damianw
Orange 🍊 Fan
While I seem to have some sort of weird thing for collecting Orange Aluminium Elites (3 at the moment), I have always wanted an Alpinestars Al Mega.
Back in 1990, I persuaded a friend that we should do a bike adventure from Bishop’s Stortford to Kandersteg, Switzerland. We’d just been there on a scout jamboree and as 15 year olds, why shouldn’t we now ride back there in the summer? I’d always had a lot of luck writing to companies and receiving responses- often BAE who were good about sending aircraft catalogues when an 11 year old wrote to them saying he wanted to be an aircraft designer… then it was cars (and still is) and of course bikes. I lusted after the very very late 80’s- early 90’s classic Alpinestars bikes and as importantly paint jobs. So I wrote to Alpinestars and they replied saying we could have cost price bikes! I guess we would have bought the cross/road bikes, but this kid with a Peugeot “mountain bike” really wanted an Al Mega.
We never rode to Switzerland and I never bought an Alpinestars. Until now! Thanks to Player, who drove up from Somerset with this one and another ‘92 bike for another retrobiker.
So this is as it stands, I’ve just put some tarty cables and cable ends, bottle cage, grips and bits on it, as well as an awfully modern and roadie Fizik (my only saddle featuring pink!). Though in places the fluoro is still pretty bright, it needs paint, the touch ups aren’t really quite right, and I have decals for it once paint is done, though decals for these are a heck of a subject, one I’ve been learning a lot about!
I have other bikes on the go at the moment as well as my moderns (and the usual car headaches), so I’m in no rush, but it’s a fun thing to play with and I’m glad I’ve got it.
I’ll try to keep this updated, along with what’s going on with the Elites. I’m riding a 17” I bought recently day to day, really nicely looked after and with the best rolling XTR wheels I’ve ever had- it’s as if it has a hidden motor! That one needs stripping and correct decals. The other 17” is currently being built up and has some NOS Controltech, XT and tired bits. XTR/Araya wheels. My original, which is an 18 or 19”, is in the shed in disgrace at the moment, tired after a decade since I built it up. I had NOS XT and XTR parts custom anodised orange for that one!
Anyway, I’ve rambled a lot. Thanks to everyone who’s given me advice, provided decent parts or just made this mad world a bit nicer to be in through this shared silliness for old bikes. As a recent 50 year old, freshly made redundant, Retrobike has been good for my mental health, even if the bikes aren’t always!!
Back in 1990, I persuaded a friend that we should do a bike adventure from Bishop’s Stortford to Kandersteg, Switzerland. We’d just been there on a scout jamboree and as 15 year olds, why shouldn’t we now ride back there in the summer? I’d always had a lot of luck writing to companies and receiving responses- often BAE who were good about sending aircraft catalogues when an 11 year old wrote to them saying he wanted to be an aircraft designer… then it was cars (and still is) and of course bikes. I lusted after the very very late 80’s- early 90’s classic Alpinestars bikes and as importantly paint jobs. So I wrote to Alpinestars and they replied saying we could have cost price bikes! I guess we would have bought the cross/road bikes, but this kid with a Peugeot “mountain bike” really wanted an Al Mega.
We never rode to Switzerland and I never bought an Alpinestars. Until now! Thanks to Player, who drove up from Somerset with this one and another ‘92 bike for another retrobiker.
So this is as it stands, I’ve just put some tarty cables and cable ends, bottle cage, grips and bits on it, as well as an awfully modern and roadie Fizik (my only saddle featuring pink!). Though in places the fluoro is still pretty bright, it needs paint, the touch ups aren’t really quite right, and I have decals for it once paint is done, though decals for these are a heck of a subject, one I’ve been learning a lot about!
I have other bikes on the go at the moment as well as my moderns (and the usual car headaches), so I’m in no rush, but it’s a fun thing to play with and I’m glad I’ve got it.
I’ll try to keep this updated, along with what’s going on with the Elites. I’m riding a 17” I bought recently day to day, really nicely looked after and with the best rolling XTR wheels I’ve ever had- it’s as if it has a hidden motor! That one needs stripping and correct decals. The other 17” is currently being built up and has some NOS Controltech, XT and tired bits. XTR/Araya wheels. My original, which is an 18 or 19”, is in the shed in disgrace at the moment, tired after a decade since I built it up. I had NOS XT and XTR parts custom anodised orange for that one!
Anyway, I’ve rambled a lot. Thanks to everyone who’s given me advice, provided decent parts or just made this mad world a bit nicer to be in through this shared silliness for old bikes. As a recent 50 year old, freshly made redundant, Retrobike has been good for my mental health, even if the bikes aren’t always!!
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