Raleigh Dyna Tech appreciation and information thread

Hey all..

Just wanted to add my bike to the growing list of Raleigh Dyna Techs. I (kind of) currently own a Raleigh Dyna Tech Sentinel. To be honest, I had a forgotten about my old bike until recently and did some Google searches which bought me to here....

For the 'kind of' part of owning a Sentinel... let me explain.

Back in 1992/3 I bought a Dyna Tech Sentinel from Evans Cycles via mail order (I hadn't even touched it! all I had was the product brochure and a need for a Dyna Tech, a brand/division I thought was a step above others at the time). I was 14 at the time and it took me 6 months to save up for it.... and it cost me GBP350.00

The bike was used off road on trails around my village in Somerset and later as a commuter in Sussex when I went to University. The frame was replaced about 2 years after I purchased it (I had no idea that the lug problem was as wide spread as it was/is until I read this thread!) and they gave me new frame containing Titanium tubing, but painted up as the Sentinel?? As you can imagine..... I thought I had hit the jackpot... a swap of frame from Steel to Titanium, especially at the age of 16!!

So as you can see I kind of own a Sentinel....

I now live in New Zealand and have sold the bike twice... both times for it to come back to me! First time was to a mate in 2002 for about 12 months (sold for GBP150 and bought back for GBP100) and the second time to my brother, who technically still owns it (but being the great brother he is, I'm sure I will get it back for a few quid - hence the second part of 'kind of' owns).

Some of the details I remember about upgrades and changes I made:

- 18" Frame (original was a Reynolds 2055 Steel frame)
- Upgraded Rear Mech to Deore XT, XT Thumbies (I still get all excited if I ever see these today), Pace 24 tooth small ring (on original biopace crank)
- X-Lite Stubbies (bar ends)
- Purple anodized bolts wherever bolts went (I was young...!!)
- Deore XT Bear Trap Pedals with toe clips
- Saddle upgraded to Vetta Razor Style

So there it is. A bike I have owned three times (nearly) and now have the massive dilemma of whether to get it sent out to New Zealand? The small matter of GBP150 to get it freighted it to New Zealand is putting me off, although the bike means something to me and in my opinion would be better than spending NZD$300 on a 2nd hand commuter/hack in New Zealand. I will let you know how I go/what I do and as soon as I can convince my brother to take some photo's of the bike, I will post them up too.

If anyone knows of any way to get the bike to New Zealand for less than GBP150... please pm me.

Also - it's likely the frame I have is not a Reynolds 2055 Sentinel (as it was changed 2 years after purchasing). What are some key details to find out what Frame I actually have (i.e. I have read on here that the number on the frame is a good start for year of production, the magnet test... and any others).

Appreciate any guidance and/or help I can get. Cheers :D
 
Mahoney1978":1g4ip1di said:
Also - it's likely the frame I have is not a Reynolds 2055 Sentinel (as it was changed 2 years after purchasing). What are some key details to find out what Frame I actually have (i.e. I have read on here that the number on the frame is a good start for year of production, the magnet test... and any others).

Hi and welcome.

There is an archive here that shows all the titanium frames. Failing that within this thread, all 35 pages, there will be a photo of all variants!

Interesting about Raleigh upgrading you on exchange, mine was similar, fallen off cable end exchanged for MT5 with custom paint job!

Shame about the huge air freight costs, but a novelty / one off frame, don't let your brother sell / get rid before putting it up here first.
 
paininthe":20l0sugx said:
Mahoney1978":20l0sugx said:
Also - it's likely the frame I have is not a Reynolds 2055 Sentinel (as it was changed 2 years after purchasing). What are some key details to find out what Frame I actually have (i.e. I have read on here that the number on the frame is a good start for year of production, the magnet test... and any others).

Hi and welcome.

There is an archive that shows all the titanium frames. Failing that within this thread, all 35 pages, there will be a photo of all variants!

Interesting about Raleigh upgrading you on exchange, mine was similar, fallen off cable end exchanged for MT5 with custom paint job!

Shame about the huge air freight costs, but a novelty / one off frame, don't let your brother sell / get rid before putting it up here first.

Thanks for the reply and the link to the Dyna Tech brochure. I remember that Raleigh even wrote a letter to say how sorry they were and that they had replaced with a (part) titanium frame. I even had this letter until about 4 years ago (the last time I was back in th uk) when I threw all my old bike stuff out (original tags that came with the bike etc)!

I will get my brother to take some photo's and then along with this guide and the forums help, maybe we can figure out what Raleigh replaced my Reynolds tubing with (although I'm guessing it surely has to be the MT3 based on spec of the Sentinel).

After reading some of the comments on here, I wish (at 16 years old) I somehow knew that I could have asked Raleigh for a custom paint job! I liked my Sentinel's colour scheme, but at the age I was a cooler Black and Silver (MT4) would have been a little more street savvy (or of course team colours!!).

Will see if I can get some photo's soon and let you all know if any cheaper freighting companies come to light. Still holding out hope I might find a second hand Dyna Tech for sale here in NZ (I missed out on one this time last year... went for peanuts on a local auction site!!).

Cheers
 
Also....

@ Paininthe... thanks for the link to the brochure for the Titanium models. I wasn't aware these were the only Titanium Dyna Techs... makes placing the year of a bike etc a little easier. Think I may have found a clue as to whether mine is a Reynolds Tubeset or not (at which I'm pretty sure it isn't as it was replaced after the Reynolds tubes had finished being made).

On the link you provided, the MT3 and MT4 both have water bottle bolts on the seat tube (down tube) whereas the Reynolds framed Sentinel does not (I checked some pics on google as can not see my Sentinel at the moment)?

Does this makes sense? All I need now is to get some photo's of my bike!!

Lastly, I did some more research last night on freighting the bike to NZ and looks like GBP150 is the best I can get.... so very tempting when absolute rubbish is being sold for $300 in NZ.
 
1993 road race

Me in 1993 winning on a dyna tech 2070 team bike, ultegra equiped
 

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Hello Jambon, nice looking bike- seems to be in great condition.

Nomad14 has a cromo Mtrax frame for sale that includes the stem. I think that the stems where pretty much the same across the ranges until you get to the ti3000 and ti4000 which where titanium. He might want to sell you just the stem.

Sale items here

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=153944
 
yellow m-trax

Bought as a starter for the son to replace an ebay special...
SAM_1410.jpg

SAM_1417-1.jpg

SAM_1415.jpg

shame there was no model name/number on it though

as it waits now for use
SAM_1504.jpg

SAM_1501.jpg

any information apreciated
:D
 
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