I have a couple of ALANs plus an AL Vitus, as well as a 1954 Avia/Mecadural. I don't believe the tubes "get soft" any more than steel tubes do. The collective experience here is that old steel frames that have become "soft" have usually simply gone out of alignment and having them realigned eliminates the perceived softness.
The older aluminum frames with "normal" size tube OD's definitely flexed more than steel frames when new. But if the brake rubs now, but did not when new, quite possibly the frame has become misaligned just as steel frames do. I guess it is possible that the epoxy has degraded and allowed the tubes to creep inside the lugs, but I think this is less likely that this would occur on an ALAN, which has the tubes threaded as well as epoxied into the lugs, than with a Vitus that had the tubes just epoxied into the lugs.
My experience with the old AL frames is that they are no more prone to become misaligned than steel frames, but they do present a problem to realign or repair. The usual method of realigning a steel frame is to "cold set" it, a fancy way of saying just get a big lever and bend the damn thing back into line. But aluminum is much less forgiving of being bent, and cold setting an AL frame can easily create cracks where the frame may fail later. I've been told by aeronautical engineers, who know a thing or two about aluminum structures, that cold setting aluminum tubes is a really bad idea, and I've consistly avoiding this, including insisting on a refund for an aluminum Motobecane Prolight (Vitus) frame that was misaligned when I bought it new in the early 80's (the dealer wanted to cold set it).
In general I like the old AL frames (wish I's bid on that Barra on eBay a few months ago), and I've never shared what I've seen as a greatly exagerrated concern about AL frames failing suddenly and catastrophically from stress fatige cracking. But it is true that once damaged or misaligned an AL frame is often impractical to repair. So Chris's advice to be careful buying one is valid at least to the extent that if you get a used one damaged or badly misaligned, it's going to be pretty difficult to repair.
Regards,
Jerry Moos
Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
> From: chris ioakimedes <chriseye@comcast.net>
> Subject: Re: [CR] Intro and WTB (ALAN cyclocross frame)
> To: "'Andrew R Stewart'" <onetenth@earthlink.net>, timmymcg@gmail.com, classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Date: Tuesday, February 23, 2010, 6:07 PM
> No I did not anneal the frame.
> Whether it is the tubes flexing or the
> lugs is hard to tell. I just noticed the rear brake rubbing
> when I
> pushed down hard on the pedals while going uphill. I still
> have the
> bike.
> Chris ioakimedes
> Fairfax California
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Andrew R Stewart [mailto:onetenth@earthlink.net]
>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 23, 2010 2:56 PM
> To: chris ioakimedes; timmymcg@gmail.com;
> classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Subject: Re: [CR] Intro and WTB (ALAN cyclocross frame)
>
> Chris- Did you anneal your Alan? My understanding of
> Aluminum is that it
>
> work hardens with stress.
>
> We all know that the old wives tale of steel frames "going
> soft" is
> false.
> Let's not start more misinformation about Aluminum, it has
> enough issues
> as
> a frame material already.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "chris ioakimedes" <chriseye@comcast.net>
> To: <timmymcg@gmail.com>;
> <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 23, 2010 10:24 AM
> Subject: Re: [CR] Intro and WTB (ALAN cyclocross frame)
>
>
> >I loved my Alan cyclocross bike until the frame got so
> soft that when I
> > pedal uphill, the rear brake rubs. Be careful buying a
> used one.
> > Chris ioakimedes
> > http://www.fattiretrading.com Fairfax California
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org
> > [mailto:classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org]
> On Behalf Of Timothy
> > McGovern
> > Sent: Friday, February 19, 2010 2:34 PM
> > To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> > Subject: [CR] Intro and WTB (ALAN cyclocross frame)
> >
> > Hi all,
> >
> > A quick introduction: I'm Tim McGovern, I ride a late
> but on-topic
> > Trek and (more usually) a Surly built up a la 1980
> > cyclocross/commuter: friction-shifted (of course) from
> the bar-ends.
> >
> > I've been a subscriber in the past but recently found
> myself browsing
> > the archives more and more, so I thought I'd sign up
> once again. I
> > love to admire the restorations and preservations (but
> my habits--not
> > to mention living situation--fall very much into the
> "This is why we
> > can't have nice things!" category).
> >
> > I've conceived a powerful lust, however, for a vintage
> ALAN cyclocross
> > frame, 54cm tall. I was second-highest bidder in an
> eBay auction on
> > one last week and the desire is still burning strong.
> Drop me a line
> > if you've got one more than you need!
> >
> > With thanks, and happiness to be back on the list,
> >
> > Tim McGovern
> > Chicago, Illinois, USA
> > _______________________________________________
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> Andrew R Stewart
> Rochester, NY