Classic & Vintage - Question about dropouts with pins...

Yet another n00b looking for bike advice...

What is the deal with these dropouts? What could those pins be?
http://ahall.freeshell.org/cache/alpine 1d 1.JPG

They're on an Alpine road frame I'm looking at buying.
If anybody can tell me anything about Alpine (Rockville, MD circa. 70s/80) I'd love to hear it.


Thanks.

Are you talking about the adjusting screws? They adjust the position of the wheel in the dropouts.

The pins are essentially set screws so to stop the axle at a certain point. Essentially, you put your wheel in straight, then set the screws up against the axle. Then, when you get a flat or need to remove/reinsert the rear wheel, it goes to the exact point it was at prior to removal.

Don't know anything about Alpine but those pins are dropout adjustment screws. They help hold the alignment the hubs in the dropouts while allowing for some fore and aft adjustment.

Awesome, guys! Thanks. My limited experience has been mostly with low-end Raleighs, and the foibles involved in turning them into single speeds.

There were Alpine frames sold by Georgetown Cyclery, a shop in Washington D.C. which closed around 1976 or 77. The frames were built to their specs by several builders & a few were by Albert Eisentraut (he says less than 30). They are beautiful frames. There was also another bike named Alpine (I think it was Japanese) but more of a mass produced boom type bike, nothing like the Georgetown Alpines. Look closely at the way the dropouts are joined to the stays & if the lugs have been filed thin. You should be able to tell which Alpine the bike is when you look at it just by the level of finish. Don

Thanks, Don. Based on your pictures, I'm pretty sure I'm looking at a Georgetown Cyclery one. I guess I have a new project. You don't know offhand if they had an affinity for any particular tubing, do you? seller thinks (or wants to think) that it's Columbus SLX. It's difficult to search for info on Alpine based on the name alone...

I went and picked up the frame, which has yielded more questions than answers.

The guy I bought it from called Fred Kelley to ask him about it! Mr. Kelley adamantly denied that he had built the frame based on the serial number on the BB (75L112 - all his began with a different sequence). By the sellers account of the conversation, Mr. Kelley was reticent about who even may have built it.

The only decoration other than the Alpine decal is a little Swiss-like flag on the seat tube that reads "Alpine Cycles" and "Washington, DC".

I don't know that this warrants a new thread, but I thought you might be amused by the update.

Good looking frame!

Glad you got the frame. That should be a nice ride when you get it built. Completely different seat stay treatment from the one I had, but I like it. Don

PS. There are a few of these frames kicking around our Puget Sound area that have the same mystery builder background. Just enjoy the ride, its not a one off bike, but you got a good one!

Thanks, Don. Based on your pictures, I'm pretty sure I'm looking at a Georgetown Cyclery one. I guess I have a new project. You don't know offhand if they had an affinity for any particular tubing, do you? seller thinks (or wants to think) that it's Columbus SLX. It's difficult to search for info on Alpine based on the name alone...
That is a sweet looking frame, doesn't bear the signature Eisentraut seat cluster, but then he wouldn't necessarily have used that on a contract job...quality details, whoever the builder was. If the shop closed in '77, and also given the Campy 1010 (long horiz,) dropouts, this wouldn't be SLX tubing, If it's Columbus then probably SL or SP, could also be 531 or a "blended" set of Columbus and 531...(Eisentraut was one builder who was known to "blend" different tubing makes)

Mine didn't have any tubing decals, I did weigh it just before I traded it off, 21 pounds as pictured with the stainless steel fenders, Shimano 600 group, Lyotard pedals, tall seatpost & Nitto bars. Don

Thanks again for the guidance and the info. I'm looking forward to building it up and getting off this crumby raleigh.

I did find an old auction on ebay for an Alpine track frame made from Reynolds 531, so maybe that's it. I dropped the guy who won it a line, we'll see if that turns up anything new and exciting.