2.23.2006

Alpinestars

Alpinestars is most famous for making really good motorcycle boots, but in the early days of mountainbiking, they jumped in with both feet. They started with a very unusual elevated chainstay, curved seat-tube frame, and very slowly evolved their designs to be just like everybody else's.

Then they stopped making bikes. Oh well...


Al-Mega - This frame has been custom painted much like the Klein "approaching storm" bikes. Yeah it's odd, but you should see the original paint it had. [edit] They made this frame in steel, aluminum, and titanium. The upper end alloy frames were made from the best Easton had to offer and were real hot rods in their day. This bike is #2 on my Wanted List for pics - if you've got a pic, get it in!


T-26 - This is a rare animal. The T-26 was Alpinestars' solution to the problems involved in making extra-small frames. It probably wasn't too successful, because it went away pretty fast. (If you're really paying attention to the site, this bike is one of the answers to the trivia question posed on the Trimble page.) [edit] The Trimble post will of course be some time off. It's a long long way to the letter 'T'...

2 comments:

waveglyder said...

i have a 1992 alpinestars al mega frameset (i used to ride it) i have just had it polished and am looking to rebuild it with retro gear. Anyone have any pics or info. Also (this may be way out) does anyone have an original hanger lying about perchance? (probably to much to ask but you never know!)

80 said...

We had only one dealer and they are long since turned into a triathalon bike shop. You may get a match out of the QBP catalog - which we call 'the bible'. I got a hanger to fit an old GT from some guy in Israel off of ebay - maybe he can make a custom unit for you.

Good luck with that, a recall reading that the Easton framed Alpinestars were rocketships!