Vintage GT Karakoram restoration project..2017

Finally, found my 1" fork to replace the original missing fork from the previous owner. To me, it's really a bad idea to throw out the original fork and replace it with something new as it's REALLY, REALLY hard to find replacement. I guess the previous owner wasn't really keen in vintage...well, that makes restoration works interesting,right? I've been there and done that in my quest for bicycle parts in my days of restorative works. Although these days, I've slowed down a bit due to work and family commitments, the passion for me to restore an old bike to it's former glory or just owning one is still very strong.

 There is something about the well worn, weather beaten look on this bike. The discolouration due to being stored in a place where there's ample sunlight causes the fading of colour only on one side. I guess the previous owner love to park his bike at a particular location?

 Ah...TANGE...

 I suspect the sticker got worn out due to mounting and dismounting from the bike?

 This SAKAE SX crank was taken from my previous brandless MTB which I built back in 1994. I couldn't afford the expensive ones, especially the ones I saw at Cheap John. I always had my eyes on a Nishiki Alien Al. Those elevated stays....sexy, mystifying. A class on it's own. I wonder when I'll able to own one, though. I did managed to get hold of an Alpinestar Cromega from my previous hunt. Nice ride but it's a tad too short for me.

 Most of....in fact all the parts are from my previous MTB. Shimano 200GS rear derailleur.

 Bought this center pull Diacompe brake from a on-line seller. NOS. Pulls great. Yet to test the stopping power. Still trying to find the brake cable rail though. Maybe 3D print it myself?

 I have actually seen a different version stem, one that has a cable guide (or tube) that runs from the front instead of the top. Any comments on this?

 Still contemplating whether to change the Gripshift to thumbshifters,,,,

1991 Alpinestar Cromega LX T26......Part 1

Recently, feeling kind of bored and looking through my past and present collection of vintage / classic bikes, something seems to be amiss. I have actually missed out in a MTB or BITDs it's called 'ATB' collection. Flipping through my old school MTB Action magazines, a strange feeling rushed through me. It's none other than a picture of an Alpinestar. I have always love this bike the moment I set my eyes on it. The unique design and that EOS ( Elevated Oversize Stay ) system was way advance back then.
With that 'sudden rush', I immediately scan through the web for information regarding this bike.
It seems that in UK, there is a huge following for the Alpinestar Cromega DX. Since there is a huge following, why follow then? Well, if everybody has one, that means it not so 'rare', right?
So, I dug further and found that Alpinestar also produced another model, frame smaller in size, meant for short riders.

This saddle comes orginally with the bike. I presume it's the ORIGNAL set up.

Look at those tyres from Alpinestar. After 20 years, it's still soft and no sign of hardening or cracking. That's what I call 'QUALITY'.

Chromoly is actually an alloy, made up of Chromium and Molybdenum or also know as CRMO. It is easy to weld and the best thing is that it's stronger and harder than standard steel. It also possesses excellent strength to weight ratio, thus suitable for making high-end bicycles. This bike's frame and fork is made entirely of this material, CRMO.