# Alpinestars!



## ranier (Sep 9, 2003)

This is my second VRC build. Nothing special. Just a frame I lusted after back in the day. Hope it's OK to post an old frame with new parts here. No where near period correct parts!

I remember first seeing elevated chainstay Alpinestars mtbs way back in the early 90s in a long gone bike shop on Norfolk Ave in Virginia Beach, VA where I grew up. I was riding a Giant Sedona mtb that I bought in the summer of 1990 and the Alpinestars e-stay frames to me were just cool but just out of reach of my wallet. I also digged Girvin/ProFlex/Noleen forks of that era as well. Dunno, funky designs pique my interest for their unconventional nature.

Anywho, enough reminiscing. I found an Alpinestars e-stay frame in my size on another forum and snatched it up. Also snatched up a NOS Noleen Crosslink fork at the same time. Pairing them up was just natural. Frame is pretty worn for its age, one of the water bolts on the downtube has rusted and seized and just spins, the decals are faded and the derailleur hanger was rusted. Pretty much to be expected.

All the parts hung on the frame are a mixture of parts bin and new ebay-sourced parts. Head tube reducer to get to 1 1/8th standard, 1x9 drive train and the super comfy awesome Titec H-bars. I'll be using this as an occasional commuter and light trail bike.

So here it is when I got it in the mail, mocked up with parts bin pieces,









It's got a rather short top tube, guessing the original stem was something like a 130mm length as was the norm for that era. With the current set up it's a pretty upright riding position. 









The e-stay configuration means no clearance issues for a bashwich,









Last shot in profile,


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## MABman (Oct 5, 2008)

Nice, but you should track down a Fournales fork cause they are a better fork due to the use of bearings instead of bushings for the pivots and match the euro heritage of that bike better.


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## ranier (Sep 9, 2003)

The Look fork definitely looks nice decked out in carbon and I live in Europe so sourcing one shouldn't be a problem once I get past the language barrier but I think the Noleen suits the frame nicely at a much lower price.


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## PMK (Oct 12, 2004)

What year is that A'star? 1993 or 94? Mine was a 1992 and it had the curved seat tube.

I really enjoyed mine, Almega DX in a purpley blue color. Short chainstays so it loved to be turned with a lot of rear wheel sliding.

Sadly, the frame on mine cracked. They warrantied the frame but since no elevated stay frames were left I had to get a double diamond style frame. The bike was built up as an urban assault machine, may have seen 10 miles max off-road. Hanging in the garage now for at least 5 years, probably 10 years is a RockShox Judy SL ti, and an Answer ATAC stem. Maybe someday the parts will get installed. Currently it is period correct with 7 speed stuff and cantilevers, along with the Alpinestars rigid fork.

...I really should ride it more.

PK


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## ranier (Sep 9, 2003)

I think it's a '94 D900. Before or after they were called AL-Megas.

Where did yours crack? So I can keep an eye on the frame, though the frame looks pretty stout and the head/down tube is gusseted.


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## willywilly (Mar 19, 2011)

nice find. i always wanted one of these too. one day...


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## Funrover (Oct 4, 2006)

Those were/are some sweet bikes!


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## EBasil (Jan 30, 2004)

Those were fun bikes! I had an Al-Mega version with the m900 XTR grouppo on it. They were Easton ProGram and highly tech, if not so light due to the beefy tubes used to combat flex. An intellectual descendent of the Fisher Montare with the curved seat tube and e-stays (same designer), the Alpinestars e-stay bike climbed great and was a great rig on trail. 

Mine died when a car hit it on a rack and knocked off the front derailleur tab. Insurance bought me a Manitou HT so off I went.


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## M5Tucker (Aug 8, 2011)

Very cool to see one done up like that! Makes me want to take the fat townie tires off my Cro-Mega DX and get it dirty, but I only use it around town because I don't want to break it. The only thing that bugs me about it (besides technically being too small for me) is hitting my calves on the chainstays, but I love the frame and it climbs really well.


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## First Flight (Jan 25, 2004)

Super small Cro-Mega: MOMBAT: 1991 Alpinestars Cro Mega


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## ranier (Sep 9, 2003)

hey FF, I think that's a "T" bike in the A* lineup. I believe there were two models, one with 26" wheels, another with 24". They were suppose to be for shorter riders... shorter women, children, munchkins, umpah lumpahs...

That's just from what I vaguely remember from a catalog from long ago...


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## WillT19 (Dec 17, 2012)

My friends Al900 tech lite


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## Rumpfy (Dec 21, 2003)

Maybe switch back to the correct wheelset?


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## bullitridden (Jan 12, 2007)

ranier said:


> This is my second VRC build. Nothing special. Just a frame I lusted after back in the day. Hope it's OK to post an old frame with new parts here. No where near period correct parts!
> 
> I remember first seeing elevated chainstay Alpinestars mtbs way back in the early 90s in a long gone bike shop on Norfolk Ave in Virginia Beach, VA where I grew up. I was riding a Giant Sedona mtb that I bought in the summer of 1990 and the Alpinestars e-stay frames to me were just cool but just out of reach of my wallet. I also digged Girvin/ProFlex/Noleen forks of that era as well. Dunno, funky designs pique my interest for their unconventional nature.
> 
> ...


Hope you're still around. Thought you might like this...


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## ranier (Sep 9, 2003)

bullitridden said:


> Hope you're still around. Thought you might like this...
> View attachment 869714
> 
> 
> ...


Oh Sh1t! That's the shop - Oceanfront Bicycles! *if my memory serves* Thanks for that post bullitriden and diggin' your A*

Many of the bike shops in VB are sadly no longer. The other VRC bike I have is also from a long gone VB bike shop.


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## bullitridden (Jan 12, 2007)

Wow! I have "saved"/ & saved a number of bikes here myself. 1 including a BMX a friend left in a barn for 30+ yrs. This particular bike still had/has the shop decal on it we all grew up w/ & eventually became GOOD friends w/ the 2 owners. 1 of those brothers killed himself last year for reasons unknown. This particular bike & decal mean THE WORLD to me now. These you have are REAL TREASURES! Glad to find you.. been workin on this A.stars for a couple of mos. now. Outside of the sorry welds, it is REALLY cool to me. Loved it back in 90 when my friend showed it to me, LOVED it when another friend, who received it later, gave it to me for helping him move a number of yrs. back!


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