Specialized Allez upgrade

[billiobob]

I have done a couple of longer hilly sportives on this bike up to 65k. I definitely need some lower gears so will replace the rear 12-25 freewheel for something lower. Another difficulty I have found is descending longer hills and finding the braking inadequate. I have replaced the fitted pads with Koolstop Salmon pads but I would value any opinions on whether braking might be further improved by fitting something like Tektro Duo pivot brakes? I am also considering the use of top mount secondary levers so I can control my descent while still holding onto the top of the bars rather than trying to use the levers while holding onto the hoods or grabbing the drops which I find uncomfortable due to the need to keep my neck at an unnatural angle. Or is this natures way of telling me to buy a touring bike with disc brakes, especially as the Bike to work organiser is about to circulate details of the scheme for this year?

 

[Soltydog]

I am also considering the use of top mount secondary levers so I can control my descent while still holding onto the top of the bars

I have these fited as std on the tricross & very rarely use them. I wouldn't want to use them whilst descenting at speed. The bike seems more under control & steady when using the std brake levers

 

[Gary D]

Fitting top mount brake levers will decrease your braking efficiency even further

It is just an extra junction in the cable routing where things can flex, and a small ammount of extra slack has to be taken up when pulling the lever.

What brakes do you have on the bike at the moment?

I am no lightweight (96kg ) and my bike has 105 brakes with the standard blocks and I have never been concerned about braking capacity - even on steep descents.

Gary.

 

[billiobob]

Thanks lads. I suppose concern about stopping is a personal thing. Maybe you Gary D would fly past me on a downhill, hardly touching the brakes and pedalling furiously, where I would be nervously clutching the brake levers. For the record my 2007 model is fitted with "snidey no name" side pulls. I have read a few reviews elswehere where others have found the brakes spongy etc and I see from the latest 2009 model that it is fitted with Ultralight dual pivot brakes, Teflon pivots, forged alloy w/ cartridge pads. As Specialized have felt the need to do this upgrade I assume this is in response to some concerns so it seems my initial plan to upgrade the brakes would be good.

 

[Flying Dodo]

I am also considering the use of top mount secondary levers

I've got these on my bike & have found them very useful, especially bearing in mind that most of the time you tend to have your hands on the tops of the bars - handy if someone/something suddenly zooms out in front of you and you need to brake asap.

 

[palinurus]

I have a basic Allez, 2005 model. Koolstop Salmons helped, I'm about to replace pads and shoes with some Ashima ones which I've been using on my commute bike.

Upgrading the unbranded brakes with some Ultegras also made a fair bit of difference- I was lucky and got them cheap-ish online. Shimano stuff has gone up in price since so other options may work out better value now.

If you have trouble braking with your hand behind the drops perhaps take off the bar tape and experiment with moving the levers around, often bike shops put the levers too far up the drops for my liking which means having to reach sort of under and upwards- moving them down a bit can make things easier.

 

[Radius]

especially bearing in mind that most of the time you tend to have your hands on the tops of the bars

Do you?

 

[billiobob]

Thanks for all replies and feedback.

 

[Flying Dodo]

Do you?

Yup - we're not all lightweight racing snakes like you zooming everywhere.

 

[monnet]

I've got an '07 Allez as well. I agree with you about the standard Specialized brakes. I was lucky as I had some Ultegra's knocking about in the spares bin - the difference when I swapped was quite something.

As for top mounted levers. I'm not so sure about that. Like you say, it is personal, but when descending I feel much more stable on the hoods or drops, with my weight spread evenly across the bike than on the tops. And I'm a pretty twitchy descender.

 

[Radius]

Yup - we're not all lightweight racing snakes like you zooming everywhere.