Ripley's Cat
Retro Newbie
Hi all,
A 20" 1989 Raleigh Technium Heat; almost ready to ride away, except the saddle has been re-commisioned for duties elsewhere in the fleet. So - a complete & functioning bike, apart from the Charge Spoon saddle that can be seen in the photos. I thought I had the original saddle stashed away somewhere . . . .
OK - the nitty-gritty details: I bought this bike as a general xc / ride to mates' houses for a beer / nip to the shops type of machine, about 4 years ago. Indeed, I vaguely remember posting photos here at Retrobike, BITD:
viewtopic.php?t=131805
It's served its purpose brilliantly & has stayed pretty much stock. Soon after I bought it, I fitted new brake cables, Ritchey brake pads, Ritchey WCS grips and Ritchey Megabite Z Max tyres (of which there's plenty of tread left). Has been regularly cleaned, serviced & lubed whilst in my care.
The original drivetrain, all present & correct, is courtesy of Suntour - XCM 3040, with stopping power provided by Dia Compe XCE. All gears are accessible and it stops when needed to fairly well, given the average/lower-mid range status of the brakes. I also swapped out the quill stem for one with a much shorter reach than the original. (All photos taken today - 21s June.)
It rides well and is a fast bike. It really does deserve a higher range of componentry. I had originally planned to do this myself, but it worked well enough as is, so kept it pretty original.
Frame and fork (bonded aluminium tubes for main triangle) and wheels (Araya rims - run true, on Sansin hubs - smooth) are all in good condition. When you get close, you can see where I've played with the Humbrol enamel paint in places, but nothing serious.
I would have kept her, were it not for my lovely brother-in-law (Tim
) who recently gave me most of a 1998 Kona Caldera (although no saddle - hence the 'missing' Spoon); propelling me into the giddy heights of n+1. The Kona, in my opinion, is a slightly better bike . . . & I fancy a change. So the Technium is up for sale.
I've become disillusioned with eBay (and as a sometime hifi nut who has had success selling hifi on a forum) figured I'd give it a whirl trying to sell it here, before I give eBay permission to rob me of my hard-earned.
I'm an honest bloke & I want to be upfront about all that I sell, so here are the negatives:
1) I've fitted a handlebar shim - Aldi's Saint Etienne (their own take on Stella), non-aerospace can material, if memory serves - the bar would occasionally slip in the stem, before it was fitted.
2) The rubber grommet / washer at the top of the steerer tube has gone and perished.
3) The nuts & bolts holding the shifters & brakes onto the bars are made, it would appear, of cheese - and probably won't thank you for any more fettling & fiddling (one hex nut is now pretty much circular). Brakes & shifters it should be noted work perfectly & I dare say new fixing/mounting nuts & bolts could be purchased, if needs be.
4) Although I'm not sure - chapters of my life are relatively hazy due to personal reasons, I think the rubber seals within the bottom bracket have perished (I re-packed it with Wilkinson's finest lithium grease a couple of years ago).
5) When I fitted new brake cables, I was unable to command the skills necessary to route the rear cable internally. Rather, externally positioned cable ties provide a less-than-elegant solution.
6) No saddle - clarification, for clarification's sake.
£30 collected from Washingborough, Lincolnshire. (Amidst our sugar beet, potatoes and rapeseed, you'll find us Yellow Bellies quite a charming bunch!).
Can provide tea, biscuits & restroom facilities if travelling form afar (if necessary). Any questions, fire away!
Matt
https://www.flickr.com/gp/132494695@N06/1teSfs
A 20" 1989 Raleigh Technium Heat; almost ready to ride away, except the saddle has been re-commisioned for duties elsewhere in the fleet. So - a complete & functioning bike, apart from the Charge Spoon saddle that can be seen in the photos. I thought I had the original saddle stashed away somewhere . . . .
OK - the nitty-gritty details: I bought this bike as a general xc / ride to mates' houses for a beer / nip to the shops type of machine, about 4 years ago. Indeed, I vaguely remember posting photos here at Retrobike, BITD:
viewtopic.php?t=131805
It's served its purpose brilliantly & has stayed pretty much stock. Soon after I bought it, I fitted new brake cables, Ritchey brake pads, Ritchey WCS grips and Ritchey Megabite Z Max tyres (of which there's plenty of tread left). Has been regularly cleaned, serviced & lubed whilst in my care.
The original drivetrain, all present & correct, is courtesy of Suntour - XCM 3040, with stopping power provided by Dia Compe XCE. All gears are accessible and it stops when needed to fairly well, given the average/lower-mid range status of the brakes. I also swapped out the quill stem for one with a much shorter reach than the original. (All photos taken today - 21s June.)
It rides well and is a fast bike. It really does deserve a higher range of componentry. I had originally planned to do this myself, but it worked well enough as is, so kept it pretty original.
Frame and fork (bonded aluminium tubes for main triangle) and wheels (Araya rims - run true, on Sansin hubs - smooth) are all in good condition. When you get close, you can see where I've played with the Humbrol enamel paint in places, but nothing serious.
I would have kept her, were it not for my lovely brother-in-law (Tim
) who recently gave me most of a 1998 Kona Caldera (although no saddle - hence the 'missing' Spoon); propelling me into the giddy heights of n+1. The Kona, in my opinion, is a slightly better bike . . . & I fancy a change. So the Technium is up for sale.I've become disillusioned with eBay (and as a sometime hifi nut who has had success selling hifi on a forum) figured I'd give it a whirl trying to sell it here, before I give eBay permission to rob me of my hard-earned.
I'm an honest bloke & I want to be upfront about all that I sell, so here are the negatives:
1) I've fitted a handlebar shim - Aldi's Saint Etienne (their own take on Stella), non-aerospace can material, if memory serves - the bar would occasionally slip in the stem, before it was fitted.
2) The rubber grommet / washer at the top of the steerer tube has gone and perished.
3) The nuts & bolts holding the shifters & brakes onto the bars are made, it would appear, of cheese - and probably won't thank you for any more fettling & fiddling (one hex nut is now pretty much circular). Brakes & shifters it should be noted work perfectly & I dare say new fixing/mounting nuts & bolts could be purchased, if needs be.
4) Although I'm not sure - chapters of my life are relatively hazy due to personal reasons, I think the rubber seals within the bottom bracket have perished (I re-packed it with Wilkinson's finest lithium grease a couple of years ago).
5) When I fitted new brake cables, I was unable to command the skills necessary to route the rear cable internally. Rather, externally positioned cable ties provide a less-than-elegant solution.
6) No saddle - clarification, for clarification's sake.
£30 collected from Washingborough, Lincolnshire. (Amidst our sugar beet, potatoes and rapeseed, you'll find us Yellow Bellies quite a charming bunch!).
Can provide tea, biscuits & restroom facilities if travelling form afar (if necessary). Any questions, fire away!
Matt
https://www.flickr.com/gp/132494695@N06/1teSfs
