After hearing that some early Specialized Allez's were built by 3Rensho, and never seeing an old Allez that wasn't red, I bid on a very original and BLUE Allez that's finally delivered today...
The frameset is a good-looking medium blue with bus-yellow Allez decals on the down tube, 'SE' on top tube, Specialized decals on seat tube & front of forks. Early Specialized 'Special Series Racing' tubing decal, Cromo & DB tubing... 'Japan' at the base of seat tube. Nice evenly applied paint. Maybe too 'factory' for 3Rensho?
The left chainstay has 'Jim Merz' signature decal.
Shimano 'EF' dropouts & cable routing above bb. Simple Prugnat-looking lugs. Cro-mo fork. no bb cut-out or drain-hole, Serial #LS54509.
It's a good looking frame & I'm happy to have it, but I'm still guessing who built it, so I'm asking: I'd like to know more about Jim Merz & his early days at Specialized, & the company's early framebuilders, including 3Rensho. Merz must have worked out the geometry on this frame since it's got his name on it. Whoever built it did a nice job. It's a 60cm with 58.5cm top tube, which is spot-on for me.
Checking rec.bicycles.marketplace it looks like Merz frames command serious respect out in bikie land; I am forced to admit I know zip about him.
Jim Hultman Remembering to leave my location this time Santa Barbara ( on an unusually cool & breezy July afternoon).