Re: [CR]need purchase advice on ebay italian bike that is calling to me

(Example: Framebuilders:Chris Pauley)

From: <PBridge130@aol.com>
Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 00:36:38 EDT
Subject: Re: [CR]need purchase advice on ebay italian bike that is calling to me
To: LifeJester@aol.com
Cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org


<<<theres a new listing for a Guerciotta bike for sale on ebay that is calling to me to bid to take it home to live with my new woodrup... hey a guy needs an italian bike in his life right???

http://ebay.com/<blah> 1>>>

That bike is more properly called an "Alan". Alan custom made bikes for Guerciotti (the fork crowns of Guerciotti-Alans have a "G" on them). The only Guerciotti Alans that I have ever seen have been comparable to the Alan "Sport" -- a lower-tier Alan frame. The Alan Professional is the more desireable frame. (There were also carbonio Alans, but I'm not familar with them or their reliability.) Alans were popular in the Euro peloton, decalled as various other brands, for a few years, late '70's or so.

Alan Pro's are interesting, moderately obscure, and nice-riding bikes. I owned two, though I was a bit big for them. The Sports are a bit heavier, and also less lively, more dead. One is hanging in my garage right now, occasionally ridden by my wife. She loves it, and is attached to it, but I'd like to see her on a more responsive bike. Excellent casual girl bike -- smooth, damp, comfortable.

For a screaming deal, if it rings your bell, sure, why not... but it's not a collectible.

If a lister wants to correct me and say that this is a Professional, then the story would be different... although you would then need to rebuild it with Campy/Modolo sorts of parts.

If you want a collectible Guerciotti, you need steel.

My two cents worth.

Peter
Denver