So here's the Fuji Allegro I picked up this weekend. It's in great shape, and rides like a dream and is much lighter than the Varsity I was riding before this. The friction shifting is much better on this bike as well. I had a new set of aluminum wheels that I put on it with some 1" tires, and they do very well. I put about 100 miles on it this weekend, and I didn't run into one single problem. I mounted a bottle cage behind the seat so I wouldn't have to drill, and I have to say that I really like it there. I just thought I'd share my step up in the world of road cycling, and see if anyone has any sort of info about this bike that might serve me well in the future.

It is a big step up from a Varsity. It should be more fun to ride. Be sure to keep the tires inflated. Narrow tires need more pressure to prevent pinch flats. A pinch flat comes from banging against a pothole or other obstacle pinching the tube between the tire and rim. It forms a snake bite pattern of two holes in the tube. Take note of how often you need to inflate the tires, and be consistent about it. Also, keep the chain lubed and clean.

I've been making a habit of checking the tires before every ride, and keeping them at 115. I usually don't have to add more than a couple. It's so much lighter, and it is much more enjoyable to ride. The guy at my LBS, where I purchased the bike, was kind enough to put the 1 inch tires on for me. He took off the gum walls and put the new ones on, and didn't even charge me extra. He said that they'd be better for longer road rides.

i to have an allegro and would like any information regarding it. ie where does it fall in fuji's product line, how good is the valite tubing?

The Allegro was in the Middle of the Fuji lineup, indeed above average for road bikes of the day. Probably considered lower end of mid-level bikes.
https://www.classicfuji.com/Allegro&A..._1986_Page.htm

115 sounds excessive. I'd go with 100 in front and 90 in the rear. I weigh about 175. If you're much heavier, you'll need a little more.

Very nice bike! I am envious!

If you want to put the water bottle in a more accessible location while riding, then these; https://harriscyclery.net/product/eli...ounts-2176.htm, work very well. They would allow the use of a saddle bag for patch kit, etc...

I'm 213 pounds as of today, but getting smaller by the week. I do enjoy the bike, and I notice that it's put together very well. I picked it up for $150, so I think I got a pretty fair deal. My brother came to visit from KC this weekend, and we rode every night. He rides a Madone 4.5, and he rides a lot, so keeping up with him made me feel pretty good about myself. I'm staying in the area of around 16 to 17 MPH average. Thank you for all the advice, and help, it's wonderful. Thank you also for the link for cage fasteners!!

If you can keep up with him at that pace, at your weight, and on bikes of such different weights, then you might be stronger than he is. Unless, of course, he slowed down for you.

Welcome to our sport and our love for old and new bikes. Keep at it, and you'll be at your ideal weight soon enough.

Thanks! He might have been slowing down some. I really enjoy the sport, and it's a great way to clear your head at the end of the day.

Ain't that the truth!

It will also burn a bunch of the built-up toxins that you have stored in your body... and help jump-start your metabolism... and get you away from the tube... fresh air... etc, etc, etc... I feel sooooo much better after a good ride, and that feeling lasts for days afterwards!

I think that bikes at that level are pretty good places to start. When the time comes and you're making modifications to suit your preferences and component improvements, you'll find that the frame is worthy of them. On the other hand, the frame isn't so particularly rare or valuable that you have to worry about originality and such. They were really all about utility at that part of the lineup.

I'm really looking forward to riding a lot more, and learning more about riding in general. I'm starting a training plan this week where I'll be putting in 100 miles a week, and I'm really excited about it. I'm also pretty sure I want to stay with friction, as opposed to switching to indexed. I really enjoy the feel of friction, and I seem to do just fine with that. My freewheel is making some pretty crazy growling noises, so I might be replacing that sometime soon. I'm not sure what kind of RD I have for sure, but I know it's a Suntour. I'm wondering if it will take a 7 cog freewheel, or if I'm limited to 6. I've read I'll have to change the chain at that point as well, to avoid weird behavior between an old chain and new freewheel. It's amazing to push yourself, and see what you're truly capable of on your bike. I used to run a lot, but I find myself much happier riding than I have ever been running. It's just a rush to know that your speed and experience on that particular ride is totally in your control. I love it. I'm glad to be part of such a wonderful sport. I love coming to this forum as well, everyone here is more than willing to help at all times, and it's very appreciated.

You'll need to determine your frame's dropout width (axle length), and then go from there.

See this helpful link! https://sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html

On my son's 86 Fuji, it came with a trashed wheelset...we threw in a set with a 9 speed Cassette Wheel....new chain, and it works just fine. A wider freewheel, and you do risk axle problems. Weight and harsh roads will tend to bend longer axels as you go to 7 or 8 speed freewheels. He rolls Friction, Suntour Sprint FD, Superbe RD (though it was Sprint at first) the RD handled it just fine.

Indexed shifting can cost a lot to add on, so I agree with your decision not to upgrade it. If you want indexed shifting, get another bike. You can keep this as a beater or commuting & errand bike. And yes, that rear derailleur will be able to handle any number of speeds.

Do you have a little bike computer? The cheap ones do a good job. Cateye offers decent value and has lots of satisfied customers, and you can get mount kits so you can move a computer from bike to bike.

Or you could get a smartphone app if you have a smartphone. They use a lot of energy from your battery, though, so they are not good for long rides. It would be a shame to have a discharged battery when you suddenly have to make an emergency phone call. I'm taking a long ride this coming weekend, and I plan to carry one or two external batteries for my phone.

I have an android phone, and I have been using Strava for all my ride data. I'm considering getting the Cateye Stealth 50, since it has GPS as well. I like the friction shifting, and I think I might even switch to barcons at some point and time. Indexed is nice, that's why I'm saving up for a Trek 1.1, but for now this will do more than well enough. As far as the freewheel goes, I think I'm going to stick to 6 speed, so there won't be any extra fuss about it. I was looking at a Shimano model that has a MONSTER low gear, lol. As crazy as it looks, I guess a lot of people said it's nice for climbs, so I'm sure it will be ok. How wrong can I be for $20. I'm getting ready to go about 26 miles tonight, but I'm waiting for it to cool down a bit. It's a scorching 103 degrees as of right now, so we'll see how it is in a couple hours.

So I just finished up my 26 mile ride, and it was great. My times are shrinking, and I'm getting quite a bit better at shifting, and riding in the drops. I was wondering if maybe there was a band I could use to possibly put my shifters on the downtube, it just seems like it would be a better place for them. Mostly I'm just curious to try it out. If I'm wrong and it's just a gimmick, I can accept that as well. lol. My freewheel finally loosened up, and stopped sounding crazy, so that's good. Overall, I'm really happy with the bike, and riding every day.

My Fuji Allegro that is in the process of being cleaned up and redone. Was in EXTREMELY ugly shape when I got it...







My Fuji Espree which was actually in worse shape...this one is my ride right now as I don't have tires on the allegro....turned 113.5 miles on the odometer since I got it today....

Those are both great looking bikes! I had the chance to make some money off of my Allegro, and happened upon a Miyata 110 for 100 bucks, so I am currently riding that now. It was a fantastic ride, but the Miyata I have now is also a great ride as well.

I'm not sure about the band but getting clamp on down tube shifters is pretty easy. Either that or you can use the existing cable guides for bar end barcon shifters.

The only changes I would make starting off with the allegro is this: new brake pads.

Maybe later in the future new brake levers and down tube friction shifters. The allegro is a great bike!