Why winter protect allegra? I dont have this one.. but from my understanding it should be fairly hardy.. have you noticed winter damage on this..

Let them age , they will outgrow this and become sophisticated shrubs.. bands take awhile.. thats why I prefer grafted here.. but some roses you can only get own roots..

Silverkelt

It sounds like they need a good pruning waaaay more than any winter protection. After they bloom, cut them back fairly hard. Most of us do that in the spring, but now you would be cutting off buds.

I agree: prune. Here at least, 'Fantin-Latour' gets huge if you don't cut it back. I didn't prune my plants of FL last winter, being happy with them as they were, but this winter I'm going to take the pruners to them: the most vigorous one is about to overrun a yellow tree peony, which would be a sad thing. Mad gallica will know the right time to do it in your area. I winter prune here, but in Olympia, Washington, I used to prune my once-blooming old roses in the summer after they were done flowering. I'm not familiar with 'Allegra', but 'Fantin-Latour' is a great rose. It's easy to root, by the way.
Melissa

Here good time to prune once bloomers from December till end of March.
Olga

Here, you should wait until the real cold is over. Subzero temperatures can cause dieback on fresh pruning cuts.

Sigh. I am going to leave them supported at least through the bloom - daughter getting married in 3 1/2 weeks, so any green growth and maybe blooms will be desirable for the rehearsal dinner party which will be at my house. But if I prune them any time this season, they'll just grow more, right? so since I didn't prune them this spring, when I did everyone else - late March/early April - I should just remove the supports this fall, let the canes droop if that's what they want, and then hard prune next March?

Since both of these roses bloom on old wood, I think probably the best time to prune them into a shrub form would be right after they bloom this spring. You can remove your supports after this spring's bloom, prune them by a third, shaping as you go and see if you like how they grow through the rest of the season. Make your decision on the supports next spring.

I think you will be pleasantly surprised as they gain maturity and do without the supports should you so desire. However, if you are wanting a rose on a tripod or pillar, you need to take that into consideration when you prune. I don't think you need to worry about removing the roses from a support for the winter. Both roses are hardy enough for your zone to make it just fine.

Does all that rambling make sense to you? And have your questions been answered?

Regards,

Marcy