Restoring the second best Raleigh Dyna-Tech on the internet 

Thanks, I'm starting to think that should be my differentiator. Every successive video is going to get more and more florid and poetic until I take over the internet.

That's part of the reason why I like watching you, and RR. Different styles but equally entertaining.

Thanks, stick around! The revulsion was real. I realised all too late that I wasn't wearing protective gloves. Shudder.

Stay tuned, because rumour has it one of my friends in the Cartel is building a replica of their very team bike. I've seen evidence of it in his workshop, but whether he can pull together all the ultra-rare parts remains to be seen.

You're right, that is actually a genuine benefit of them. I'm always amazed how uncomfortable my old MTBs get after relatively few miles, from a combination of geometry, lack of suspension, weight distribution... Maybe it's time for me to rethink bar ends.

A genius idea! Did you ever go one further and slip a piece of card under the heel end so the block was perfectly "toed-in"? This was marketed as the solution to squeal and judder back in the day but I think there was no substitute for just riding hard.

@@red_dread I never experimented a lot with that. I always set them straight and hope for the best. But some of my bikes do sqeak 🙃🤞

I'm guessing it would have been made from the same pure titanium as the Dyna-Techs, rather than an alloy like the much more expensive competitors. Raleigh really were the masters of hype back in the day, and for good reason. They basically democratised titanium, and I'll always love them for that.

@@red_dread the titanium Raleigh USA bikes originally weren't meant to be sold in Germany, a big distributor brought them in. The model exists outside the range of the Raleigh USA catalogues.

I think it's time my videos embraced my flamboyant side a bit more. Back to the Bahamas for the next one I think.

Or you could hang onto them as part of your investment portfolio, they'll perform better than any pension fund.

I think at first I was only considering leaving those tyres on because they were in perfect condition, and I was being lazy / wanting to punish the owner of the bike. But as always I got carried away and the aesthetic consideration always wins in the end. They really were hideous. As for the colour, it is nothing short of stunning in real life.

Thanks, it certainly turned out much nicer than I'd anticipated at the start.

I love setting up cantis. Well, some cantis more than others. Have you ever worked with Suntour XC Pro or Dia Compe 987s? Both things of beauty, both nightmares to install. If I were to go back down the route of bar ends, they'd have to be titanium.

Arguably what this bike deserves is to be ridden by a more appreciative owner than the capricious millionaire who ignored it for decades. He will be strongly censured when I see him next.

I got very lucky - had to hunt around a fair bit, but ended up with a truly perfect match! Shout out to Car Colours in Stockport.

I know - imagine an open top Vitara in that colour with teal splatter graphics? Damn

I had bar ends (well, Scott AT3 all-in-one bars) pretty much the whole of the 90s and I'm not sure why I'm so averse to them nowadays. Some X-Lite or Onza would look amazing on some of my collection. Maybe time for a rethink.

It was a perfect match I think.

I'm reluctant to give it back. Although it really is miniature.

That would have been my next port of call had I not found such a perfect match at Car Colours. I'm definitely going down the nail polish route for some hot pink details for another project. Will be interested to see how durable it proves to be.

I'm slowly coming around to the idea of bar ends, again not for any technical reasons but purely because of nostalgia and aesthetics. Amazingly those pedals were cheaper than the rubber grips! They are indeed a jewel in the crown.

It's going to be epic. Our whatsapp group is alight with discussion around which bikes to bring.

You've probably ridden multiple times past the tree that killed the Dyna-Tech Mission. I bet we could identify the exact one.

@@red_dread so many unworn /riden trails back then.. More extreme than the present day... One of note the formidable "No Brains" drop, into an abyss of tree roots and mud... Great times

I wonder if that's the same drop my other friend crashed his GT Karakoram on. He bottled it when he was past the point of no return, and attempted to inch his way down sitting on the top tube with his feet dragging on the ground. Didn't end well.

I did repack the bearings, just didn't film it. There's plenty of other vids on this channel where you can watch such things in forensic detail, I know my audience!

Thanks! I'm not sure cleaning and fixing things counts as a talent, but I certainly do seem to be capable of memorising huge amounts of technical information about old bikes.

The earliest Techniums came way before Dyna-Tech, those bikes were stunning. I'd love to restore one of those if the right one came along.

@@red_dread You can restore mine lol, North West based.

The world's first left hand drive MTB

Was your Klein a pre- or post-Trek? I'd be fascinated to take on a pre-95 Klein, but restoration projects very rarely come up.

I'd certainly like to see photos! Could you send? oliver.chesher@yahoo.co.uk

I agree

I'm slowly starting to agree with you. Blue on purple here looks great.

I do ride all my bikes, some only on dry days of course. My daily ride is a magnificent Spa Audax Titanium, which handles all conditions and gets me to work fast and safe. It's not particularly retro, it has full SRAM Force, handbuilt Hope x Mavic wheels, and titanium and carbon finishing kit.

We will get both

@@red_dreadyes you will... as long as there is plenty of mud 🤣🤣

More is forthcoming, stay tuned!

I can't prove either way because I was too lazy to even check - but on inspection there's no model name or number anywhere on it and I still can't be bothered to reference the frame number. However, I do know that it's from 1992 and since it came in that unique fuschia colour, plus the fact that I know it's made from butted Mn-Mo and I have an MBUK ad with a price list that matches the receipt, I'm assuming it is. Of course the ad could easily have been written by a lazy bike shop assistant with no internet for reference, plus I have zero other evidence so I'm curious now. What do you know?

No better word for it!

Ha, they're an acquired taste

Fear not, it's an aftermarket wand with adjustable pressure. Behind the sound and the fury, half of what comes out is air. Always test it on your own hand before hitting the bike with it. And never spray bearings head-on.