Dyermaker

My girlfriends friend asked me a while ago to help her find a bicycle, her Ironman expert had been stolen recently...

After searching craigslist for a month or two I came across what seemed to be a barely ridden 50cm Lotus Elite 600 completely original at a great price. We drove 2 hours to go look at it, she ended up loving it and bought it.

The kicker is being my impulsive self, bought a bicycle as well... I could not resist. The guy was extremely cool and really excited that some young kids were interested in his collection / passion for vintage bicycles. He had a room with 45 boxes stacked to the ceiling with NOS never assembled road bikes of all shapes years and sizes. I was blown away.

What I ended up leaving with was not in this room, it was sitting in the living room and he told me was one of his first bikes that he bought new from the shop when he was 19 years old. After a tiny bit of research and previously attained knowledge of ALAN's I know that it is a aluminum bonded frame, they started production of these in 1972 and that is about all I know. What I'd like to know is the exact year of this one, and it being without a seatpost, what size diameter this frame will accept comfortably... What style threading is the frame? Also any other information or feedback regarding these frames is greatly appreciated. I put the wheelset on this as well, but everything else is how it left his house.



Here are some photos:








Random build, some shimano RD, Cyclone FD, Suntour shifter, 3t bars, AVA stem (death stem?), Campagnolo headset, 600 arabesque cranks, Universal Super 68 brakes, Gipiemme pedals and I put Mavic Gp4 clinchers with Phil hubs.

If you guys want or need close ups or any other photos let me know and I will add more. Thanks a lot.

Chombi

Nice bike! congratulations!
Looks to be an Early aluminum Alan with clamped on cable guides and DT shifters....I dunno, maybe very late 70's or very early 80's?
IIRC, I think they were all italian threaded, so it will be a bit harder to find components from it compared to English threaded bikes like later Vitus models. The thing I like about Alan is they went to the trouble of actually having a head tube like traditional steel frames. Vitus did it sith just a one peice cast aluminum had tube/top and bottom lug which does not look as elegant, plus Alans have that bif of nice looking scroll work on the from tof the fork crown lug. The stops and guides on later Alans seem to tend to be susceptible to metal fatigue damage and crushing if not handled or adjusted carefully as many for sale at ebay have them either missing or damaged.....but I guess you will not have that prblem with this Alan!

Chombi

Dyermaker

Im really excited for this, Ive never ridden an aluminum frame... One thing thats boggling me is the seatpost, arent Italian frames usually a 27.2 seat tube width? This wont even fit a 26.5 ( seat post too wide )

balindamood

I think Alans used a 25MM seatpost. Check the head lug, top and bottom, while looking at the headbadge. They have a tendancy to crack vertically. I do not recall if this is a safety problem, but you ought to check.

Gary Fountain

I think its a 70's model as well. I also think it was the first version of the frame. The 2nd version had slightly different stay attachment to the seat cluster and dropouts. I think this version had some troubles with the bonding letting go. The tubes and lugs are screwed and glued together. The seatpost has to be 25mm in diameter - these are often available on ebay. I think you will find that the threads are Italian - the bottom bracket should be 70mm wide. There was an ALAN on this forum recently that had French threads though so you will have to check it out.

They ride very nicely indeed - I think you will love it. Congratulations on a very smart buy.

CMAW 

Greatlooking Alan! You have the Competizione model, as opposed to the super record with the "aero" seatcluster and engraved lugs, probably an early one. Look for a 25 mm seatpost (alan or vitus). As for dating the bike, SN number on mine is A79476 and it's a 1976 model. Later Alans had simpler numbers on th seat tube (eg 783, july 1983). I have an emailadress for Alan where they're very helpful answering questions like these. If you want to contact them, I'll send you a PM. Oh, and it doesn't need an ava stem!

Daveyates

A beautiful bike!

My Alan looks to be the same era as yours which is a late 70's.
As for threading my one is all French threaded.
Also the seat post is 25mm.

Italuminium

This ALAN is the Competition model (judged by the way the stays attach), probably from the late seventies/very early 80's because of the lack of cable guides. The gold colour is awesome! All ALAN's use 25 mm stems. Originally many of these bikes came equipped with Campy Nuovo Gran Sport, at least my competition did.

OT: The difference between the competition model and the Super Record (the most common types) is that the seat stay attachment and the SR has stiffer (thicker) tubing. They also have less pantographing on them on the lugs, forks etc. for most phases of production.

CMAW 

I always assumed that the frames without braze-ons predated those with, in other words braze-ns came later. See also:

https://www.velociao.com/?p=806#more-806

Mine has the braze-ons and is from 1976 - I got a reply from Allan confirming the production date. Models with clamps would be 75 or earlier then.

Italuminium

I'm still waiting on a reply from ALAN on the date of my frame... serial number less, no brazeons, yet stickers mentioning the '79 world championship. Weird!

CMAW 

Okay, we need that website.

devinfan

Beautiful bike!! Get some gold anodized components and call it Goldfinger. FYI yours is a very, very early one so hang onto it. In addition to no cable guides along the top tube, yours has the very rare long rear drops with the triangle cut-out instead of the circle. Some collectors get hot about this for some reason. Definitely a 25mm post. +1 check the threading, ALAN's came in every threading under the sun except Swiss I think. Well done.

Snydermann

Heck, let's see the Elite 600 too. That was only made for a few years, at best . . .

balindamood

It has to be 1970's. Mine built in 12/80 has cable stops. There should be a stmping on the right upper side of the seat tube with a date code. Here is mine:

Dyermaker

Thanks a lot guys, this information is very helpful. I do plan on keeping this, and riding it too. Hopefully Ill find a seatpost too and some better parts to dress it up with really soon. The guy I bought it from said he had a few boxes of Campagnolo equipment ...

You all would probably hate me if I told you how much I paid for this thing too.

Next time my friend is over I will ask her to let me take some photos of her Lotus, its a really pretty bicycle.

svt4cam

Before you build it in earnest go after it with some Mothers Aluminum polish and you'll have to wear sunglasses when you ride her.

realestvin7

Sweet Alan. You got me excited when you said boxes of NOS road bikes. I love cardboard time capsules! Haha.

Dyermaker

You should have seen my face... He had a chrome Schwinn Paramount never assembled, way too small for me though and I only had 100$ on me that day.

Dyermaker

There is an auction on ebay at the moment of a first series ALAN, the brakes and pedals match the brakes and pedals that I have on mine and the dropouts on the auction bike are the same long with triangle style cutout as mine. The only difference I can see is the auction bike has ALAN pantographing on the fork crown.

Heres a link to the photos....... https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=d388a...!368&sc=photos

realestvin7

Oh man. If you ever get a chance to find out what else he has, let me know. I'd be glad to take a stab at one of his treasures one day. Like you, I'm a young buck who loves me some vintage bikes. New bikes do nothing for me.

Campagnerdo 

I have the same exact model as yours, same dropouts, color, etc., and guessed it as 1974. Serial number S32712. I thought this frame was referred to as the "olympic" model. Pretty frame. Please post serial number or pic. of bottom bracket.

Dyermaker

The number on the BB shell is G31656