j. hughes

Anyone have a vintage Alan Aluminum cross bike? If so, how rough is the ride. I've got the cross bug pretty badly but want a bike a that I can put plenty of road miles on as well.
Would something like this be way too harsh for road use. Also, what are the chances an 80s cross bike has any life left?
Thanks in advance

From Auction

unworthy1

much as I like both CX frames and ALAN stuff, this is one where I'd really need to inspect a USED frame in person prior to purchase. If it's actually been raced a vintage light aluminum frame with threaded cast lugs could hide some tiny stress-cracks..."caveat emptor".

j. hughes

^That's what I was afraid of and that's why I asked.
So good looking though!

thatguy

A friend has one and races it singlespeed. He says he likes it but it takes getting used to. The flex is noticable. He described it as "whippy".

j. hughes

^I would definitely be racing on it. what size is his? bigger or smaller? I know being a 58 the "whippy" feeling will probably more pronounced.

Bianchigirll 

I agree, these frames could have problems hiding that may stay that way for years or fail tomorrow. however if you are making a light tourer or commuter I bet the soft 'silky' ride would be great.

kendall

My Alan isn't a cyclecross frame (no canti mounts).
It rides great, and the only time I can detect flex is when I'm out of the saddle and really hammering on it while pulling hard on the bars, if I'm in the saddle I don't notice any.
Mine is 55x55 (stamped on the BB)

Several weeks ago I did an accidental century (went for a ride, and when I was through my normal loop I still felt like riding, and ended up in sand lake) and the bike was real comfortable all the way around

Ken.

kbjack

At that price, it might be worth the risk....

91MF

i have two early 90s aluminum bikes, exactly the same. one was hung in a garage its whole life and the other was ridden like a filthy wh... well, you can feel the difference. i fully expect one day to wake up in the middle of the street and look over at an over-stressed 1991 cannondale SR600 frame split in two.
cross bikes get ridden hard. i mean, HARD. i dunno if i want an old aluminum bike that was already ridden near the point of self destruction...

gearbasher

My Alan sounds like the same one Ken has. I used it on the road. It was a comfortable ride but very "springy" in my opinion. If I hit a major bump in the road the bike would bounce quite a bit (I did lose control once on a fairly large pothole that I think a steel frame would have handled much better). It also did not handle high-speed cornering very well. That said, I didn't notice much flex, but I'm very light and a spinner. Mine developed a seat lug crack at around 45,000 miles and I gave it to a motorcycle mechanic who claims he was gonna repair it and use it. I don't know what happened.

Elev12k

I've owned a Guerciotti cross, what is actually an Alan. I considered it a really great and also stylish bike for around town. The person who got it from me was an in house architect in Amsterdam who considered it the right bike for visiting his clients.

Currently I own a Alan Super Record road. It is good, but I have roadbikes I like more, for example my steel Jan de Reus. Personally I feel perfectly safe on it.

j. hughes

^Did you ever race the Guerciotti? What I'm looking for is a racer that will be comfortable racking up some road miles as well. I would get a newer bike but I tend to gravitate toward lugs, steel, and vintage! My road bike is a lugged steel 93 Allez Pro and my "cross bike" (for now) is a converted lugged 501 1984 Trek 520 touring. Even though it's Al, I really like this bike (aesthetically anyways) and if it remains fairly low $$, I'll keep it in mind. I like the idea of racing on true old school cross bike.

Jimmy D1

Hey, I have a 59cm Guerciotti/Alan cross bike. I'm pretty happy with it, I use it for road and trail riding. I'm done with racing but love the high BB, canti brakes and quick handling of this bike. Yes it does have a soft ride but it absorbs bumps and I can fly dangerously fast down my favorite decents. My other vintage bike is a 78 Raleigh Pro. The Raleigh is very stiff especialy compared to the Guerc. If you get it and build it up and don't like it, you can always take the parts and build something else. Bikes are a cheap addiction.

Elev12k

No not really, but if you're looking for comfort this bike could be a good option for you.

big chainring 

Laurence Malone, multi National Cyclocross champion in the 70's, raced on an Alan for at least one of his victories.