LibTechDescent
Retro Newbie
This is not so much a "for sale" as an inquiry into what my bike may be worth - which will dictate whether its worth while for me to sell it. I also think a few people here will appreciate the story behind it how I came to own Barrie Clarke's Team Dyna Tech frame.
The frame is much like the one on this thread. Visually it's almost identical (dual-stay cro-mo rear triangle) with funny rear brake cable routing metal-work at the base of the seat post (though mine looks a little more minimalist). The other difference is that my frame id sticker, down by the BB has slightly different numbers and wording. More on the bike as it is now later. But first, how I came to have it, for those who are curious.
I trashed my first MTB upside down into a wall shortly after I bought it, folding the aluminium frame over the bricks. I was recounting the sad story of misadventure to a friend, wondering how I would fix it and knowing I couldn't afford to do so (I was 18 and a penniless student). My friend said, "Some guy left a frame at the hotel where I work, we rang him to check if he wanted it and he said he didn't need it any more. Would you be interested?" I thought it was unlikely it would fit, it would probably be utter junk (after all who leaves something valuable in a hotel room), but I had no other options, and it never hurts to look. So, I visit my friend and he brings a frame down his stairs which turns my knees to jelly...I am looking at the frame which has been in every MTB magazine for the last year. He hands it to me and I nearly fling the thing up in the air because it's so light, answering my first question: "Is this really the Titanium metal matrix exotica which I've been reading about everywhere?" That'll be a yes: it's a fraction of the weight of any frame I've held before. I look under the bottom bracket where, as a nipper, all my bikes were stamped with my postcode to prevent theft. This one is stamped with Barrie Clarke's name. Suddenly all those pennies and hours spent on bike mags come good and I sagely brief my friend on who this frame belonged to and what it is. I find out that the hotel my friend works for is Copthorne Hotels – they were one of the sponsors of the Dyna Tech team at the time – it all starts making a bit more sense. This is the end of the season and I am holding Barrie Clarke's spare frame which he never used. It's mint, gleaming, lovely. I am holding the holy flippin' grail and I am suddenly very grateful that I banged my head on the ground and a cheap Scott frame on a wall. He says "£20?". My dad looks at my dish-like eyes and says "Is that a good price?". I manage something along the lines of "uhhhhh, YES". Dad says "better give him 40, eh?" I leave my mate's house with an 18.5" Raleigh Team Dyna-Tech frame in incredibly fluorescent yellow and blue. A love affair began that day...and I've been grateful for 20-something years.
I proceeded to get rid of the "horrid" red and orange decals, leaving only the black "Raleigh" and "Dyna Tech" stickers, the holographic looking frame ID sticker on it and of course the Phoenix on the head tube. I regretted taking off the red decals very soon after, oh well.
I've ridden it ever since. So these days, it's showing some wear on the paint finish. But its corrosion free and ding-free. It seems I am rather careful. It's got some period components still on it and some newer bits (from as recently as 2013):
A 1990s blue USE seat post,
Sugino chainset (like on Konas of the time),
Shimano LX 7 speed thumbies and derailleurs. Maybe an XT on the back...
I've got some canti brakes which used to be on it, and levers to match (need to check manufacturer)
Its got avid v-brakes and levers on now, circa 2000.
This year I replaced the forks (now Rock Shox xc30), threaded headset (now an aheadset), blue bars, stem
I still have the old i-beam quill stem, headset (cheap, but blue anodised and lasted 20 years!), Marzocchi bomber z3 lite silver forks (need new seals)
Specialised bar ends
ONZA cro-mo spd pedals with the (elastomer action, with some spare elastomers)
Some basic flatties (pictured)
Wheels are modern ish Mavic, but nothing super special or super cheap, DX hub rear. Something nicer on the front.
Newish tyres.
I've added pics from my phone from last summer (before the bars, headset and forks were replaced). I can't take more at the moment as I don't have the bike here with me. There are some pieces of tape on the frame, to prevent rubbing. There are some places on the frame where the paint has flaked away quite a lot, and some spots on the rear triangle which I painted to prevent corrosion when the paint flaked. There are the usual 20 year chips and the decals are pretty ragged. Mechanically and structurally it's perfect.
I hope it was interesting to hear my story. And I hope some of you folks might be able to give me an idea of whether I would make some money out of it if I tried to sell it (I'm in the UK). It would pain me to part with it, but I might do if it helps me move house.
For those who are wondering, the super skinny rear triangle makes for a springy flexy pedal action when you stand up and generally a lovely ride which is very easy to master.
The frame is much like the one on this thread. Visually it's almost identical (dual-stay cro-mo rear triangle) with funny rear brake cable routing metal-work at the base of the seat post (though mine looks a little more minimalist). The other difference is that my frame id sticker, down by the BB has slightly different numbers and wording. More on the bike as it is now later. But first, how I came to have it, for those who are curious.
I trashed my first MTB upside down into a wall shortly after I bought it, folding the aluminium frame over the bricks. I was recounting the sad story of misadventure to a friend, wondering how I would fix it and knowing I couldn't afford to do so (I was 18 and a penniless student). My friend said, "Some guy left a frame at the hotel where I work, we rang him to check if he wanted it and he said he didn't need it any more. Would you be interested?" I thought it was unlikely it would fit, it would probably be utter junk (after all who leaves something valuable in a hotel room), but I had no other options, and it never hurts to look. So, I visit my friend and he brings a frame down his stairs which turns my knees to jelly...I am looking at the frame which has been in every MTB magazine for the last year. He hands it to me and I nearly fling the thing up in the air because it's so light, answering my first question: "Is this really the Titanium metal matrix exotica which I've been reading about everywhere?" That'll be a yes: it's a fraction of the weight of any frame I've held before. I look under the bottom bracket where, as a nipper, all my bikes were stamped with my postcode to prevent theft. This one is stamped with Barrie Clarke's name. Suddenly all those pennies and hours spent on bike mags come good and I sagely brief my friend on who this frame belonged to and what it is. I find out that the hotel my friend works for is Copthorne Hotels – they were one of the sponsors of the Dyna Tech team at the time – it all starts making a bit more sense. This is the end of the season and I am holding Barrie Clarke's spare frame which he never used. It's mint, gleaming, lovely. I am holding the holy flippin' grail and I am suddenly very grateful that I banged my head on the ground and a cheap Scott frame on a wall. He says "£20?". My dad looks at my dish-like eyes and says "Is that a good price?". I manage something along the lines of "uhhhhh, YES". Dad says "better give him 40, eh?" I leave my mate's house with an 18.5" Raleigh Team Dyna-Tech frame in incredibly fluorescent yellow and blue. A love affair began that day...and I've been grateful for 20-something years.
I proceeded to get rid of the "horrid" red and orange decals, leaving only the black "Raleigh" and "Dyna Tech" stickers, the holographic looking frame ID sticker on it and of course the Phoenix on the head tube. I regretted taking off the red decals very soon after, oh well.
I've ridden it ever since. So these days, it's showing some wear on the paint finish. But its corrosion free and ding-free. It seems I am rather careful. It's got some period components still on it and some newer bits (from as recently as 2013):
A 1990s blue USE seat post,
Sugino chainset (like on Konas of the time),
Shimano LX 7 speed thumbies and derailleurs. Maybe an XT on the back...
I've got some canti brakes which used to be on it, and levers to match (need to check manufacturer)
Its got avid v-brakes and levers on now, circa 2000.
This year I replaced the forks (now Rock Shox xc30), threaded headset (now an aheadset), blue bars, stem
I still have the old i-beam quill stem, headset (cheap, but blue anodised and lasted 20 years!), Marzocchi bomber z3 lite silver forks (need new seals)
Specialised bar ends
ONZA cro-mo spd pedals with the (elastomer action, with some spare elastomers)
Some basic flatties (pictured)
Wheels are modern ish Mavic, but nothing super special or super cheap, DX hub rear. Something nicer on the front.
Newish tyres.
I've added pics from my phone from last summer (before the bars, headset and forks were replaced). I can't take more at the moment as I don't have the bike here with me. There are some pieces of tape on the frame, to prevent rubbing. There are some places on the frame where the paint has flaked away quite a lot, and some spots on the rear triangle which I painted to prevent corrosion when the paint flaked. There are the usual 20 year chips and the decals are pretty ragged. Mechanically and structurally it's perfect.
I hope it was interesting to hear my story. And I hope some of you folks might be able to give me an idea of whether I would make some money out of it if I tried to sell it (I'm in the UK). It would pain me to part with it, but I might do if it helps me move house.
For those who are wondering, the super skinny rear triangle makes for a springy flexy pedal action when you stand up and generally a lovely ride which is very easy to master.
