British Steel

Someone suggested I post this in here. It wasn't my idea!

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Rampage":12mxmnj4 said:
Someone suggested I post this in here. It wasn't my idea!

OA9qv1rA_original.jpg

That's f**king ace!

You should sort that saddle angle out though - or does it come back up level with the sag that you've tuned into the rear shock?!

There was a Lizard that went on eBay the other day
for good money - someone had done a decent drop bar build on it.

Someone should start a 'pimp your Raleigh Mustang/Lizard/Activator' thread that would be :cool:
 
Don't know how I missed this thread... but here is some of the BS I had years' ago (and still have, in the case of the Raleighs).

Dawes Ranger. Not sure what year, maybe '86 or 87. 531ATB tubing and lonnnng wheelbase.
DawesRanger_zpsdc0c880f.jpg


Then I upgraded, in 1989, to an Overburys Pioneer. Columbus OR tubing in Cinelli Metallic Red with Campagnolo Centaur groupset. (Apologies for quality of pic but, sadly, its' the only one I have of it).

OverburysPioneerDec1989_zpsf2070ce1.jpg


Only kept the Overburys a year then (being a Raleigh fan) had a Raleigh DynaTech 2070 custom-sprayed for me by Raleigh Special Products Unit in the (then) team colours, and transferred the Campag Centaur groupset from the Overburys to it. Still have this and still riding it.

1990RaleighDynaTech2070_zps686e2982.jpg


I've also now got a sister for the 1990 DynaTech 2070, a 1992 DynaTech MT5, and she's so 'tight' a ride. Very light and responsive. And that's my contribution to British Steel.

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Nice pictures, thanks.

Moving from the Overbury's to the Raleigh almost looks like you moved from the old mtb world, to the new. What differences did you find between the two bikes? If you remember back that far... which I can't.

Whilst I'm posting, I'll add the latest creation from my workshop.

1992 Roberts D.O.G.S B.O.L.X.

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What differences did you find between the two bikes? If you remember back that far... which I can't.

Well, luckily, being the size of an elephant I have their memory retention skills and, yes, I do remember what the Overburys rode like (and the Dawes). The Dawes, with its' long wheelbase, was like riding a big comfy armchair. It wasn't quick, but it was comfy (spongy?). After the Dawes the Overburys was a revelation and was (I thought at the time) a tighter ride and a 'proper' off-road bike. But then I got the DynaTech and, WOW, what a big difference between that and the Overburys. It was rigid and quick, I think because the main tubes where bonded into the lugs, rather than brazed (not sure fully of the technical reason why, but Raleigh did mention it in their advertising blurb at the time).

A couple of years' ago I obtained a NOS 1992 DynaTech MT5 frame from a seller in Holland and started browsing the Retrobike pages for NOS equipment for the build. I was blown-away by how light the Metal Matrix Composite frame was and, after riding it for the first time, realised just how different it was from the 1990 2070-tubed machine. It is very responsive and so light I just don't feel it under me. A couple of friends have commented how light this old piece of British metal still feels compared to todays' MTBs with all their disc brakes and bouncy-forks.

DynaTechs...I LUV 'em!
 
Fascinating stuff, thanks.

I know there are a lot of enthusiasts here for the older 80's bikes, but I really do think the industry took a big jump forward between the late 80's and the early 90's. The DB is my latest build and is 92, and it rides brilliantly, I have nothing modern to compare it to, my newest bike is a 2002 Yates, I love the Yates, it is my workhorse, but (for me) the DB is a better ride.

I also have a 1990 Roberts White Spider and that is something different again, it's light and climbs like a mountain goat, but it's pretty twitchy, and even with 560mm bars, you still need to keep your wits about you.

Luv em all.
 
EDITED.

Enjoy:
 

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And the Roberts...
 

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Thanks Adrian,

The paint job on that Yates is SWEEETTTTT :cool:

I will enjoy reading that later.
 
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