1990 Orange Aluminum "O" prototype - The Iceman returns.

[boy"O"boy]

Hi all. Where to start with this one? ....this has so many stories to tell!

This Orange Aluminum prototype is well known to the forum. When discussing the evolution of the Orange Aluminum "O", the Pre-production versions are often referred to as the 'Iceman'

This is the 'Iceman', so called as it has a Ice mans "O" decal on the top tube. Who is Ice man actually is... Nobody knows? Could be the nick-name of an Orange team rider, test pilot or Orange employee. Maybe it's a privateer racer taking the name from the top gun film... Maverick, Iceman, Goose etc?

As far as documented here, the only surviving Prototype Aluminum "O" - and the only one in 17" frame size.
The 1991 Orange 'tall' catalogue features a 19" prototype in a black and white image on the cover and a colour image on the gatefold inside.



The other 19" prototype is the bike featured in the May 1991 Mountain Bike International review.
Note how the decals on this prototype differ from the catalogue ones. Still badged as 'Prototype' at this point...The familiar Aluminum"O" script doesn't appear until the Mk1 (A9102XXXX) versions. These are Feb 1991.




The Iceman has passed through several forum members over time. Some of the history and images have been documented here -

https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/the-mystery-of-icemans-o-early-orange-alloy-os.360991/and here-
https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/orange-aluminium-prototype-icemans-o-project.405298/My Journey with the Iceman begins back in 2021 when Calum @Cheshire1980 kindly sold me the frame when I was searching for a 17" Aluminum"O" frame to build a duplicate of my Formulesque Black "O"
Deciding that this was far too special and unique to strip and powder coat black, I eventually found another frame that went on to become "O"#2
https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/boy-o-boys-1991-orange-aluminum-o-2.441887/
boy"O"boy

 

[boy"O"boy]

So....frame as received from Calum.
The 1st quest was to find a pair of forks in
1 1/4" size. The early forks were steel. Aluminum forks for the "O" didn't arrive until the 3rd and 4th evolution of the model.
clockwork davo came to my rescue and supplied me with the black steel ones you seen here. The plan was to strip and paint these.



The main feature that marks this out as a prototype over production - a wide shell fisher type press fit bottom bracket


Spot the differences?
Left is the prototype
Middle is a MK1 "O" (frame #15)
Right is a MK2 "O" - built June '91
Canti mounts, dropouts, cable guides, tube profiles all differ


The Iceman tag. Only on the drive side for some reason? The picture is far more flattering than the true condition of the frame. Heavily faded paint. Most of the paint on the down tube was missing


So faded it looked like yellow rather than orange. Prototype head tube badge much larger than clockwork. Lettering much smaller.


The fisher push fit bottom bracket. Calum @Cheshire1980 kindly sent the original onto me after a question to the collective came up with the answer for the exact type I would need.
Closer inspection revealed this was more custom than 1st thought so having the original piece was vital.


Use of standard 'clockwork' graphics. Prototype decal was missing - replaced by the Icemans "O" text. Some Renthal stickers in the mix too.


boy"O"boy

 

[boy"O"boy]

Couple of detail of the prototype Vs MK1 & MK2

Down tube cable guides on Prototype

Riveted down tube cable guides on MK1 (A9102 numbers)

Down tube cable guides on MK2 (A106 number)

Top tubes cable guides prototype

Top tube cable guides MK1 (A9102 numbers)

Top tube cable guides MK2 (A106 numbers)


So. What to do? It took until April '22 to decide that a full repaint was the best way forward.
As much as the originality was a factor of this prototype, a reason that this had probably passed through a few custodians was the appalling state of the paint. None of it was left on the down tube. It was faded to hell and looked terrible. For me, if I was going to restore this, it would have to be painted. Patina has it's place, but this was beyond that. Had the Iceman been a confirmed team rider...maybe I'd have thought again. In my mind, a restored prototype appealed more.
Who was going to paint it? After looking at several posts on retrobike and some of his posts on Instagram, I decided that @KOMRAID would be the person for the job.....having seen his Klein fades, he said he could match the colours to the unfaded areas of paint and match the orange to white fade.
April 2022 it was shipped over to Komraid. These were the pics once it had been stripped primed.




boy"O"boy

 

[boy"O"boy]

These are the pics Komraid sent when it was in the booth. Excitement building.... respray is looking amazing. Looking forward to seeing it in the metal.







So. Eagerly awaiting it's return, excited by Komraid's pics.....8 weeks pass since it was shipped back. After much fruitless chasing.... it's officially declared lost in the Evri network.
Absolutely gutted..
Put a post out here...mainly to vent my frustration but also as a hopeful reminder to keen eyed forum members that this may surface in the future.

https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads...work-orange-aluminium-o-prototype-mia.449127/
After nearly 2 years....I'd pretty much given up hope of ever seeing it again. I'd kept all the hard to find original parts in hope that it did reappear....but disheartened, eventually moved onto a Serotta Pro-flex restoration instead.

boy"O"boy

 

[boy"O"boy]

So. 2 years pass.
It's July 2024. @gtturbo sends me a PM that points me in the direction of this thread

https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/orange-aluminium-o-or-is-it.482243/








A message to @MartyP and a phone call... And a pick up is arranged for the next day.
Amazing that after 2 years it suddenly remerges on the forum. Had it not been for Martin's diligence in realising this was something special, it may have passed unoticed.
When I went to pick up....this was the 1st time I'd actually seen the Iceman in it's fresh paint.
Martin's company buys liquidated/ returned stock. This had come to him in a job lot of frames and was still wrapped in it's protective foam .... although minus it's shipping box.

The theory of how this had ended up as part of a job lot is that Evri were delivering boxed bikes to a shop. The delivery goon assumes my box is part of this shipment, doesn't check the details and leaves it at the shop.
The box is unpacked, but realising this isn't part of the expected delivery....the frame is shelved and the box ditched with my details on it.
The shop stock somehow ends up as a liquidated or returned lot that Martin's company acquired.

Unbelievable that this has made it back to me after i'd considered it gone for good.

A chip on the head tube is a battle scar from it's 'lost' period. Another twist in the tale of the Ice man story

boy"O"boy

 

[boy"O"boy]

So .. finally, 3 years after my ownership of the Iceman began, I can at last start the build (and begin a build thread!)

Starting with the all important Fisher Type bottom bracket, that I'd fortunately saved.....




Then onto adding the NOS strong light 1 1/4" headset and forks. Seat post is a @synlos Syncros 425mm reproduction. Excellent quality and looks the part. Also have one on the Klein Attitude as well as the Aluminium"O" #2 rider.


Nice problem to have....but my only spare wheel set at the moment are these NOS Campagnolo Atek on black bullseyes. Tyres are Smoke lite compe. Probably a bit too blingy for this intended build. .the Mavic Paris Gao Dakar originally intended for this build have ended up on the Serotta Pro-flex. Some swapping of wheels may be on the cards.
The stem is an Orange custom stalk...found for my Aluminium "O" #1 build...painted Satin black.
The Custom stalk in the '91 catalogue pick is gloss black with no decals. Still deciding if I go this route yet.


Cheers
boy"O"boy

 

[Cheshire1980]

Some fab bedtime reading this . So glad you got this project off and running again. Truly thought the frame was lost in the abyss of Evri . Will definitely follow your build Ben, with great interest.

 

[mk one]

I'm sure you will do it justice whatever you end up putting on it Ben, though I do really like those wheels on there, and no decals on the stem would be my choice too

 

[Once A Hero]

Saw the thread in its early formation stage and thought I'd wait until it had been populated so I could read it all. Epic stuff!
Never owned an Orange but am getting drawn closer to getting one - but hopefully not one with such a complex history

 

[boy"O"boy]

Some fab bedtime reading this . So glad you got this project off and running again. Truly thought the frame was lost in the abyss of Evri . Will definitely follow your build Ben, with great interest.

Thanks Calum
As the previous owner, and part of the story of this bike...when @MartyP posted the "is this an Aluminum O?" Thread, you must have been excited to see it again nearly as much as me!
The Evri lost and found story definitely adds to the Iceman history. Hoping to do this justice with the prototype you'd planned to build as my reference....mainly as the original decal placement mirrors this. There with be reference somewhere on it to the Iceman.....just a bit more subtle than the original script

I'm sure you will do it justice whatever you end up putting on it Ben, though I do really like those wheels on there, and no decals on the stem would be my choice too

Thanks Mark.
My initial thoughts on the custom stalk are to go gloss black as brochure pic.
The formulaesque "O" has reverted back to the Syncros bars and stem which has freed up the stalk. Might try the Syncros on the prototype just out of interest and post some pics here.
I've swapped the Mavic Paris Gao Dakar wheels from the Serotta Pro-flex to this and they look more in keeping....they had originally been intended for this anyway......and these Campagnolo on Bullseye suit the Pro-flex really nicely too!

Saw the thread in its early formation stage and thought I'd wait until it had been populated so I could read it all. Epic stuff!
Never owned an Orange but am getting drawn closer to getting one - but hopefully not one with such a complex history

Thanks Pete.
Block booked the reply slots so I could add the full story. Given the time that this was 'lost' and that I hadn't initially done a build thread I could restart, finding pics and recalling info from a few years back took a bit more thinking about to get started. Now it's underway.... hopefully I can do this build justice!!
Here's where I'm at currently -

The brochure image shows a DX build with a black chain set. I've always envisioned this as an XT build but with a black chain set. The silver strong light X16 is a nod to the DX headset but as all my O's have this headset.... it's my go to choice.
Saddle is a Rolls courtesy of @ratcapa


Chainset not the one I'll be using....this is destined for the other prototype (Pro-flex)
Cantilevers are black M732XT

Cheers
boy"O"boy