1997 Kästle(by Atala) ATB

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Kästle is an Austrian firm,producing ski-equipment since 1924.In the late eighties Italian bicycle confectioner Atala became the owner of the Kästle brand,so low-and mid-priced bikes arrived to the Austrian and Italian market(distributed by Benetton Sportsystem) with a name known from ski-sport.
This bike is a "stock old" one,it has spent a dozen years in its box till last
Xmas. The frame was made in Taiwan,the bike was assembled in Italy.
DiaCompe V-brakes,Joytech hubs and Kalloy seatpost are also from the Far-East. Crankset( Biopace),chain(HG),rear sprockets and both derailleurs
(Acera-X) are Shimano. Alu-rims are Italian FIR products,the tires are Czech Rubenas,saddle(leather edition) and the handle-cuffs are from Ritchey(also made in Taiwan).
Although it's a full rigid steel bike, it handles and rides beautifully: it's a joyfull cycle...
 

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Nice looking bike, love the colour and the matching tyres.
Not a bike you see to often, were they very popular in continental europe?
 
No,really not,it's a kind of exote.
They were sold only in few regions of Austria and Italy.
Selling bikes under the name of a ski brand did not prove a financial success despite every effort of Benetton SportSystem.
 
Sounds a bit like Kawasaki, I bought my KMB450 when they were selling them off after deciding that mountain bikes weren't really where they wanted to be :!:
I'm guessing it was made in the mid 90's?
 
Yes,correct :)
The year of make is 1997.
My elder daughter uses another Kästle-cycle: Tange-tubing,Rigida alu-rims,full Shimano STX SpecEdition trek bike(made approx.'95-'96) -that's also a kind of retro-... :cool:
 

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I don´t quite get it, why this should be NOS out of the box. The Biopace chainrings were long gone, when V-Brakes came up (and IIRR the Acera gruppo). It seems to me like a mixture of late eighties/mid nineties components.

But if it fits you, have fun. :)
 
don't know

Hmm,my argument is that I bought this cycle in absolute unridden state from it's original(but heavily shattered)box,so I think probably it's really a NOS one -this fact is of course without any real importance. But you're right,the parts are really not homogenously period-correct. I can not figure out when and how was it equipped with these bits... :roll:
Luckily enough,there's no problem w the fun-factor: I like this bike, it rides lively and... it's blue
(not a very pleasant shade of the colour,but an eyecatcher) ;)
 
May,the nicest month of the year

some further pimp...
 

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Shape of the down tube is very similar to Dawes frames in the late 90s. Probably came out of the same factory.
 
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