Info please, re Italian 'Alan' aluminium road-bike framesets

[Russell]

A very late reply, sorry, but my Alan is April 1982 (482) with a serial number of 573122. The dimensions are 3deg 51x53.

[guel]

here's a picture of my alan fork ..

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hernan-dez/3516670349/

and a closeup..

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hernan-dez/3517469274/


sorry im not handy with the html

[nicky]

Hi all
I've just joined CTC and am delighted to have found this brilliant site and to find so many experts on Alan bikes - especially fatboyriding -what a mine of information! As you might expect I have an Alan and have been meaning to try and find info for years...but kids and things slow you down. Picking up on the info offered so far I've tracked down the tube lengths via the seat bracket-58x57, but no serial number. On the bottom bracket is 'BREV ALAN A63612' and there is a red, white and green 'Bike Ribbon' label/graphic on the top tube with 'BRN22201/75' written on it and an 'Alan' graphic/label at the top of the seat tube. The frame is anodised gold but with the anodised blue forks some of you have been raving about. I bought the bike second hand in 85/86 from Tony Boswell Bikes shop in York, England, he told me the owner had had a serious accident on it (the forks....) and had changed the forks but couldn't bring himself to ride it and asked it to be sold on his behalf and I've had it ever since. It has Campag gears, brakes, cranks, top bracket and even 3 Campag cable clips along the top tube. Could I ask if anyone can provide further info from the numbers I've listed, please. Also could I ask 'Guel' if the colour of his forks (gold) matches his bike (as they match mine!!) and I'd be happy to swap for exactly the same but in anodised blue....I love the site and am so glad I've found it-nicky-Highlands of Scotland.

[guel]

my alan is gold as well , 58x57. bottom bracket reads "brev alan 033337" anyone interested i'll actually be selling the frame shortly

[pigman]

another link Ive just seen

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=62375

[Fat Boy Riding]

Yes, I'm an ALAN enthusiast, because of all the bikes I've owned and ridden and that includes a classic 1957 Claud Butler (built by the man), a Condor (531c),a Falcon (753), Ive never ridden anything quite as comfortable as an ALAN. I was always a steel man until I discovered ALAN, aluminium is extremely strong and light, and yes with a 100 kilos on board it flexes, but does steel. At the end of the day it is about what you the rider get the most pleasure from, personally the purity of the raw ali frame of my Record with a complete Ergo Campagnolo Record Titanium Groupset set on Mavic SUP wheels with Cinelli Giro bars and XA stem with white Cinelli tape and a Turbo Rolls saddle is absolutely beautiful, and it gets positive comments everywhere I ride it. My view is neither right or wrong for other people, but it works for me, my remaining steel frame is rusting inspite of an awful lot of TLC and short of a respray it isn't ever going to look good again, which is a shame, and providing you keep aluminium clean its degredation is significantly slower that steel and jolly sight more eye pleasing. The down side if you have an old aliminium frame is that the gear cables cut into the bottom bracket, heh hoh something has to give.

[Old Cyclist]

Hi Framed
Hope you are riding your ALAN by now but have just seen your thread re reliability of the earlier ALAN frames and forks.

If it is any consolation to you I currently own two ALAN's, a 1980 version of the Super Record and a 1982 bolted stay cyclo cross. Both ride pefectly on tubs after all these years, look better than any fancy steel bike and get more looks. (Although that may be something to do with the Campag Super Record titanium group set as well)

I too have also contacted Alberto by e-mail in the past and found him extremly helpful (Hows that for service! -There are not too many other major frame makers who would take time to respond personally to owners e-mails that I am aware of) - what he did tell me was that the Super Record was a professionals bike in 1980 and I understand it has been ridden sucessfully in many major international events. I am not aware of any reports of major failings of forks or anything else.

I agree with Fat Boy Riding that everyone has their own taste in frames and components, that is good, and not everyone's taste is the same but for my money there is not a more beautifully crafted aluminium frame available, even today, than those early aircraft technology ALAN's.

I ride both my ALANS regularly, I also have a modern welded alloy Felt frame with Carbon forks and have ridden many steel framed bikes during my time,so am able to make a direct comparison Despite being it's 29 years old the best ride by far is the ALAN, in every respect, and by the way I weigh 14 stone.

My advice is it's more than a classic ride, its a work of art, and worth hanging on to.Enjoy!!

[zoot]

As a mech. of 1970/80s vintage my experience of Alan frames was always positive.One I recall was brought to me by Vern Hanary,which I built up and badged as a Brian Rourke and on which he won a stage of the milk race that year as well as other races.He never had any problems as I recall and I was so impressed with the frame that I bought one which I used myself for a good few years before passing it on to my son with never a problem with it.

[rangerdick]

All, Hello from the other side of the pond. This post is full of amazing information and I wanted to comment on my Alan experience. When I was a kid back in 1979 I was racing an Alan and loved it. I remember leaving my house and descending the main road, which was an old asphalt wreck and full of holes, cracks and reminded me more of cobbles then an actual paved road. I would pedal flat out, in the big ring and hit maybe 40-45 mph. I was amazed when I looked at the front fork and it was vibrating like a tuning fork!!!. It never gave me a problem, but had to sell it to help pay for college a few years later. I subsequently switched to a steel Bianchi/Columbus frame and have to say, the Alan was much more comfortable to ride.

Last month, I saw an ad in a local classified for a, "Fanini" along with a posted pic for $300.00. Based upon my previous experience I knew it was in fact an Alan which had been rebadged as a Fanini. It had a full Campagnolo Super Record Gruppo, including intact brake hoods. It was dirty, unmaintained and screaming, "Buy Me". I ended up paying $275.00 for it and subsequently restored it. It rides just as nice as I remember, but the main road from my home has now be repaved and the fork doesn't vibrate like it used to.

I really appreciate Fatboy's comments. It does come down to personal preference. I still have the Bianchi and it is unique in it's own way too.

[SorenFog]

Dear Bikers

Doing some googling of selected keywords I was led here to this excellent topic and forum. Apparently I'm not the only one with an old Alan frame and a sore spot in the heart for the artful beauty of it.

First of all let me give you the story, short version. Being nearly 50 years old living now in Switzerland, when I was a teenager (15 years, in 1978), I assembled a racing bike all by myself, buying the pieces mostly directly in Italy when I was on vacation with parents. I loved this stunningly shiny bike, the frame is really a piece of art, never seen more beautiful, in my humble oppinion.
As adult I moved from my home country Denmark to Switzerland, and the old bike had a dark time in my moms basement for a couple of decades or more, collecting dust. Now I got it down home to the alps and started restoring and shining it up. All original pieces from the 70s, Campagnolo 4000 Record gears and brakes, FT titanium stuff etc. Everything is there, even the smallest pieces with "Brev. Campagnolo" stamped into them. I loved, still love, this bike. And I want to bring it back to life for careful riding on sunny days.

Taking it all apart (using, I might proudly mention, original Campagnolo tools from the 70s that I also bought back then), I noticed the upper aluminium tube of the fork - the piece where the handlebar holder fastens in the fork using an expander bolt - has cracked (not sure if my English is correct).

And it broke my heart. The bike will not be used until I have a sustainable solution. Being a mechanics engineer, I got some ideas, but lack the tools and the experience to do it myself. Basically I think cutting off the fractured tube about 5 centimeters under the crack, carving out new threads inside the remaining stub of alu tube (it's thick enough) going down some 5 more centimeters or all the way. Then creating a new (steel?)tube that would make it up for the sawed off piece all with threads on top to fit the rollerball fittings there, screwing it into the alu stub with some silver-glue to make it hold. Never mind that it is much heavier, the bike will not be competing in Tour de France or any other competition. Just for slow rolling show-off on dry sunny days.

An alternative idea a friend of mine suggested is to weld the tube back together, however I do not think that will last or even work.

If anyone here has experience with such matters, or know of anyone who does, I am keen to know about it. Please post here or PM me.

Here are some pictures:


The frame and fork cleaned for other parts. NOT polished yet and still shining. Imagine how this looks once I have it fully polished. It draws more attention than a Ferrari, at least here in Zug where I live and where Ferraris are a bit too common. This artfully designed old frame beats everything else


A close-up of the crack. It goes through the tube, visible from inside too. Expanding the handlebar-holder screw just opens in further. Won't work no more


The upper part of the fork with the crack visible, and my idea of how to mend it.

Any help getting in touch with the original producer would also be helpful. His name is Alberto Falconi, and I found an email address googling, but that is not the right one. And I cannot find anything else on this person, whom I understand should be very helpful. I simply need to know if my idea will work, or if there is a better way about it.

Cheers from Zug, Switzerland

[Brucey]

In English the tube that is cracked is known as the 'steerer' tube.

Is this tube aluminium on your fork? I think it should be possible to bond in a new steerer tube. I would suggest a steel steerer tube to replace the aluminium one.

cheers

[SorenFog]

Hi Brucey

Thanks for the quick reply, at least now I know it is called a "steerer tube". And yes, it is (soft) aluminium, and yes I agree, steel would be better especially since weight is not an issue with this bike anymore.

I need to find someone skilled enough to make this. I do not have the tools nor enough experience with such matters myself.
Any suggestions?

All the best

[Brucey]

A good bike shop will have the tool to cut the threads into the steerer, so this bit is easy.

Some MTB suspension forks used to have 1" steerer tubes. You may still be able to buy one. A good machine shop will be able to prepare the fork by machining to fit the tube, which can be adhesively bonded into position.

Alternatively you may be able to use a steel steerer tube normally meant for brazing or welding; in the UK I would source this tube from Ceeway supplies in Kent. However this tube may or may not have the correct diameter at the bottom to fit the crown race of the headset.

I'd suggest talking to a framebuilder about such tubes, or talking to Ceeway or other supplier that you might use.

cheers

[SorenFog]

Thanks again Brucey

Good suggestions there. Will look into it.
I spent some more time searching google and found this very informative topic, in case you or anyone else reading this topic is interested:
http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=144626

Cheers

[breakwellmz]

Hi.
I would drill the two ends of the crack to stop it extending further.
Using a high strength retainer such as Loctite 638 bond a piece of aluminium bar or steel tube into the steerer tube ,below the height that your handlebar stem needs to inserted.
Your handlebar stem will be strengthening/supporting the vertically cracked portion,above the insert.