Mike Barry of Mariposa and Bicycle Specialties wrote a post on his blog recently in which he reported that "after 30 years of hard use his Alan still hasn't come uglued." Not a bad product life!
http://bicyclespecialties.blogspot.com/
Adam Hammond Toronto, ON, Canada
On 21-Oct-08, at 5:17 AM, Schmid wrote:
> Refering to Alan frames there were lively debates on a german Internet
> forum on the ride quality and the evident problems on tubes getting
> loose and such. Some riders reported that thy destroyed their frames
> while riding but none reported a total collapse, such as the frame
> falls
> apart. When the glued joints come loose it is noticed by ghost
> shifting
> and by a softer feel of the frame in sprints or while climbing. A
> lot of
> frames suffered this problems but not all. My guess is that a lot of
> riders who claimed their frames being overly soft and instable have
> experienced a defect frame without noticing it. There was one rider
> claiming his frame was stiff and o.k. when he got it, but collapsed
> during a red-light sprint experiencing the ghost shfting and then the
> soft feel. Obviously when the joints start to get loose they do not
> necessarily slip out of the lugs but develop play which leads to
> softness.
> So according to these reports I would consider the frames save for
> general riding and no risk to your health. On the other hand close
> inspection and testing of each frame is required when getting a new to
> you Alan. Therefore the prices might be adapted to this circumstances
> when buying a used Alan frame especially via the internet.
>
> Regards
>
> Michael Schmid
> Oberammergau
> Germany
> Tel.: +49 8821 798790
> Fax.:+49 8821 798791
> mail: schmid@zunterer.com
> http://www.zunterer.com
>
>
> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
> Von: classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org
> [mailto:classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org] Im Auftrag von
> Jerome &
> Elizabeth Moos
> Gesendet: Dienstag, 21. Oktober 2008 02:49
> An: Drew Ellison; Harry Travis
> Cc: classicrendezvous
> Betreff: Re: [CR]alan
>
>
> As to real risk, we had that debate it seems 20 years ago now, but in
> fact
> it was probably only 6 or 7 years. Theoretically, any aluminum
> structure will eventually fail from stress fatigue. Some see this as
> a
> clear and
> present danger. My guess is that at the mileage even an avid
> noprofessio nal cyclist is likely to log, it probably would take 100
> years or more to a pply the number of stress cycles required to
> cause a
> fatigue failure in an
> ALAN frame or fork. Now if a pro racer logs even 20 times the mileage
> of an avid nonracer, maybe he would destroy one in 5 years, but how
> many in t he pro peleton ride a frame for 5 years?
>
> So, while this theoretical problem has depressed the prices of ALAN
> frames, I refuse to be concerned. As I think I said in that much
> earlier disc ussion, my conecen of being injured by a fatigue
> failure of
> an ALAN frame i s about 10% as great as my worry of being struck by
> lightning. Either co uld happen of course, but neither is worth
> worrying about. Of course, wh o knows? I may make a premature
> departure from the list due to the failu re of my all Zeus 2000 ALAN
> Super Record on a 70 kph descent - or due to a
> lightning strike.
>
> Regards,
>
> Jerry Moos
> Big Spring, Texas, USA
>
>
> --- On Mon, 10/20/08, Harry Travis <travis.harry@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> From: Harry Travis <travis.harry@gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [CR]alan
> To: "Drew Ellison" <drew@masirider.com>
> Cc: "classicrendezvous" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Date: Monday, October 20, 2008, 11:54 AM
>
> In the Washington DC, USA area Mel Pinto was an early importer. Early
> being 1975, a year after Alan was started. Pinto built them up with
> Campagnolo Nuovo Record and put his own decals on them. I've never
> see
> the pantographed chainring.
>
> If those are painted flutes on the seatpost, it may be a mid-80's
> replacement, a copy of a Campy Super Record.
>
> The one you show may be a little later. with the attached cable guides
> unde r the BB shell. The seat lug and rear break mount show the
> earliest
> design.
>
> Drew's Super Record that Drew is a later model post,1980, with heavier
> tubes featured in the brochures. I suspect that was a response to
> criticism of flex in the larger frame sizes. Alans came in a dozen
> sizes. And your friend's bike may have been built up at any time.
> Melpintoimports.com still lists several NOS framesets.
>
> But, of course, this is an all an indulgence . Alans are screwed and
> glued aluminum, but grandfathered under the 1983 cutoff for this list.
> <smile>
>
> Can someone here explain the prejudice vs the real risk of the
> aluminum
> Ala n forks?
>
> Harry Travis
> Washington, DC USA
>
> On Sun, Oct 19, 2008 at 11:31 PM, Drew Ellison <drew@masirider.com>
> wrote:
>
>> When I got my Alan (Super Record model) a couple of years ago, about
>> the only thing Campagnolo on it was the seatpost - two bolt NR model.
>> It's
> now
>> mostly OT Campagnolo. I love the ride.
>>
>> Drew Ellison
>> Everett, Washington USA
>>
>>
>> On Oct 19, 2008, at 12:09 PM, Sarah Gibson wrote:
>>
>>
>>> http://flickr.com/
>>> my girlfriends bike
>>> picked up in portland last year
>>> since these were taken
>>> replaced the no name japanese pedals
>>> with some campags
>>> levers also
>>> which were superbe
>>> what seatpillar woulda come with this machine?
>>> its got an sr in it right now
>>> its 25.0
>>> just wondered what woulda been original?
>>> this one?
>>> any info much appreciated
>>> peace
>>>
>>> sarah gibson
>>> kansas city