Een fietsframe dat mij altijd al heeft aangetrokken voor zijn prachtige esthetiek en waarvan ik er ondertussen 2 in mijn collectie heb, is het Italiaanse ALAN. De bekendste modellen zijn ALAN Olympic, Record, Super Record, Competizione en Superleggera.
This bicycle brand was founded in 1972 by engineer Lodovico Falconi who previously worked for Torpado for a decade. Falconi was already familiar with the use of aluminum alloys in bicycle parts such as derailleurs, bicycle handlebars, etc. and thought it should be possible to manufacture bicycles with them, which would result in enormous weight savings. And he was right, because an ALAN frame weighed about 1 kg lighter than a steel frame.
The big problem was that at that time there were no suitable methods for welding aluminum alloys, so an alternative solution had to be found. Falconi found this in the aviation industry where a glue was used to bond aluminum parts.
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After a series of tests with positive results, a patent was applied for and the production of the first light aluminum frames started. All that remained was to find a name for his bicycle brand, which was derived from the names of his children Alberto (AL) and Annamaria (AN).
Innovative light frames
The ALAN frames were innovative because these aluminum alloys were used for both the tubes and the connections (lugs). The lugs were provided with an internal screw thread into which the tubes were screwed and subsequently glued again.
Because it was an absolute innovation, both the tubes and the lugs had to be produced in the factory itself.
It was an immediate success: racing bikes could now be made lighter and more or less retain the same characteristics of steel bikes. The biggest competitors for ALAN bicycles at the time were the French Vitus and the Italian Guerciotti. It is known in particular of the latter that ALAN supplied them with bicycles where their own decal was stuck.
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ALAN stopped producing frames by means of gluing from the 90s of the last century because when TIG welding and oversized tubes appeared, it gave some more rigidity to the bicycle frames. Moreover, it turned out that many ALAN frames still have some weak points: very small hairline cracks can occur in the lugs and the glue between the tubes and lugs can come loose. If you buy a vintage ALAN racing bike, always pay close attention.
Many teams, both professionals and amateurs, started to ride ALAN frames. The first were the German HA-RO (1973) and the Poland national amateur team (world champions 1973/1974). In Italy, the cycling teams Magniflex, Vibor, GBC, Selle Royal, Fiorella, Famcucine, Santini, Alfa-Lum and abroad TEKA (Spain) and VARTA (Colombia).
In Belgium, the Fangio team rode ALAN bicycles as well as the different teams of FANINI (Remac-7UP - PEPSI - Amore e Vita) and GUERCIOTTI.
The most famous cyclists to ever ride on an Alan frame were the Italians Marino Basso, Fausto Bertoglio, Gavazzi, Gianbattista Baronchelli, Beccia, Giovanni Battaglin, Vandi and the foreigners Bernard Thevenet, Hennie Kuiper, Marino Lejaretta, Fabio Parra, Lucio Herrera, Johansson, Pedersen, the pistards Golinelli (2 times world champion), Clark, Risi, Brugna and Villa.
The first frames with carbon tubes
The next innovative step in the production of ALAN frames came with the use of carbon fiber tubes. This made the frames even lighter and much sturdier than the aluminum alloy frames.
It was the Japanese company TORAY Industries Inc., who asked ALAN in 1976 to fabricate a frame with their carbon tubes. The test results were excellent and a few years later the production of bicycle frames with carbon tubes was started. The lugs, however, were still made of aluminum.
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ALAN claims (like others) that they are the first to make frames in both light aluminum alloys and carbon.
Number 1 in cyclocross
Especially in cyclocross, ALAN has made a name for itself, largely thanks to Roland Liboton, but also other greats such as Albert Zweifel, Hennie Stamsnijder, Di Tano, Simunek, Thaler and Kluge rode an ALAN cross bike.
Roland Liboton on his ALAN crossbike
After a hegemony of about 20 years, Querciotti took over, although they used ALAN frames for that. On many jerseys of cycling teams from that time you see the 2 names brotherly next to each other.
But ALAN is still represented in the world of cyclocross. In 2012 Mathieu Van der Poel won his first world title, in the Junior category, with an Alan bike and Sanne Cant also rode an ALAN cross bike.
In recent years ALAN has also increasingly focused on the world of gravel bikes in addition to road cycling and cyclocross. In their contemporary range, the ALAN Mito Al is available, which has a retro look that refers to the early years of ALAN.
Beste Lezer,
Ik heb een alan fiets (campagnolo afgemonteerd) uit 1976. Nu zit er aan de voorkant een haarscheurtje in een lug net boven de voorvork. Ik weet dat dat verlijmd is. Is er nog iemand die dat kan repareren. De fiets zelf en alle onderdelen zien er nog geweldig uit.
Wie kan mij helpen. Nico Maatje 0652053927