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June 2010: Mountain Mayhem: Retrobike North West Area Team
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In the beginning...
February 2010:
I'd been looking for a cheap old frame to build up as an off-road retro winter hack bike, so I thought I'd take a punt at I this badly listed frame and forks on eBay. I ended up winning it for a bit of a bargain price.
Suspecting it could be a titanium Dyna Tech I brought along a magnet when I picked it up and was delighted when it confirmed what I had hoped.
Titanium main tubes, aluminium lugs and a steel rear triangle.
The frame number confirmed that it's a 1992 model and the yellow colour suggests that it could be a 1992 Dyna Tech Diablo with all the stickers removed. All that remained on this one though was the Raleigh head-badge, and the remnants of some Dyna Tech decals on the seatstays.
Pictures from the original listing
The frame was in a bit of a state, with several years of dirt and grime coated everything, chainsuck damage to the chainstay, loose headset cups and of course a seized in bottom bracket.
Several hours removing the remnants of stickers and grime with a hairdrier and degreaser made some improvement, but also revealed a certain patina to the original paintwork.
Clean, scruffy and functional
One of the first jobs was to remove the BB. A few hours soaking in PlusGas and some brute force proved successful. The BB is a budget Stronglight cartridge unit, which still runs smoothly and is the correct 122.5mm length for my spare Deore crankset, so it'll get re-used.
After a soak in degreaser and a good clean, the headset was also in good condition and will also be re-used.
There is a problem with the headset though, in that the cups are loose in the headtube. I'm not sure, but I suspect the head tube has enlarged slightly over the years through wear and tear. I'm considering my options on how to repair this...
The photos make the damage look worse than it is
Another potential issue was the chainsuck damage. The chainstay had a fairly deep dent and gouging in it. After removing the remaining paint and rust I was relieved to find that the damage wasn't as bad as it first looked. There were no holes at least.
I'd already made the decision that I wasn't going to spent too much money on this build, so decided to repair the damage with metal epoxy repair putty. 24 hours later I lightly filed and sanded it back ready for a protective coat of paint.
A few bits I had lying around
So far I've built it up using a selection of Deore DX mechs, brake levers and cranks, matched up with XT thumbies and some Alivio cantis for now. Put in a spare set of fairly modern wheels and a 26.4mm seatpin and Vetta saddle borrowed from another bike.
The bars are some scruffy Easton EA50s that were just lying around. I removed the tatty decals with some nail varnish remover.
The stem and forks, which came with the frame seem to fit in pretty well for now. I've ordered a shorter stem though as know the 130mm stem will be just a bit too long for my liking.
I've had the onZa bar-ends since 1992 so they will definitely be staying.
First build up
If all goes well, I'll get the headset sorted all the and cables and brakes done over the weekend for a test run next week.
I'm really pleased so far at the bargain I got hold of. I've just got to keep reminding myself why I was looking for a frame in the first place though, and not get carried away spending too much time and money doing a full restoration...
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The first rides...
March 2010:
Results from the first proper ride out on this bike at Gisburn at the weekend confirmed that this bike is great. I love the feel provided by the skinny rear triangle and how light this bike is. Makes for a great climber and tracks very well on the descents too.
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April 2010:
April 2010: Macclesfield Forest, Three Shires Head and Wildboarclough Retrobike ride
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May 2010:
Since building this bike up it has been ridden far more than any of my other bikes including my modern ones.
I absolutely love it. The handling characteristics and lightweight makes it a confidence inspiring pleasure to ride. The fact that it's a bit scruffy means that I don't worry about a few extra scrapes here and there. It's definitely a rider which I will certainly be keeping hold of for a while.
And thanks to Sinnett177 I now have a Dyna Tech jersey to wear while riding it.
May 2010: Retrobike Three Tribes Meet ~ Edale and Ladybower
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May 2010: Retrobike Global Night Ride
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May 2010: NWA Lake District Ride - Park Crags above Coniston Water with The Old Man of Coniston in the background.
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already looking better.
