[CR] A question about the early '84 Specialized Allez SE

(Example: Framebuilders:Alex Singer)

From: "Daniel Gonzalez" <dannyg1@mail.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2009 11:38:13 +0800
Subject: [CR] A question about the early '84 Specialized Allez SE


I've been doing off hand research on the Specialized Allez and the 3Rensho connection for a good while now and I've come up with a new conundrum that I'd love to have settled. Seems to me that the introduction in 1984 of the Allez SE describes a bike that perfectly resembles the 3Rensho Katana serie s. Here's a link to 4 pages of info on the 84 Allez SE:

http://tinyurl.com/84-Allez-SE-sheet-pg1of-4

At this point in Specialized history, the Allez has been confirmed by a num ber of people whom worked at the factory as having been made by 3Rensho. A link to Randy Dugan's 3Rensho '84 Allez gallery:

http://tinyurl.com/84-3Rensho-Allez

The Allez SE though, is widely thought to have been made by Miyata under th e tutelage of Jim Merz. In looking over the some photos of my what I think to be '85 Allez SE and comparing it to photos I've found of a Katana on Woo l Jersey, it seems to me that these frame are extraordinarily close in bull d. Enough so that I'm thinking it's obvious that the 3Rensho connection had n't ended the early 90's. Here's six photos for direct comparison (the Shim ano 6400 rear der on the Allez is later added):

http://tinyurl.com/Allez-SE-headlugs http://tinyurl.com/Katana-S-headlugs

http://tinyurl.com/Allez-SE-head-top-view http://tinyurl.com/Katana-head-top-view

http://tinyurl.com/Allez-SE-rear-drop http://tinyurl.com/Katana-rear-drop

The brake bridge, Stay cap and seat lug treatments are very different betwe en these two frames, but all in all, I suspect they're brothers. Thoughts?

Danny Gonzalez NY, NY USA

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