feel way too big. So I would think a 54 would be good but 52 might be pushing it for you.

 

[TheSoulReaver03]

I'm 178 centimeters (about 5 feet 10 inches), and my 57cm bike feels a bit small, although a long stem might fix that. 52 cm sounds tiny.

 

[iamRayRay]

Great advice guys, thanks - will avoid this one.

If anyone is in the London area and small frame sized, this is a bargain!

 

[HarryTheDog]

Just read the geometry chart for a Allez compact and the Top tube for a 52 cm is actually nearer a 54cm at 53.7 so may well fit.
http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bikes/archive/2012/allez/allezcompact#geometry

 

[Sittingduck]

It may fit but you should still test ride it. I think if it does fit it will feel 'racey'. Depends if that is what you're looking for. Head tube is only 120mm on a 52, so that's gonna feel head down *rse up, unless you have a lot of spacers on the steerer.

 

[vickster]

Go sit on an Allez or even get a test ride from Evans. Not like they are hard to find in the shops

 

[Bicykell]

I'm 5'6" and 29" inside leg but live in Cumbria. If I bid and won it, I could go on the train to get it. Do they allow velocipedes in farst clarse?

 

[iamRayRay]

I'm 5'6" and 29" inside leg but live in Cumbria. If I bid and won it, I could go on the train to get it. Do they allow velocipedes in farst clarse?

No idea. You would have to check, looks in great nick - the guy is adamant that he has only ridden it 6 miles from the shop

 

[iamRayRay]

Boardman Road Comp 2012

Have manage to hunt down one for around the £400 mark. Fairly decent nick and looks like it's been well looked after. Very keen on it.

Anyone have direct experience from riding this Boardman?

 

[vickster]

What size is it? They measure their geometry differently. Get a ride on it