Specialized does a retro throwback with down tube shifters

[Oasis Maker]

I just came back from DNA Cycles, our local Specialized dealer. Anyhow, I had to do a double take with what I thought was a pristine vintage road bike, steel frame, and down tube shifters. Catch was, it was a Specialized bike and there was a retail sticker on it.



Well, it's just Specialized having a little retro fun with their Allez Double Steel bike. Nice to see something like that new again on a showroom floor. We all grew up with steel bikes and down tube shifters.... alright alright, stem shifters for me, but still.

All kidding aside though, Specialized and everyone else better get a little more serious about building steel frame bikes again for more than the fixie crowd. There's certainly a demand for them. I know commuters sure want them. That's why good vintage, chromoly framed, rigid forked mountain bikes are snatched up so quickly on Craigslist.

Scott

[caseydog]

We all grew up with steel bikes and down tube shifters.... alright alright, stem shifters for me, but still.

I grew up with a bike with no shifters, a foot brake, and a banana seat.



CD

[Oasis Maker]

Ugh! Okay Okay! Not down tube shifters, not even stem shifters.... Yes, I too grew up with the Schwinn Stingray. No gears, streamers, and a long sissy pole on the back for my girlfriend to lean back on...

Ahh, it might be a ways back - but dem was da good ol days. Confession is good for the soul.

Scott

[starleen2]

yep -had one of each while growing up - then I bought a car - and life was GOOOOD!

[Cliffmeister2000]

I had a Schwinn Varsity 10 speed.

Now I have 3 road bikes and a mountain bike.

My favorite is the 1987 Cannondale Black Lightning. Aluminum, 12 Speed Suntour with downtube shifters. That puppy is light!

Next is my 1986 Fuji Olympic with Biopace. Chromoly Steel.

Finally my 1994 Trek 2300. Carbon Fiber with aluminum lugs, integrated shifters. It needs new shifters, so it sits for now.

Funny thing about that Schwinn. I didn't even own a bike pump back then, but I never had to air up the tires. I air my tires up every time I ride nowadays. I guess the air is thinner now then it was back then.

[caseydog]

My first bike was a stingray, but not a Schwinn. My dad was good at finding the cheapest stuff. I had that until the 7th grade, when I got a 5-speed Vista road bike, AKA "English Racer" bike.

I didn't get my next bike until I bought one to use in College, a Raleigh 10-speed that was promptly stolen from a campus bike rack. I saved up for a few months and bought another 10-speed, and a better lock, only to have the Raleigh recovered by the campus police.

CD

[Oasis Maker]

My favorite is the 1987 Cannondale Black Lightning. Aluminum, 12 Speed Suntour with downtube shifters. That puppy is light!

Clearly my dumbest cycling decision. 23 years ago, I bought new a 1987 Cannondale Sport Tour 400. Beautiful, black, tall 27 inch frame. It was stunning just as it was, but at the shop I had them change out the stock rims for some black Mavics and a BioPace Crankset. It had white handlebar tape and Cannondale in red letters. Great looking, comfortable, and fast.

Years later I put a thousand dollars into it and completely rebuilt it with Shimano 105 gears, crankset, brakes, seat.... everything. The bike was flawless and routinely cleaned with bike wax....

... and I sold the damn thing. I moved to AZ and got out of cycling for a bit because of some serious balance issues I was having that I now know was a brain tumor. Nonetheless, I read all the time that the Cannondale Sport Touring bikes in the late 80's are the holy grail of large bikes "if you can find one".

They don't make production frames anywhere near that size now.

Scott

[mikeschn]

My favorite is the 1987 Cannondale Black Lightning. Aluminum, 12 Speed Suntour with downtube shifters. That puppy is light!

Looks like about 21 pounds. That's light!!!

Looks good too!



Mike...

[Cliffmeister2000]

That's it, alright. I'm guessing I have about 30,000 miles on it!

[caseydog]

Have any of you bike enthusiast ridden a single speed on a velodrome? There is on about a mile from my house. I've never tried it, but people come from all over Dallas and beyond to ride on the velodrome. It looks like fun.

CD

[Cliffmeister2000]

Have any of you bike enthusiast ridden a single speed on a velodrome? There is on about a mile from my house. I've never tried it, but people come from all over Dallas and beyond to ride on the velodrome. It looks like fun.

CD

I don't profess to be that good. I ride for pleasure.

Okay, it would be fun, but only if no one was watching...

[Fenlason]

Have any of you bike enthusiast ridden a single speed on a velodrome? There is on about a mile from my house. I've never tried it, but people come from all over Dallas and beyond to ride on the velodrome. It looks like fun.

CD

No.. the closest to here is in Pennsylvania

I would love to try it.

I did used to ride a fixed gear bike on the road a lot.

[track bikes are not just single speeds, they are fixed geared... meaning if the wheel is turning so are the pedals..there is NO coasting]

[Fenlason]

My favorite is the 1987 Cannondale Black Lightning. Aluminum, 12 Speed Suntour with downtube shifters. That puppy is light!

Looks like about 21 pounds. That's light!!!

Looks good too!



Mike...

I like the look of it..

today's standards.. that is heavy.

[MountainBiker]

Have any of you bike enthusiast ridden a single speed on a velodrome? There is on about a mile from my house. I've never tried it, but people come from all over Dallas and beyond to ride on the velodrome. It looks like fun.

CD

A friend of mine races on the Velodrome up by London and they are supposed to be building another one in St Cathrines, I think. She says it is great, but there is a learning curve.

[Cliffmeister2000]

My favorite is the 1987 Cannondale Black Lightning. Aluminum, 12 Speed Suntour with downtube shifters. That puppy is light!

Looks like about 21 pounds. That's light!!!

Looks good too!



Mike...

I like the look of it..

today's standards.. that is heavy.

I've had it weighed a couple of times, it weighs just over 19 lbs.

There comes a point where, to shed a few grams, might as well ride barefoot.