BlackPanther
Hyper-Fast Recumbent Riding Member.
- Location
- Doncaster.
'Tis done. My brand spanking new Specialised Allez 16 has ended it's very short life of being a lightweight road bike (a tad under 10 kg on arrival), and has been transformed into my 2nd commuter machine (a still fairly light weight 13.8kg). I've fitted crud road racer 2 mudguards, seat mounted rack and panniers, new pedals with toe clips and straps, Durano plus tyres (note how I even lined up the wheel/tyre writing......anyone else do that?) pump/bottle holder, front and rear lights, mirror, computer, and a new, very comfortable seat.
It still feels pretty lightweight (my Dawes Tanami weighs in at 20kg!) and I'm really really happy with it. I went to work on it twice last week, and after those two 20 mile round trip commutes I was amazed at just how comfortable it is. I'm new to sti shifters and my initial worries about braking/gear shifting were unfounded. It's actually quite easy to brake hard with my hands on top rather than reaching for the drop downs. It's also nice to have 3 hand grip options, top, front or drop down. My Dawes 'crow man' style means you can only ride on the grips......never worried me, but the Allez feels more 'roomy' than the hybrid! I was also worried about the rough roads around here, but it's not much more harsh than the suspension forked Dawes. I wonder if that's down to the carbon forks doing their job?.
I'm grasping at straws to find a fault, but I do feel that the Allez 16 is a little under geared. I only have a couple of shallow downhills on the way to work, but I maxed out at 34 mph in top gear and feel I could've gone a bit quicker with another gear or 2! It doesn't worry me too much, but if I regularly did downhill stretches I'd be looking at changing the gearing.
Anyway, I'll still ride the Dawes most days, but when the sun if forecast, I'll be on the Allez, taking the long way home! Here's some pics. Me very happy!
Oh, just realised I'm missing something. I need to get hold of another meer cat to complete the bike!
It still feels pretty lightweight (my Dawes Tanami weighs in at 20kg!) and I'm really really happy with it. I went to work on it twice last week, and after those two 20 mile round trip commutes I was amazed at just how comfortable it is. I'm new to sti shifters and my initial worries about braking/gear shifting were unfounded. It's actually quite easy to brake hard with my hands on top rather than reaching for the drop downs. It's also nice to have 3 hand grip options, top, front or drop down. My Dawes 'crow man' style means you can only ride on the grips......never worried me, but the Allez feels more 'roomy' than the hybrid! I was also worried about the rough roads around here, but it's not much more harsh than the suspension forked Dawes. I wonder if that's down to the carbon forks doing their job?.
I'm grasping at straws to find a fault, but I do feel that the Allez 16 is a little under geared. I only have a couple of shallow downhills on the way to work, but I maxed out at 34 mph in top gear and feel I could've gone a bit quicker with another gear or 2! It doesn't worry me too much, but if I regularly did downhill stretches I'd be looking at changing the gearing.
Anyway, I'll still ride the Dawes most days, but when the sun if forecast, I'll be on the Allez, taking the long way home! Here's some pics. Me very happy!
Oh, just realised I'm missing something. I need to get hold of another meer cat to complete the bike!
T
