My First Retrobikey

[Chopper the ex Copper]

Got my Alpinestars ASR-120 from Bulldog, with which I am very happy. I do like a nice 4130 Cro-Mo frame - not so light that it's not robust, nice stiff yet lively feel, and this fits the bill perfectly. The bike is complete, in reasonable condition, and apart from the tyres and grips appears totally original.

Here is how things stand:

Frame. Good order, no dents, cracks, bends etc. Paint is fair, not mint but not too bad and I think a good clean and careful touching in and polishing should bring it back to 95%

Wheels. Very good, straight, roll well, barely any wear on the braking surfaces which makes me think the bike is low miles. Strip the bearings and lube and a clean and polish should be all that's needed.

Drivetrain. 90's Alivio mech in good order, and period Acera chainset also in good nick. Front mech also straight so a strip, degrease and polish should revive these parts. Chain is rusty, as is the cassette, so I'll bin these. Has SRAM twishshit - is this original? It's the only bit I'm unsure of.

Brakes. Pads are a state, so will be replaced. Cantis in good nick and should respond to a polish. Levers will require the clamps repainting, which isn't a problem.

Other. Seat post will require a polish. New seat needed, and I've got an italia Turbo knocking about somewhere that'll do the job. QR clamps and skewers all original and should polish up well. Bars and stem are original and will require a partial repaint - aren't these 90's bars narrow?! Various clamp bolts etc will need replacing. Wellgo pedals will be binned for SPD's, my only concession to modernity. All new cables will be required.

So, probably pretty strightfoward and should cost only pennies to get back into full fettle. I'm pretty handy, not afraid of a bit of painting and polishing, so it shouldn't present much of a challenge.

That said, many of you guys have been there and done it, so any tips, advice etc that might be helpful is gratefully received.

One final thing, does anyone know what year or date range the ASR-120 hails from? I've had a good Google and can find virtually nothing on the model.

Cheers,

Chops.

 

[brocklanders023]

Think it dates from either 93 or 94. before that the steel ones were called Cro-Mega. Have you had a look in the archive?

 

[Chopper the ex Copper]

Yeah, I have thanks bud - negative result there. My gut feeling is that your 93-94 assessment is pretty close. The decal on the frame labels it as 4130, not Cro-Mega, which would correspond with what you say.

 

[Neil]

Yeah, I have thanks bud - negative result there. My gut feeling is that your 93-94 assessment is pretty close. The decal on the frame labels it as 4130, not Cro-Mega, which would correspond with what you say.

If there's no obvious answers on the model, groupset parts (assuming they are original) maybe a solid indication.

 

[Chopper the ex Copper]

Ah, good thinking! I'll check the date code on the mech when I strip it. Certaininly looking at various pics it would appear the mech is c.1993 vintage.

Damn, I just want to be out in the shed fiddling with my new toy! This is more addictive than crystal meth.

 

[brocklanders023]

Ain't that the truth. I'm planning on moving house just so I can get a garage to fill with bikes!

 

[Chopper the ex Copper]

I'm lucky. My Father-in-law made me a pretty nifty shed with a work bench. With this Alpinestars I got 4 bikes in there, and I still got room to move and work. If I get a 5th then I'll have to start hanging them up for storage.

And I'm pretty sure I will be getting a 5th!

 

[GT-Steve]

looks great...


I think, from what little memory I have left, that the ASR came from around 93-95, but it's hard to tell exactly from the pics..

 

[Chopper the ex Copper]

Cheers steve I'm looking forward to getting stuck into the old girl. I'll see what the Shimmy date codes reveal. And will of course keep y'all posted with the progress

 

[feetabix]

bung some pics up choppo'!.....