December 03, 2025
Through the 70’s and into 80’s the top cyclocross racers and several pro road racers, used Italian made Alan frames as the bonded aluminum frames were some of the lightest on the market. At the time, the frames were revolutionary. They were built with threaded aluminum tubes screwed into aluminum lugs and then bonded with an adhesive. The process was a success and, with the development of carbon fiber tubing in the mid 70’s they began bonding carbon tubes into aluminum lugs, which were some of the first carbon bikes on the market.
ALAN was founded in 1972 by Falconi Lodovico, an engineer who had worked for bicycle manufacturer Torpado. The name ALAN comes from the first two letters of the Lodovico's children, Alberto and Annamaria.
Although aluminium frames had been built before, the Alans were the first to be accepted by the professional peloton, perhaps because they were relatively resilient due to the way they bonded the tubing and lugs. More often than not, riders racing on ALAN’s had other manufacturers' brands stickered on them, as those companies paid the bills, but they wanted the performance benefits of using a lighter frame. ALAN did sponsor a few teams and riders outright but year after year riders won the world cyclocross championships riding ALAN’s with other’s branding.
The frames were prolific in cyclocross as courses often require dismounting, lifting the bike over obstacles and carrying it up steep inclines or stairs. Having a lightweight bike provided a significant performance advantage. Similarly, the frames were often ridden on the road in the high mountains where the ratio of power to weight has a greater affect on outcome.
The one disadvantage of the ALAN’s was the flex of the tubing as the thin aluminum tubes were not as laterally stiff as the steel frames of the period. Riders often complained of the rear wheel rubbing against the brakes or the chainstays when they were out of the saddle climbing or sprinting.
Mike Barry Sr, rode an old Alan cyclocross frame for decades first in the late 70’s and early 80’s in local Ontario cyclocross series and then later in his life as he worked to get fit by riding around the grass fields in the local park. In between, I raced on the bike for a few years as well in the Ontario cross series and National championships. The frame has lasted several decades of being ridden in harsh rough conditions and is still ridden today.
Recently, we acquired this road racing ALAN frame which we built up with some parts that came with it and others we had in the shop. The bike was originally purchased from our shop in downtown Toronto in the late 70’s, was ridden for a good few years before being hung on a hook for a few more. It’s now back working again, ready to ride or simply admired as a piece of cycling history.
