How to date Alan frames?

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Hi guys...I am Mehmoud from Malaysia, and a newcomer in this forum. I recently became an owner to an ALAN frame. The size is right for me but there some chips here and there. What bother me most is the head-tube decal which I never seen in any Alan frame . I try to search in the web but failed. The usual decal wud be the "globe" version. I wish somebody cud share some light into this. I try posting the image but failed too. kindly advise how do I go about posting an image.......cheers!

Easiest is to upload it to a (free) photo website like Photobucket or Flickr, then place a link here.

You can place pics here directly, but perhaps you don't have the min. required postings.

Click on the small arrow next to the paperclip sign, when you're making a reply.
Then upload a pic/file from your PC.

Here goes
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Just check the seat tube above the top rainbow stripes (see 1st picture).
There's a code.
Does it say Super 384 ?
That may indicate that the frame has been produced in March 1984.
The "head badge" is fake...

Txs DC....yes, there is a marking of super 384. BTW, if I were to restore the bike, is it adviseable to re-spray the frame and putting in a replica decals (like the one from cyclomondo Australia). Some of my friends says that the value of the frame is dependent on the originality. A person who might be interested in the frame will more likely be willing to pay for an original frame rather then a re-furbish one. Another question is what does "super" before the 384 means?

NEVER respray an ALAN
If it is correct, the aluminium is anodised, not painted.
Painting (and re-paining) is never necessary, thus unforgiveable.
The only thing you may consider is replacing damaged or non-original decals.

Record means that you have a Super Record type frame, not the earlier / cheaper/ lower-end Competition type.
The easiest way to find that out is:

• Super Record frames have the seat stays screwed and glued into the seat lug, more or less as an integration (see picture in LPG's postings above).
  
• Competition frames have the seat stays bolted to the seat lug (see picture in Unicanitor's postings above).
  

DC....hence if you have scuff and scratch marks on the anodised frame , what can be done to beautify the looks! I have other bikes at home in pristine condition hence this one is bothering me....cheers

Hi Dutch Cheese, I saw you comments on this thread re ALAN frames and thought you may be able to help me, or anyone else who may know. I bought a silver ALAN anodized aluminum frame new in August 1985, built the bike but then had a car accident and stored the ALAN for 25 years. Just unearthed it and I was trying to find out exactly what model it is. From the info you provided I thought mine is the Super Record model, not the Competition - great. But, then I saw the date code on the frame under the seatpost says 'SPRITN485' and searching the net I found a bike called an ALAN Sprint Record. Just wondering if you know of this model, and where does it sit amongst the other models on the desirability scale.

I don't know exactly, but I think that it is a special version of Super Record.
Maybe you should call it Super Record Sprint instead of Ruper Sprint.
The seat tube stamp says SPRINT485 instead of SPRITN485 ?

Example: my 1984 track frame is a Super Record Pista, but the seat tube stamp says 6giorni.
I assume that your Sprint is more or less the same as Super Record, but a bit different. Maybe geometry ?
On Velospace I saw one and the owner mentioned a curved top tube (hard to imagine). Maybe it's an ovalised top tube (same as my track frame and most CX frames).
If you really want to know it for sure, you have to email Alberto Falconi.

Hi DC, My bike is stamped SPRITN485, perhaps that's how the Italians spell 'sprint' Mine has the oval top tube as well, it's only oval in the centre then rounds out at each end to fit into the cluster. see photos. Perhaps this made the frame stiffer for sprinting. I also noticed that some ALAN frames have black painted cutouts (clusters) and others don't, mine is plain.
I'd appreciate Mr FALCONI's email address in a PM if you have it, Thanks.

oval top tube

oval top tube

try again.
See the oval top tube from a side view and underneath. I read somewhere the top tube was flattened into this oval shape so you could carry it on your shoulder more easily. That would make sense for cyclo bikes, perhaps.

Cheers.

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Hi bikers

I see this is an old topic, however hoping both to get a little bit of help here, as well as shedding some light on the alleged breaking of old Alan forks.

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 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. 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. /cry :-(

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

This post led me to sign up here and post this message. I will send Dutch Cheese a PM. Hopefully he's still a member here. If anyone else has the contact details to Alberto Falconi, please help. I also found the "alfa" email, and it is not the right one.

By the way: if you want to contact Mr. Alberto Falconi ("alfa") and the e-mail address you have doesn't work, you can PM me.
I found out that the "alfa" account didn't work.
Mr. Falconi is always very helpful, as long as you don't ask him to repair a broken Alan frame ;-)

I won't ask him to repair it, however I need advice on how to get it repaired and if he thinks my idea will work. And I would suspect nobody knows better than him, so I am keen to hear Alberto Falconi's oppinion. Especially since this frame is reputed to break occationally in the fork, and I'd much appreciate not to scratch my forehead on the tarmac, nor scratch this lovely frame. But I definitely want to ride this beautiful bike again, carefully in nice weather only, like a vintage car. It's not meant for a museum, yet :)

Cheers from Zug, Switzerland

Hi all I have this frame here in South Africa and am trying to identify it. The frame is steel with campagnola sliding dropouts. The decals are P-Allan with the code X68315 stamped under the bottom bracket

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Salam Kenal dari Indonesia
Faris