Alves - a bike I saw a few years ago and wish I'd bought

I was sifting through some old folders and found these pictures and details; I thought I'd share them with you all.

This bike was on ebay a few years ago and I swithered about buying it. I can't remember what it went for but it is immaterial since I didn't have the cash at the time.

I think it's an interesting machine although perhaps not as retro as is normal for here - the forks look too long but that might just be perspective.
I like the look of shaped tubes 853 tubes. The colour does nothing for me but the kit is nice solid functional stuff.

Bike

Headtube

Front

Crank

Dropout L

Seattube

Stem

Dropout R


Hi there, i'm auctioning my custom-built ALVES mountain bike. This cost me in excess of £2700 when it was built three years ago, and as can be seen from the pics, has barely been used! Alves frames are made in Scotland and have customers all around the world. It's made from flat sided teardrop Reynolds 853 tubing with custom 853 chain stays and Columbus Nemo seatstays. It is beautifully fillet brazed and features an internal top tube cable routing and the cable stops have been brazed to the head tube to stop paint rubbing off! The bike is an 18 inch frame, I'm 5' 11" and it fits me fine. It's specced with full XTR including the cassette, Hope ti hubs, Mavic 317 rims, Chris King headset, Ringle stem, Race Face bars, USE Alien Carbon seat pin, WTB SST 98 saddle, new Panaracer Trailblaster kevlar tyres, Shimano pedals (can change to Time Titanium if required) and Rockshox Psylo adjustable forks with lock-out which have the 20mm bolt through "Tullio" axle. The bike is painted in met silver, met red and pearl green (mixed to match michelin tyres), with a met clear coat which looks great in the sun! I won't let the bike go for less than £900, which is my reserve.

Same pics here.

http://gallery133302.fotopic.net/c1438433.html

Alves is my "Local" framebuilder.
Charlie Ralph
Alves Frames
Elgin Springs
Longmorn
Elgin
Morayshire
IV30 3RJ
01343 860382
Specialist framebuilder
Frame renovations/resprays/repairs

nice, that's a very tidy rear caliper mounting.

Yep, that is a very nice solution to the rear disk caliper!
Is that the "current" (ish) shape of an 853 tubeset (the top tube for example)? I remember 853 as being "round". How times, and tubesets change.

Crell":yno4eh3o said:

Yep, that is a very nice solution to the rear disk caliper!
Is that the "current" (ish) shape of an 853 tubeset (the top tube for example)? I remember 853 as being "round". How times, and tubesets change.

Click to expand...

The same sort of section as the downtube on this Columbus framed Voodoo I suppose -
http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... ght=voodoo
I don't really know what (if any) advantages there are to this profile though - I would have thought that ovalising according to the location (like '95 Explosif for example) made more sense.
Looks trick though, I suppose.

Is that the 'coffin' shape tubing I heard talk about?

didnt think 853 came in odd shapes, or chain/seat stays?

Re:

HOLY THREAD REVIVAL BATMAN!!!

I discovered this thread while searching 'Reynolds flat-sided teardrop'... it's from 2008 and it relates to my frame!!... I didn't join RB until 2012, so it's well before my time!

I'd been reading this thread about Dynaflite tubing: viewtopic.php?f=37&t=386809

It made me think about the tubes on my frame, not oval but similar and in 853, so I did a Google search and found this!

Happily, I still have my frame.... it's hanging on the wall in the backroom/study. :facepalm:

Re:

Tube profile and it's paint job from back in 2008....

Much more subtle in it's satin grey powdercoat these days!

What’s it doing on the wall!

Re:

Waiting patiently.... I thought it would spur me on and act as a reminder that my 1991 Alves is hiding in the loft also! :facepalm: