Alpina bikes of South Africa

I am going to check out an old 80's vintage bike made by a South African company called Alpina. The model is the "Lightweight" From what I gather the bikes were made in Cape Town during the 70's and 80's. They may have originally rebadged Italian frames and then moved on to domestic manufacture. The bike is built up with a collection of Simplex and Gippiemimi drive train components (unfortunately the delrin Simplex mechs). No decal indicating tubeset used.

I've googled til I'm blue in the face. Hardly any information about the brand out there. I'm a bit leery because of the lack of tubeset information and the crummy simplex mechs. Anyone know anything about the brand or this bike in particular? I'm guessing its around 1984 vintage.

I'm toying with the idea of bringing a digital scale along to weigh the bike. I weighed my Bianchi Rekord 910 and it came in at just over 23 lbs. Its built with that "special" Columbus type 2 cromolly that Bianchi used on its lower end bikes. I figure that if this bike weighs more its likely hiten, similar its basic 4130 and less its somewhat more special.

Does that sound like a reasonable approach. Its a 24ish inch frame. Link below.

https://vancouver.craigslist.ca/nvn/bik/5541008307.html

That looks really nice but so far no one has replied yet with any info regards the make and model although i was under the impression that
alpina was french but can't be certain unfortunately ,,

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Muddy paw":21gud06x said:

That looks really nice but so far no one has replied yet with any info regards the make and model although i was under the impression that
alpina was french but can't be certain unfortunately ,,

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I have found some very brief references to Alpina being a South African brand online, but pretty much nothing in the way of catalogues, product lines, etc. I don't know if we have any members from SA, but I would think we'd need one of them to pipe in to find out anything. I've even questioned one of my SA originating co-workers, but he wasn't into cycling in those days so he can't help me. The lack of a tubing decal worries me the most. The plastic knuckled Simplex mech is a disappointment, but something relatively readily fixed - all I need to do is spend more $. :facepalm:

Anyhow I'm checking it out in a few hours. If it measures in around 23lbs I'll figure its basic cromolly. If it measures sub 20lbs I'll conclude its a bit more special. If its gaspipe I'll pass on it.

Well this is all i've found regards the bikes ,

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j ... b8cF_lTMbQ

And according to the brief info they were not built for very long so it's any ones guess according to the frame material other than it being steel so i can't see the frame being Reynolds or cro mo i'm afraid to say ,,

That doesn't look half bad, Alpina made some pretty good quality bikes, some frames were imported (from Italy and maybe uk) and some built in RSA. Is $650 a lot of money for a tidy 80s bike where you are? That would buy quite a lot in uk.
I've weighed several of my steel-framed bikes including 531 501 and decent quality "gaspipe" (an early 70s Carlton frame made of "truwel" actually weighed a few ounces less than an 80s raleigh 501), and by the time parts are factored in, most of them around the 23-25lbs mark; this is a 24" frame so I'd expect it to be around 25

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Muddy paw":3iu7nv8z said:

Well this is all i've found regards the bikes ,

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j ... b8cF_lTMbQ

And according to the brief info they were not built for very long so it's any ones guess according to the frame material other than it being steel so i can't see the frame being Reynolds or cro mo i'm afraid to say ,,

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Yes, that is one of the few references I saw in my search. I noted in the photo of the Alpina on the article that it has a reynolds sticker on its fork.

mikeymustard":3iu7nv8z said:

That doesn't look half bad, Alpina made some pretty good quality bikes, some frames were imported (from Italy and maybe uk) and some built in RSA. Is $650 a lot of money for a tidy 80s bike where you are? That would buy quite a lot in uk.
I've weighed several of my steel-framed bikes including 531 501 and decent quality "gaspipe" (an early 70s Carlton frame made of "truwel" actually weighed a few ounces less than an 80s raleigh 501), and by the time parts are factored in, most of them around the 23-25lbs mark; this is a 24" frame so I'd expect it to be around 25

Click to expand...

So I took a look at the bike. Mike you're pretty much smack on what my scale said last night - three readings between 24.5 and 25.8 lbs. I weighed my 22 inch Bianchi Rekord and it weighed around 23 lbs and that bike is made with that Bianchi formula 2 Columbus tubing and the frame is only 1/2 and inch shorter than the Alpina. $650 around here tends to get you a good used quality high end bike or prestige bike. So a top end Bianchi, Pinarello or some Canadian boutique brands like Marinoni. Good condition Japanese bikes seem to come in a lot lower - except for Zunows. People ask a lot of money for them.

So the bike had never been riden. I actually had to finish the set up before I could ride it. It showed some "shop wear", but otherwise was in top condition. My Rekord 910 has full Shimano 600 on it and this mix of Gipiemme and Simplex on the Alpina was horrible. The quality of workmanship on the frame was terrible too. Many flaws on the paint. Terrible filing on the welds. The filing on the lugs looked pretty atrocious as well. The ride was decent - when I found a good gear and stayed in it it was similar to my Bianchi.

So in the end I didn't buy it. I may just stick with the Bianchi or check out the Dawes that's converted to a single speed. There is also an old Miyata that's tempting me.

I was to tired to notice the Reynolds sticker on the forks last night due to not being well but any how sorry to read that the Alpina was such a dissappointment and over priced by the looks of it too .

Sorry to seem ignorant but i've never come across a Zunow before and i had a second hand Miyata back in the mid 80s which road okay but i didn't have it long enough to decide whether i really liked it due to being talked into giving it away by my mum to my older brother as he couldn't afford a bike of his own which he sold 6 months later for cigarette's :facepalm: ..

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Miyata has a very good rep here. Zunow high end Japanese.

Their are just a few members on here that own Miyata bikes but i think their mainly mountain bikes as for Zunow i don't know of any member on here owning one but i'll be investigating into them now as you've most certainly got my attention now you've mentioned them so have you got any pics or link regards the Miyata then ? ..