non-fixie 

So what's the low-down on these cracks? Any issues, besides the aesthetics?

fabiofarelli

In my opinion the most beautiful frame from Alan (I got the same, 4/1986 ). I rode twice L'Eroica Gaiole in Chianti with it. First time I tried to assemble 'strade bianchi'-friendlier tyres, too less space. I see you succeeded.
You ride like this, I mean the handelebar position?

fabiofarelli

That could be quite a discussion you start non-fixie. My opinion, if the headset is still on it there's no problem normal ridin'. The cracks in the Azzuri-picture are extreme, top and bottom headlug and both complete, that's more tricky I guess.
And aesthetics? Could be worse.


.

fabiofarelli

Competition from 1979. I cannot be more specific because of the rainbow sticker under the seat lug. I really like this one.


\With a Daf, former Dutch car.

non-fixie 

This must be one of the best-looking versions. I love the vivid blue color. It shows the construction details so well.

LeicaLad 

Thanks. Starting with the last comment: Yes, I ride entirely on the hoods, which were swap-meet specials, and provide a wider hood than the originals.

That's Grab-On padding on the uppers. I'm in the drops only on death-defying descents, few of which I do these days. So, yeah, that how I ride on this bike. My other bike cockpits are not entirely dissimilar. I'm built for comfort, as the old song goes. It also lets me reconfigure stem and bar choices a bit more easily.

As for tire size, this frame is limited to 26mm. It's why I've gone back to the original wheel set, which came as a tubular set. I'm running the Gatorskin tubies, and they fit perfectly. I guess I must take new photos.



; - )

fabiofarelli

Thnx, I was just curious, no offense. I'm from Europe and since here on the C&V Forum I see so much stems right up and handlebars and brakes in upper positions. Here in Europe you don't see that for serious ridin', sometimes in case of people seldom using a bike, to go to the bar or the train station. That's why I asked.

LeicaLad 

Hi Fabio. Absolutely no offense taken. While I put in about 20 miles a day, I don't do much "serious" riding. I ride for the grin it gives me. Up on the hoods is just fine for older guys like me.

fabiofarelli

Comprendre

VRJAKE 

Project Alan. An uncommon "Sprint" model. Vertical dropouts, flattened top tube, fat round fork blades. Perhaps a crit design? World champ decal recognizing up to 1983, serial date 1983. Not much of a story other than some weight weenie stuff that came with it, Ti crank bolts, Ideale 88 saddle. Weird in that it came with a Argentinian brand seat post engraved VITAS, which seems so wrong on many levels. Slowly building as a weight weenie project with all Italian components. Hope it rides as well as it's going to look - love the red!

fabiofarelli

That's the one.

fabiofarelli

Almost the same frame as the Super Record and different from the earlier Sprint.

fabiofarelli

Almost the same cx, also 1983.
Sorry for the bad picture.

LeicaLad 

What a great photo. That said, I can't decide whether the expression is because of or in spite of the Coca-Cola?

; - )

fabiofarelli

The bottle is full and the glass is empty. Me, myself and I don't taste the difference. But far as I know Coca-Cola never did sponsoring with Alan.

PBC peugeot

thread back from the dead
I raced mine for a few years USCF
until the seat post broke as I out grew that frame, lugs stayed intact, so thats good. is was never the stiffest frame I have ridden, but not the wet noodle some people make them out to be, I am sure being a smaller size frame didn't hurt either
after many many decades dragging it around, and letting it hang unbuilt in closet's or a dank basement,
I finally got a nice long 25.0 post and built it back up
I think this thread is telling me it needs some more road time soon

fabiofarelli

Great, let's make the world more beautiful, at least the roads.

Gary Fountain

This in my 1983 Alan - (59.5cm x 58.5cm c to c). It came to me as a frame in the mid 1980's - loved it ever since. I bought it 2nd hand from Degrandi Cycle and Sport in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. I had a little money doing nothing and my then current commuter was getting a little boring so I asked Spud (R.I.P.), Degrandi's fantastic mechanic, what frame he would buy if he was looking for one. He took me past lots of 2nd hand Colnago's, Pinarello's, Tommasini's, etc, to this ALAN frame hanging up in the rafters. He said this would be the frame he would buy. I bought it and I have not been sorry. It is a great ride and comfortable for an aluminium frame. I commuted on it for quite a while. It has a near full '83 Campy Super record gruppo but I did change the seat tube to a stronger 2 bolt Nuovo record model. The levers are Simplex Retrofriction. I drilled (drillium) the rear derailleur to match the drilled Sugino rings just to enhance the light weight 'feel' of the bike. The wheels are just for a little splash of colour to go along with the bar tape. It also polishes up very nicely:

Note: Spud was a fully qualifies ALAN frame mechanic (he could glue and screw with the best of them) which may have 'coloured' his initial recommendation for me to buy this frame - he was right though - this frame is a great ride.

fabiofarelli

Truly impressive nice bike! And indeed a 'little splash', Australia beware for the reds! Gets more impressive this way. And yes, those days screwin' and gluein' an Alan was not uncommon by mechanics. A former professional cyclocrosser told me some people dismantled their frame complete in between the (racing) weekends. I think that's a reason why sometimes we see things as tubes that don't belong in a specific frame or different types of lugs/joints. Great bike!

fabiofarelli

Talkin' about 50 or less (somewhere else on this great forum) ... the Alan of the Mrs.
The first time I visited her at home we were drinkin' tea (I don't like tea ..) she told me she had a bike. She really would have liked to have a Peugeot or maybe a Koga Miyata but for some reason she had a strange unknown one, no one has, no one knows. We went to the barn ... yes! We're 33 years together now.

fabiofarelli

RetroRonde Flanders 2013.

grant40

Not my picture, but here is a vintage Alan with a nylon headset and magnesium stem.

fabiofarelli

Nylfor? Must be a very light combination ...

I just saw it in another thread, missed that.

1simplexnut

Hi actually unearthed the frame this morning in the cave .
No serial on seat tube . Will check BB when/ while I try and locate the fork !

All good fun

fabiofarelli

My fault, 1976/1977 had no inscription on the seattube, sorry. The number under the BB says nothing, at least, nobody knows where these stand for.