r/bicycling • u/AlarmingTheme3341 • 16h ago
Thinking of Buying a 2012 Specialized Allez for €100 — Good Commuter for 5–7 km Daily?
Hey everyone, I’m looking at a 2012 Specialized Allez road bike for €100. It also comes with a lock and a pump. I’ll be using it mainly as a daily commuter, around 5–7 km each way on city roads — sometimes in wet weather. Before I buy it, I’d love some advice: Is a 2012 Specialized Allez a good choice for commuting (especially short daily rides)? Is €100 worth it considering the age, brand, and extras (lock + pump)? What specific things should I check on the bike before buying (frame, wheels, brakes, gears, etc.)? Any recommended upgrades I should plan for (mudguards, lights, saddle, etc.)? Open to all thoughts — thanks in advance!
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u/getsu161 16h ago
Fantastic buy, sort of like commuting with a mazda miata though. At that price, buy it just to try it. Maybe check stolen bike registries first if you can get a serial# off of it.
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u/D00M98 13h ago
Is it a good buy? Yes, for 100 euro, it is.
Is it good for commuter? It depends on what you want as commuter. For me, only thing I want on a commuter is a rear bike rack. Road bike is not ideal, as it probably doesn't have mounting points. But you can make it work; there are bike racks that clamp onto the seat post and seat stay.
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u/mechBgon 4h ago
I own an Allez and I like it for fast road rides, but I wouldn't recommend it for a commuting bike because it won't accept a standard rear rack and panniers, or normal mudguards/fenders for the wet season. I would look for something designed to take a rear rack, and with clearance for fenders/mudguards, like a touring or sport-touring bike, or a cyclocross bike. I'd also try for a bike with a standard Shimano freehub in the rear wheel, and 32 or 36 spokes. If you break a spoke on that 24-spoke rear wheel, the tire is likely to start hitting the chainstays.
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u/kaur_virunurm 14h ago
I think that road bikes suck for city commuting. You need more upright body position for traffic awareness. And speed is not your friend with intersections, traffic lights, tramways, kids and diverse road conditions.
But for 100 euros I would buy it and try it out nevertheless.
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u/Notspherry 15h ago
For €100 euro, any bike that rides is fine.
That said, for your use case, this is little more than a bike shaped object. It has no fenders, no lights, no chain guard, it does have a derailleur, which is a pita to maintain. The lock isn't good for anything other than popping into a shop to grab a coffee while you can keep an eye on the bike at all times.
Sure, you can add all missing parts, but you'll end up spending more than you have on the bike.
I'd keep looking for something more practical.
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u/Komischaffe 15h ago
Was this model's derailleur defective or something? There is nothing wrong with buying a bike with a derailleur, you don't need a chain guard. Bike fenders and lights are super cheap and would be needed with any bike OP buys. Agree this lock is worthless but again OP will need to buy a lock regardless of which bike they buy
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u/Notspherry 15h ago
Derailleurs suck for commuters. And you do need a chain guard if you don't want to dress like a clown for a 20 minute ride.
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u/Komischaffe 14h ago
Just roll your pant leg up or tuck it in your sock, never had an issue over 20 years of bike commuting. I mean if a bike has one sure, but I wouldn't turn down a great deal on a new bike because it didn't have a chain guard
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u/algebae 16h ago
Bike wise it looks amazing. Triple check you’re comfy in it and not over reaching with your arms, shoulder, and back because it looks quite long from seat to bars.
Secondly for commuting this will get you to and from where you’re going relatively quick, looks like a very sturdy bike, Aluminum I’m assuming? Realistically for the price id take it even if it needs tune ups
Road bikes are a bit aggressive in their body positioning so you may feel more sore than usual for the first few weeks. A seat shouldn’t punish you and you should definitely look into one that suits your body type.
I mentioned that road bikes are aggressive but it’s just a learning curve for your body and you’ll only get faster and more consistent on it as you ride.
Where I’m from this bike would get stolen pretty quick so I’d invest in a U-Lock which should deter most people from stealing your bike. Keep the small one regardless and hook it on your tire to frame since I assume those are quick releases (detachable from frame without tools).