Ride Report
As mentioned previously, this baby isn't a flyweight. At 23.0 lbs on the money fully dressed (bottle cages and pedals), she won't win any weight weenie contests, but she will be a solid and stable partner out on the road, an instant friend who won't betray.
As I suspected--with experience with a few early-era Specialized models (1988 Sirrus and 1992 Carbon Epic)--this 1985 Allez SE has impeccable manners. It seems to me that to call early Specialized's "conservative" would be improper. A bike that operates "within itself" or without issue or misstep is not by definition conservative. I would say a more apt description would be that it is measured, conscientious, and precise. It does not put a foot (or wheel) wrong. There is no funny business or quirk, vice, or irregularity. It is a bike that is extremely well-designed and refined. A willing partner out of the saddle when at slower speeds, it is noticeably more eager when doing so at higher speeds, in the big chain ring. Turns are predictable and 'falling into' a corner sees the bike take a natural, neutral line--no propensity to dive into a sharper turn, nor does it "high line" and take a wider arc.
The frame is quite strong, as are the wheels. The tires impart the overall springiness as well as the character of the frame. This is a great feeling as it definitely feels like it's communicating back to you. I am less strong than I was two or so months earlier due to injury and the resulting loss of power and endurance, and the strength of this frame tells me that as I regain my strength, that it will respond with enthusiasm to increased efforts. Like my Davidson Impulse, the more I lean into it, the more I get out of it. The Impulse will light up an out-of-saddle hill climb or acceleration effort, but the Allez won't be a slouch. The Impulse is a strong frame, and I love it. The Allez, like the Sirrus I rode before it, you could go to war with and it would not break.
I will need more miles with this, and will likely install another 12-21T freewheel on it--this time a SunTour branded unit (with a great, classic sound!)--just to increase the 'purity' of the build further. But only if it shifts as well or close. Who knows how my experience will evolve over time, but if my knee/leg is willing, I will have my chance sooner rather than later.
The strength, feeling, and feedback of this bike is one that I really appreciate experiencing. Maybe I was hoping for it, especially in light of my Schwinn Prologue, which is so lithe and sinuous in nature. The Allez SE is every bit as robust as its weight indicates, and for that I am thankful. It's certainly a man-and-machine back-and-forth relationship that I can get into.
