Switching gears... punny, I know - Allied All-Road Review




Since I live in Minnesota, and I pretty much hate the cold... I stay holed-up in my basement until the thermostat needle starts trending upwards of 40 degrees.  (yes, I know there is plenty to do when it's cold... anywho...)

This year I hope to get a bit of a head-start on my mountain bike fitness so I decided to get a proper road bike.  (As it is probably not obvious, even after the weather starts to become nice/tolerable... there is a lag of a few weeks while the MTB trails thaw and dry out - enough to be ridden on without destroying them).  I stopped by the Angry Catfish Bicycle Shop and Coffee Bar to see what they had to say about my new idea.  Chris was really excited to show me something and while he was leading me across the store, I notice a bike in the fit room window from across the shop.  "What is that?" I wondered...
It was, as I learned, what Chris wanted to show me - the Allied Cycleworks - Alfa Allroad with the Harlequin Series paint scheme.  Thomas built up a wheelset with nipples resembling the bluing of a titanium exhaust header.  (pics later).


In regards to where I spend my money: I have a thing for the little guy... a company with a story... locally-made (where possible/practical).
I currently own:
 a Lynskey Pro 29 Helix (which, I am no longer as much of an evangelist for)
 a few Pivot Mountain Bikes - 429 Trail and Switchblade
 a Moots - Routt 45  gravel bike (slated to be my commuter).

Allied seems to feel a bit like Pivot to me, as a company.  Knowledgeable life-long bike industry folks who decided they thought things could be done different, and better.

How Allied Cycleworks Is Making Americas Best Carbon Fiber Bikes

So, while it's not technically a "road bike" and still more of an adventure bike, I anticipate it will be super fast and fun to ride.  Hopefully the Alfa Allroad won't mind that it will almost never be ridding on a "road".

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