Hey everyone, currently looking to pick up this Specialized Alezz second hand for $175. I have never ridden a road bike but have been in the market as of recently and just wanted to see everyone’s opinion on both the state of the bike and if this is worth the price as it is a bit older.
Your help is much appreciated!
by otar1288
5 Comments
Some people steer clear of older carbon bikes with bonded lug joints bc the glue can potentially fail as it has aged a while. You might read up on it a lil further. Good luck 👍
Those carbon tubes in lug form have been known to fail. Great piece to look at but would not be high in my list to ride.
If you are a but price sensitive or just want to try… Maybe look for a good aluminum bike first. Like a cannondale CAAD or synapse.
Ah, the carbon frame with metal (aluminum?) lugs! This was peak late 80s and early 90s lightweight tech.
A lot of these frames failed due to separation of the carbon tubes from the lugs so be careful. I had one of these for a few years between ‘07-‘10 and enjoyed the vintage ride of it. Super lightweight and incredible bike.
Price is region specific so it’s hard to tell. Groupset looks like a period-correct shimano 600 set (predecessor to Ultegra).
That’s a wall hanger now.
Beautiful vintage bike but not worth it as a regular road bike unless you really enjoy messing with vintage components. The aluminum lugs and carbon tube frames are iffy after 30+ years (though I rode one for years without issue). That is a standard 53/39 chainring on front and likely an 11-28 on the back which means higher gearing which favors flat roads. The wheels are rim break and the frame probably only accepts up to 25mm tires. You are using bar end shifters as opposed to STI type. The saddle looks to be more for a hybrid commuter style which favors a more upright position and is likely why is angled very nose down. It has a quill stem and associated fork which haven’t be used for decades at this point.
If it fits, you enjoy it, and you like tinkering, it is a good $100 bike. If you want something more serviceable, a used road bike from the last 25 years is more likely a better pick. Depending on your location, solid $300 road bikes can be had if you scan Craigslist or Marketplace or even a local bike co-op.