Weaknesses: Weight? Geometry is a bit tight, so I get some toe overlap with the front wheel
Bottom Line:
No only is the bike lively and smooth, but it has taken a beating and kept going as well. Even after head tube repair the bike feels like new. The frame does an amazing job of soaking up expansion joints and other rough stuff on the road. Comfortable enough for a century and still enough bike for the fast training rides.
Strengths: comfortable ride- trite, but steel is real- wholly different from alum, carbon, ti. solid and plush.
Weaknesses: heavy- but probably b/c i've kept it stock.
Bottom Line:
great all-around bike. let's face it most of us don't race, so why pay the price ($ and comfort) to get technology you'll never use?
this bike is all i'll ever need- though i have geeked out and spent too much money on a "race bike". i strangely enjoy riding this bike though- everything just works and looks as it should. full ultegra setup- 9sp, but still does the trick. the WH540 wheels i am not crazy about, (i hate that they look so aero fake on a cool retro looking bike like this), but hey they work.
if you can find one, go buy it- and avoid paying an arm and a leg from the higher-end builders.
Bike Setup: completely stock, brooks swallow to complement the old school feel. did i mention the skinny tubes and the blue/white paint job rocks?
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
FatChance
a Recreational Rider
Date Reviewed: August 18, 2006
Strengths: smooth ride and pretty stiff for steel. very good looking. fast. sharp handling.
Weaknesses: not exactly a flyweight. it might be better looking than you.
Bottom Line:
I bought the frame off of ebay and built it up with my parts. very resilient yet stiff enough for everybody but sprinters. great looking. will last forever if taken care of. oddly, this bike is kind of rare since it was only offered for 2 or 3 years, which is pretty cool. i prefer to MTB so this bike is a training tool for me. it's no where near as light as my Tarmac and doesn't accelerate quite as quickly. but, that is okay since i don't race road bikes. this would be an excellent all around bikes. fast enough for crits and comfy enough for century rides.
Similar Products Used: 2005 Specialized S-Works Tarmac E5
2004 Specialized Allez Pro
Bike Setup: Full 10 speed Dura-Ace, Mavic Ksyrium SL wheels, True Temper Alpha Q Sub 3 fork, Chris King headset, s-works bar, fsa os 115 stem, fizik aliate saddle
This Columbus steel frame bike weighed in around 18lbs stock. I've modified it for fit, comfort, and to make the drive train a little hill-friendlier. In the process I actually shaved nearly a pound. This bike is comfortable, yet accelerates like a rocket - only limited by the engine. I upgraded the wheelset at purchase to benefit from some trade-in value. Based on the reviews of the Shimano wheelset and my clydesdale status, It looks like I did the right thing. The red in the Easton/Velomax wheels look great with the blue and white frame.
Upgrading the wheelset on my previous bike (allez triple, upgraded with Velomax Vistas) instantly increased my average by a couple of MPH. Upgrading to this bike did the same, and training with it I'm still gaining in average speed.
I'm giving value a 5, based on what I paid. Overall I'm giving a 5 - I'm sure there are better bikes out there, but this bike sets the bar very high.
Weaknesses: - Specialized parts *look* modern and high-performance but end up being a little chunky
- How/where does an enormous company like this make a high-performance bike for this cost?
Bottom Line:
Truth be told, I was actually looking for a Breezer Venturi when I found this 2004 model on sale (and neglected looking) at a local bike shop. Something about it called out to me right away -- the "classic" color and decals (cross between Breezer and old Bontrager bikes), compact frameset, and the minimalist look (which was likely owed to the 16-spoke wheels and simple color palette).
Since my search for a good looking sub-20lb bike had been dragging on for years (you know how tough it is to find anyone on the east coast who has even *heard* of Breezer?...) I decided to throw caution to the wind and take it for a spin.
One test ride is all it took for me to say out loud: "I think I must have this bike". 800 miles later and this is one of my favorite rides of all time.
This is a very light, fast, and well-built bike for being from one of those “big box” companies. Handling is predictable and the bike really sticks to the ground when standing/sprinting.
There are a handful of parts that that I dumped immediately upon purchase for a little more weight savings and performance:
- Seatpost: wasn’t convinced of the longevity of a flexing carbon post
- Stem/Handlebars: heavier than need be
- Seat: heavy and uncomfortable
- Tires: fine, but not nearly as sticky as the Schwalbe Stelvio's
Great add-ons:
- Shimano Flight Deck computer integrates very well with Ultegra levers -- cadence w/o extra sensors is great. Price is a bit steep but you can often get a deal on eBay.
Other notes:
- STICKERS! This thing was loaded with all kinds of goofy stickers. Luckily 28 (yes, twenty eight) of them peeled off easily with no marks improving the already minimalist appearance of the bike.
- Shimano wheels are kind of a toss-up: too light to want to junk, a little too flexy to want to keep... They are definitely good in the wind, quick out of the gates, and shine on the flats, but make strange noise when flexing during climbing/sprinting. If you are out of the saddle and going too slow up a steep grade the wheels WILL flex and rub on the brakes if you rock the bike too much. It only took me one ride (a mountainous century of all places) to learn to change my technique to avoid the rubbing -- but doesn't seem like one should have to do that with a quality set of wheels. This was one year before Shimano added more spokes to the back wheel (16 just isn't enough) so I can't say if the new ones solve the problem.
- How does one go from a Breezer to a Specialized? Don't they represent opposite poles in terms of philosophy and quality? Well in a way, yes, but in a larger way they are both All-American bikes; one represents high levels of engineering, idealism, and attention to detail, the other represents the ambition of big-business and their purchasing power to get the volume discounts to create so much bike for the money that nobody can attempt to compete on price alone.
The bottom line is that this is a quick, nimble and sexy bike for a great price. Less of a large-box bike posing as a performance bike as much as a genuine pavement scorcher.
Similar Products Used: - Giant TCR COMPOSITE 2
- Fuji Team
Bike Setup: Full Ultegra, All specialized parts (stem, handlebars, seatpost) replaced with Ritchey, Schwalbe Selvio 145psi tires, Flight saddle, Shimano Flight Deck computer
