Alain Michel

I've had a Dura Ace 7800 groupset kicking around for a while and had a loose idea to fit it to a nice steel 90's frame and go Retromod


I'm constantly looking at for sale ads in every corner of the Internet and they're are plenty frames out there but none as nice/odd/unusual/ugly(delete as applicable)

I had to have it

My excitement turned to horror upon test fitting a few parts to discover the drive side bottom bracket threads were part stripped and cup wouldn't tighten :facepalm:

I felt the frame was special enough to warrant the repair ..


A lot of phone calls and Internet bashing I found a company to ream/sleeve the bb and thankfully it's good as new

Here she is .. Test rode 40 miles and all good .. Have longer post to fit and different stem to fine tune fit ..

Have decals on way and will tape up once I'm happy ..

Alain Michel by Plus one2010, on Flickr


Alain Michel by Plus one2010, on Flickr

Alain Michel by Plus one2010, on Flickr


Alain Michel by Plus one2010, on Flickr

Alain Michel by Plus one2010, on Flickr

Alain Michel by Plus one2010, on Flickr

Oooh, that is ugly/ nice/ spectacular / awful/ brilliant/ weird!

Re:

That is REALLY classy looking, love it!

Marmite, and not just the colour!

That is very nice in a weird kind of 1970's sort of way.

tubes sliced apart and welded back together again ? or decoration ? why !!
(looks very well done whatever it is, I like it)

Marmite indeed

I like walking the path less trod

Thanks for positive/piss take/ etc comments

From my internet snooping I've found that Excell tubing was the French answer to Reynolds 753 .. This is plain gauge but very thin .. 1750g for frame on my luggage scales size 55 ..

Allegedly Alain Michel made frames for Greg lemond ?

Decoration on tubes done with some form of roller press ?

I am going to change wheels for alloy low profile(modern with vintage look) I feel the carbon rims are cancelling out the lovely steel zing ..

I will report back

Its a very good find.
Flat profile rims, none of this aero-nonsense.

Re:

Amazing, unique, exotic, eclectic, esoteric, and I like it .

: Mike

I want one !
sufficiently different to whet my desire