From: kim39@husc8.harvard.edu (John Kim)
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles
Subject: follow up on Specialzied Allez Epic and RB-1 bikes...
Date: 20 Aug 92 02:09:57 GMT
Article-I.D.: husc3.1992Aug19.220959.14923
Distribution: world
Organization: Harvard University Science Center


	A big thanks to all those who responded to my post.  I
went to my local shop today and asked them to build up two Specialized
bikes in 56cm for me to try--the 1991 Allez Epic CF with 105, and the
1992 Allez chromoly, with RX100.  I also plan to visit International
Bicycle Centers in Alston this weekend to test ride the RB-1.
One immediate difference is that the RB-1 is steel, has Ultegra
instead of 105, and costs $100 more.  It also has bar-ends, but I believe
I remember my favorite IBC salesperson saying it could be retrofit with
downtube shifters at no charge.

	The RB-1 and 1991 Allez Epic have nearly identical angles,
though I don't know about top-tube lenghts.  Both the 1991 and 1992
Allez bikes have a 73/73 setup (56cm) while the RB-1 has a
73.5 head angle and a 73-degree seat-tube angle in 56cm.  The
RB-1 reported has a 56.5cm top tubefor the 56cm seat tube, but I don't
know about the Allez Epic.

	AS for rear triangle spread, I got some conflicting stories.
Everyone agrees that the 1992 Epics have 130mm spacing because they
all are spec'd with 8-speed STI, and going to 7-speed only requires a
few spaces.  The 1992 Allez bikes all have 7-speed HG clusters and
thus seem to have 126mm spacing (though not sure here).   Apparently
the 1991 Allez Epic bikes came in either Dura Ace 8-speed or
Ultegra/105 7-speed.  a Specialized Cust SErvice guy (the SBI guy)
told me that the 1991 Allez frames came with two different
rear triangle dropout spacings--126 for 7-s0peed and 130mm for 8-speed.

	Tires and clearance.  The Rb-1 will take a 28mm tire.
One person told me his 1991 Allez had chainstay rub with 28mm tires.
The SBI guy said it will definitely be okay with Specialzied
Transition 26mm tires, but may not work with 28mm tires, depending on
how wide they really were.  Strangely enough, this alone could
prevent me from buying thsi bike.

	S-works.  Specialized has a separate S-works catalog, and
they said they'd mail me one.  New 1993 catalogs due out end
of September.  I rode the Future Shock, which is not
technically an S-works bike, and the front end was very cushy going
off curbs or even up low curbs without hopping.  The back would
"kerchunk" down off the curb just like my road bike, though the
MTB tire absorbed more shock.  The front end bobbed a bit when
i stood up to pedal, but since I didn't take it off road and
I don't really MTB, i'm not qualified to judge this bike.  I do
want to try the fully suspended Delta V 'dale now, but that's another story.

	Warranty:  standard one-year on everything with lifetime on
frame.  Non-transferrable frame warranty.  Previously I quoted an
SBI (or is it SBC?) woman saying that clamping ANYTHING onto the
tubes of the carbon frame voided the warranty.  Now the SBI guy
tells me not so, but that clamps of any kind are not recommended.
He did suggest that if I do clamp on a rack or big saddle-bag
mount, or lock mount, I use one with rubber-lined clamps or grommets
to reduce teh chance or damaging the tubes.

	HARD ANODIZED WOLBER RIMS.  1991 Allez comes with
Wolber hard-anodized dark 32H rims.  I've given up finding a 36-H
spec'd racing bike, but then again I've only looked closely
at two bikes.  Bridgestone reported comes with anodized Ritchey
32H rims.  The SBI guy reports no regular reports of problems with
spoke pull-through, but he said if it happens in the first year
it is indeed covered by the comprehensive warranty.  I guess
I will crank up the tension in the rims when I get my bike and
hope any cracks develop in the first twelve months.  Two people
on the net told me their Bridgestone rB-1 bikes came with 
spoke problems, and this seems to be due to improper wheel building
rather than bad components.

	I once posted that I believed Specialzied steel frames were
made in Taiwan adn carbon frames were made in Morgan Hill, CA.
After seeing a "Taiwan" sticker on the seat tube of the 1991 Allez,
I now believe it's not made in CA.  I think the 1991 catalog
said the 1991 CF Cpic MTB was made in CA.  Also, the Duralcan M2
and other S-works bikes may not be made overseas.

	Strangely enough, while I thought some Trek ads said 
they were all made in America, someone at bike Nashbar told
me some Treks are made in Taiwan.  Sicne Trek's road bikes are
moving away from steel and towards aluminum, Titaniumand CF,
I don't know.  Trek also has the steel line of Jazz bikes. 
 
The bike shop employee who wanted to sell me his allez sid
it was 1991 carbon with red letters.  the SBI guy said 
red letters were on the 1990 model, the one which reportedly
had a few failures.

next week a report on test riding the Allez and the RB-1 (if they
still have the RB-1s around in my size).  Thanks to simultaneous
suggestions from NJ and Cambridge, MA, I will look for a Bianchi
Alfana to try (Virrata is out of my price range).  if I get
a chance to stop by Laughing Alley, I wll try a Trek or two.
The Bianchi fan from NJ said he felt the Trek CF and 1991 Allez
CF (trek with aluminum lugs, not the all-carbon trek) were both
good bikes and had a similar road feel.

	Others graciously pointed out that test riding is
probably more important than net opinions, so i will do taht.
I think I will take the 'dale 3.0 out for another spin, though
this time with bike shorts and clipless pedals.  Maybe the
Miyata 9/14 too.

thanks again to all who responded.
-cAse
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles