Alan was a member of the South Pennine Road Club (@southpenninerc) roughly 35 years ago and is very good friend of mine. We raced together, never pulling up any trees with our times, but just enjoyed the whole bike scene. Alan has always had the best, while I was on a second hand Mercian King - he had a fully chromed Mercian Superlight, with 24 spoke wheels as his racing bike (flash).

Anyway that was a long time ago and he sold it to pay the insurance on his new Kawasaki KH250 (it was the Kawasaki H2 that didn't do him much good but that's a whole other story). Alan decided recently to get a nice new bike and what you see here is his 37 year dream bike. Velocita in Orange Pearl with the larger oversize 853 Pro Team tubeset (first time we've built a frame with it - looks nice), full Campagnolo Super Record equipment ,Campag Shamal Ultra wheels shod with Veloflex Record tyres, Blade Look pedals, Cinelli Ram carbon seat pin, Carbon Regal saddle, Cinelli Ram bars, Cinelli leather bar tape are just a few of the trick bits.

To say he is pleased with his bike is an under statement and i think you will agree this is a stunning bike. He text me the night he got it and had taken it out for a spin "it is the fastest bike I have ever ridden, I think even without tri bars I could better the planet x on mixed unflat courses, the hillclimbing acceleration is phenomenol, the steel and carbon is so smooth and vibration free. The set up is perfect - riding on top, hood and drop position is totally natural. I just put the Cinelli in the skip. Well done, see you tomorrow."

Brilliant.