[amitoj]

Originally Posted by babayaga

Are the groupset worth the hype for a casual cyclist? Personally biased to say Claris/Sora is more than enough based on limited recent experience unless maybe one is in racing or trying insane endurance rider of 1000+ km. or is it case of sour grapes ?

If there is one thing that randonneuring has taught me then that is that the most important component of a bike is the person sitting on it!

Congratulations on your new bike and wish you many happy miles on it. Looking forward to some pics when you have it with you. Personally, I feel rim brakes look better on a bike than discs.

One thing that I cannot recommend enough is a professional bike fit once you get the bike.

Cheers,
Amitoj

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by babayaga

Hello Everyone. Happy Saturday!

Finally seem to have some lady luck by my side. I seem to be able to lay my hands on a Specialized Allez 56 about 2 year old for around 46K. This is a rim break version with Claris groupset. Honestly, after a few rides around, I can appreciate a 105 but for a noob like me Claris felt more than enough. The bike should come to Bangalore over the weekend and post that happy days . Any tips or things I should specifically check ? Mileage on the cycle is around 2000 km.

Great to hear you are getting a good deal on a pretty much newish bike. I'm a big fan of preowned bike and would definitely recommend them.

However, the mileage is irrelevant; or at most indicative. You can't make out if it's done 2k or 10k in those 2 years. But check the condition of the components.
- 2 years old bike - has it been in storage most of the time (best case scenario) or has it been exposed to the elements? Check for rusting, etc.
- 2k means the components should be almost in a newish condition (except probably for the chain). Do they look new?
- scratches, nicks, etc. Best case scenario would be a bike kept in absolutely well maintained condition. Realistic case would be a few scratches / nicks where one would expect them (handle, etc).
- ride the bike. A lot. You don't know why the previous owner is selling it. Ask for information. See if the bike condition fits the story. But do not go ahead if you aren't allowed enough test rides.
- please do a bike fit. Enough has been said about this.

P.S. Are the groupset worth the hype for a casual cyclist? Personally biased to say Claris/Sora is more than enough based on limited recent experience unless maybe one is in racing or trying insane endurance rider of 1000+ km. or is it case of sour grapes ?

If you enjoy riding it and if you are getting a good deal (price, condition etc), the groupset difference should be fine.

[ebonho]

A Specialized Allez, any groupset, for 46k, sounds too good to be true.

I agree with Ninja.

Cheers, Doc

[amol4184]

Originally Posted by babayaga

P.S. Are the groupset worth the hype for a casual cyclist? Personally biased to say Claris/Sora is more than enough based on limited recent experience unless maybe one is in racing or trying insane endurance rider of 1000+ km. or is it case of sour grapes ?

Allez is a good bike, congratulations! Claris/Sora are fine. Biggest advantages for them being 8/9 speed consumables are cheaper than higher tier groups. They wouldn’t stop you from enjoying the bike. It can be easily upgraded later in future.

Are the higher tier groups worth it? It depends. Does Rs. 5k Titan show same time as 50k Tissot? Yes. Then why get a Tissot. Same for groupsets. You pay for better materials, craftsmanship, look and feel, performance. You will see people often say Tiagra is almost the same as 105, 105 almost as good as Ultegra, Ultegra is 90% of DA. And that’s true, but the keyword is “almost”. They are not the same. There is that final 5-10% difference between each tier, subtle but its there.

[narayanang76]

Last Saturday was dedicated for a quick service of my Bicycle, Van Rysel Ultra CF.

From last few rides I started observing a clicking sound along with a jump near the RD bottom pulley, could clearly feel that jerks during my rides. Also during one of my indoor trainer ride, the chain had slipped on the FD side. I was doubting the KMC chain. Even though the chain wear is negligible with 1500 km usage (checked with my chain wear tool), and with my visual inspection I couldn't find anything noticeable except marking the chain link where the jump was always happening.

Since I ride with cleats, a chain slip during the outdoor ride will be detrimental for further damage or a fall, I took it for a quick service at Cycle Station near my place. My bike was attended by Naveen who is a National level rider himself.

Naveen inspected it closely for chain wear, RD alignment, angles etc and even he couldn't find any noticeable issue, even lubed my chain to check, he decided to try a new KMC chain, and the jump increased substantially. He then replaced the RD pulleys one by one and it couldn't do much help. Decided to try a new Shimano chain and voila, the issue disappeared. According to him these chains are sensitive and with slightest misalignment or angle difference such issues can happen. So the issue was fixed with the new chain, and I decided to keep my old chain for any emergencies, since it still within 50% wear. Naveen said the bike didn't need any other service and everything else is good!

I then decided to replace my handlebar tapes, as the old ones have started wearing off. I also got a new Shimano clipless pedal, since I thought of upgrading from my Decathlon entry level pedals for a long time. These days I am running more than cycling, and I wanted to increase my rides a bit more with some motivations.

With all these, my bicycle service became more expensive affair than my car service these days :-)

BTW, was very happy with the attention and support my bike received from Cycle station guys, happy the way they analyzed and fixed the issue with a detailed time taking process.

Sharing older pic of my bike.

Thanks,
Narayanan

[aneezan]

Originally Posted by babayaga

Hello Everyone. Happy Saturday!

P.S. Are the groupset worth the hype for a casual cyclist? Personally biased to say Claris/Sora is more than enough based on limited recent experience unless maybe one is in racing or trying insane endurance rider of 1000+ km. or is it case of sour grapes ?

An Allez for that price is an excellent deal.
I have ridden(still ride) on a Claris for more than 10000km on my triban Rc120. It works well. As you use it, there will be a point when you may feel the need to upgrade, but thats after a few 1000 kilometers. All depends on how well you maintain it as well.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by aneezan

An Allez for that price is an excellent deal.
I have ridden(still ride) on a Claris for more than 10000km on my triban Rc120. It works well. As you use it, there will be a point when you may feel the need to upgrade, but thats after a few 1000 kilometers. All depends on how well you maintain it as well.

I ride and race on Claris too. That too the older generation 2400, with the external cables from the hoods.

The weight, materials etc etc between groupsets are all true. Even the shift quality and throw of the levers to an extent. Especially of the rear derailleur.

But in my view the biggest weight saving and "feel" (stiffness) comes from the crank. The heart of your drivetrain.

And the only (other) reason I want to upgrade to a 105 (even an older generation 10 speeder) is the additional ratios that make a fast group ride or a race that much easier to keep pace with (for the same level of legs of course) for the same level of effort and fatigue.

Cheers, Doc

[babayaga]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

.
You don't know why the previous owner is selling it. Ask for information. See if the bike condition fits the story.

Originally Posted by ebonho

I ride and race on Claris too. That too the older generation 2400, with the external cables from the hoods.

But in my view the biggest weight saving and "feel" (stiffness) comes from the crank. The heart of your drivetrain.

Cheers, Doc

Thanks Ninja & Doc for the tips. Fortunately, post seeing your posts in team bhp. I went and did some research over at cyclop FB group. The product being sold looked very similar to one which was listed in cyclop. I reached out the seller with the post photos and asked him if he was the second owner of the bike? He did admit that he was the second owner but assured that he was selling it since he was not using it much. I was however, bit disinterested at this point as the cyclop bike was a 2016 allez . I countered him with a lower price offer conditional on the fact that everything checks out.

Strangely, the seller replied back that the bike was sold and also the cyclop post was deleted from FB group. Was it a genuine bike where the seller was trying to pull a quick one for profits or a larger scam , I am not sure. However, hope this is a guide for future buyers who might be scavenging in the second hand market due to sky high prices of bike these days.

Back to square one

After spending a lot of time thinking, interacting with regular riders and in this forum. I do not think, I would require anything fancy. Also, as I spent more time being regular on my current hybrid. I have started to love it more. For my rough riding style , I think it would serve me well. I have convinced myself to stick to a Claris or Sora. For a couch potato like me , these should serve me well. Till I lay my hands on a roadie, keep riding the current bike.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by babayaga

Thanks Ninja & Doc for the tips. I was however, bit disinterested at this point as the cyclop bike was a 2016 allez . I countered him with a lower price offer conditional on the fact that everything checks out.

After spending a lot of time thinking, interacting with regular riders and in this forum. I do not think, I would require anything fancy. Also, as I spent more time being regular on my current hybrid. I have started to love it more. For my rough riding style , I think it would serve me well. I have convinced myself to stick to a Claris or Sora. For a couch potato like me , these should serve me well. Till I lay my hands on a roadie, keep riding the current bike.

46k is a very good price for a 2016 Allez as well. Especially a 2016. Post that bikes started getting heavier and disc brakes replaced rim brakes. So a rim braked 2016 in mint condition would still demand a good premium for good alloy frames.

Good decision on the hybrid. A good deal on a roadie when it comes along can then be assessed, and negotiated for with a lot more ease and less stress, desperation.

Cheets, Doc

[babayaga]

Interestingly, the Allez makes a comeback on the cyclop forum albeit listed with a new seller and bunch of other bikes. Is it the same or different bike, I am not sure. The person is a relatively new member and from the post seems to be reseller of bikes than a rider considering all the bikes are of various sizes. I am skipping it for now and will wait for another bike.

In another development , with me scampering around websites and shops. My brother got interested in this whole road bike business of mine. Tagging along with me, it seems the roadie fever hit him finally. He has booked a new Specialized Allez with claris disc groupset yesterday . The delivery is expected around 25th Nov. Will post pictures once it is delivered. Please do guide if there is something we should take care of during delivery/post delivery to take good care of the bike.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by babayaga

Interestingly, the Allez makes a comeback on the cyclop forum albeit listed with a new seller and bunch of other bikes.

Dicey bike. The owner is going around from reseller to reseller trying to bump it off. You get many cases like these. Same bike, 3 different guys putting ads up for it. Stay well away. When the deal sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

[HummerH]

Originally Posted by HummerH

Finally, I brought home the Blue Beauty Riverside 500 yesterday from Decathlon Whitefield

I am super excited to share that I completed a 63KM ride last Sunday with cyclists from Decathlon Whitefield group. I still can't believe that I was able to complete. Had never done more then 30KM before.
We went up to the express highway that connects to Devanahalli , after Hoskote.

I was able to follow the tail of other cyclists for most past of the trip( Or Its more like seasoned cyclists in the group were courteous enough to pedal slowly to accommodate me). I did loose all the steam and did my own pace for the last 8KM.
I was so sure that my legs and back will start singing and would definitely not be able to walk on 2 legs after going home, because this trip was a big stretch for my capacity.
By the way, I had informed my family that it will just be a 25KM ride, that's all. Otherwise they would have not let me go.


But, Miraculously my body was able to cope up with the ride except the normal tiredness in my legs and with good amount of pain in the tailbone that lasted until yesterday and I am not feeling any pain now as I am writing this post. I only used a normal diclofenac pain relief Gel for 2 days.

I do not have Padded shorts and I am using the standard saddle without any foam/Gel cover. Had not purchased the padded shorts as I was not sure If I will physically sustain the long rides. But, Looks like I CAN.
I have a lean body structure and my purpose of cycling is for Stamina building.
I am attaching the saddle image here.




I request for advice , Is a padded short the solution here?

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by HummerH

I am super excited to share that I completed a 63KM ride last Sunday with cyclists from Decathlon Whitefield group.
.
.
.
I request for advice , Is a padded short the solution here?

Congratulations on your first big ride!

It is normal to have some pain after the first ride, or even when you resume riding after a break. Do give cycling shorts a try, specially the padded ones. However, on long rides, there is bound to be some fatigue all over your body. Along with shorts, consider using the Buttr Chamois cream as well.

Good luck on your rides!

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by amitoj

Along with shorts, consider using the Buttr Chamois cream as well.

Many of us in India use this.



Best price currently ...

https://amzn.eu/d/7oLqBm6



Cheers, Doc

[babayaga]

Finally, my brother's Allez was delivered a few days earlier, than the committed delivery date. He is quite happy with it. This is the base Allez version with a Claris groupset.