Alpinestars 1991 Al-mega DX by Maverick

maverick

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So where do we start with my MTB history. Well, you have to go all the way back to 1986, when I got my first ever MTB, a Champagne and Brown, 5 speed Maverick. That first MTB still holds a special place for me, BMX’s where all the craze and everyone had either a BMX or a drop handlebar thingy, but when I saw that Cow horned Maverick in Halfords, I knew it was for me.

So there is me in school, with this new bike and along comes a like minded soul, from then on we spent the rest of our informative years sat at the back of Mr Metheral’s maths class hiding the latest copy of MBUK in some book about trigonometry. During my first few years my second bike was a Dawes Wildcat that had been re-painted by a local shop owner. I raced a fair amount all over the country and even though I didn’t podium or get great results, for us it was all about the crack and loving taking our beaten up bikes out and riding like our hair was on fire. There are a number of times that I can look back on in my cycling history with fond memories, like bunking off school with ‘Sinnerman’ to ride our bikes around the woods as a practice for the upcoming local races, Malvern Hills classic and seeing that shiny new Clockwork being pulled out of a Sierra estate, also riding the brand new Off-road Proflex bikes. Obsession days and nights and the many great rides that I have owned in between then and now.

A lot of water and bikes have passed under the bridge since those days at school, things have come and gone and we have all changed, but one thing has and will remain in my life all the time, Mountain Bikes.

Fast forward to April 2010, and I stumble across this website called www.retrobike.co.uk, and I find like minded people that also think that most modern bikes are tripe and long for the return of the proper bike. In the collection at the time is my 1998 Rockhopper Comp FS and a collection of bits and bobs that I have been acquiring for a rainy day. So I sell off some forks and brakes and buy something that I always wanted, a 1991 Al-mega DX. I choose this as when it first came out I fell in love with it as a 17 year old does, the fluro colours, the groupset and the look, it just rocked. After looking around I could not find a mint example and it soon dawned on me that I would have to re-paint and re-build one, so I settled on a solid example and paid for it, a few days later it arrived…..
 

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did that come from lincolnshire way on? i am sure i was offered that a while ago.

look for ward to seeing the refurb
 
the good old days...........

how many times did we get a bollockin in that maths class.......lol,,

great days......., the nite rides, the camping, the fullon rides to all the bike shops in one day.......and the best bit, getting the girls behind the bikes sheds..............lol......!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

dude i would like to say, it looks to me like you have a great bike there......and i know what your like, you wont stop till the jobs done, and although its been a while since we have seen each other im sure you havnt changed, and you will add you own subtle touches to give it the MAVERICK flare................x
 
............continued...........

So I stripped it down and checked it out, and it was sound. It had a few non-standard bits on, so I set about replacing these with the period bits that I liked. I’m not one for bothering about a perfect ‘as it left the shop build’ as long as I like it then it suits me. As you can see the colour is more ‘Kermit The Frog’ than Alpinestars, so I took it to my local powder coater who gladly took up the challenge. He stripped it and prep’d it, then painted it in a silver base, with white over the top, then came the hard bit of blending in the green in the right places. I had already taken him an old set of forks to be test painted and I wasn’t happy with the fluro green as it wasn’t ‘fluro’ enough for me, so I choose a nice bright Green that was used on the Triumph Speed Triple bike. He set up a load of air jets and applied the green powder to the frame and did a great job I think. He also painted the forks/bars/stem in the same green. I brought it all home a few days later and put it together, but was not happy. The forks/bars/stem did not match the rest of the frame. Now you may say that it was good enough, but not for me. So they came off and went back to be re-painted, 3 times to try and get the colour match, but each time I was not happy. The paint finish was 100% but the colour was only 95% matched, so they came off again to be re-painted for the final time.
 

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........finished.

Then about 3 weeks ago I got it all back together, I got some decals from ‘Gil_m’ and finally applied them. I wanted to have the Bars/Stem/Forks with a glitter finish, but wasn’t able to as my painter man has yet to source super fine powder glitter in the colours that I want, so I settled on white. I have added a set of Deore Thumbies that I have re-finished with silver glitter as they where a bit bashed and I’m not one to spend £30+ on a set of NOS ones, I just don’t think its good value for money. For me its all about doing a good job for as cheap as possible. I have added some nice silver brake levers in place of the DX things that where on the bike and a more comfy saddle.

I am now happy to report that it is done and I go into the spare bedroom on an almost hourly basis to look at it. I will take it out and get it dirty soon, but for now here she is in all her Alpinestars Glory. This is my first retrobike re-build and I have loved every minute of it, and I will now be starting another Alpinestars, a 1992 Cro-Mega that will have some more modern parts to compliment the older stuff.

Feel free to leave your comments, good or bad, there are a few minor issues that I have yet to finish, but I would describe it as 99% done. I hope you like it as much as I do, and it may even prompt some ideas for your own build.

Mark (AKA Maverick)
 

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:cool:

looks a bit of a mess without the decals but absolutely amazing with. top one
 
I don't think it came from Lincolnshire this came via retrobike from a member that joined just to sell his bike. It was from Grimsby, i paid a lot less than what he advertised it for.
 
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