boy"O"boy's 1991 Raleigh Dynatech Endeavour x2!!

And what 90's bike was race ready without a Crud Catcher! I'm sure this one came free with MBUK or MTB magazine, but if it ain't broke don't fix it. Still going strong after 25+ years! IMG_20220225_102707.jpg
 
Either way, there's not many survivor Endeavours out there. Interesting to see that all those that have come to light are all the 18" frame size too.
Although, there's something? For years I've always had it in my head that it was an 18 inch frame, but looking at the front of the book it quite clearly says 42.5cm Endeavour. Which according to Google is a 16.73 or 16 3/4 inch frame???!!! Might get the tape measure out in the light tomorrow!
So is mine an odd one out? or are all 5 remaining Endeavours odd sizes?
 
If you had the spec, had to have the kit right? My original 90's Campag top 😂

So, the restoration has started on my own Dynatech Endeavour #2

Before any paint was stripped, the frame was taken to in paint store in Leamington for colour matching and aerosols to be mixed up.

Then the Langlow strip away pro was broken out and didn't take long to take effect!

The next couple of days have been spent cleaning back the frame to bare metal in readiness for the etch prime.

This is where I'm at for now...

View attachment 562822View attachment 562823View attachment 562824View attachment 562825View attachment 562826View attachment 562827View attachment 562828

updates to follow


cheers
boy"O"boy

If you read the original paperwork in the first pic it says if you try to remove the holographic decal it will void itself to deter thieves. I always took this to mean your claim of ownership would be void without it. Looking back @boy"O"boy restoration, it literally VOID's itself... Every day's a school day
 
is the bottom left corner the black sheep of the family, the one we don't talk about any more 'cos he drinks to much at weddings and upsets Aunty Eileen 😅

Sláinte Sav!
Yeah. That's definitely the odd one out in the line up. I've asked aunty Eileen and she confirmed! Was outed on here as a Facebook market place ad. The £500 asking price was a bit optimistic considering it's missing most of it's Campagnolo Centaur and original fork...which is also custom to these frames. Have a look at my Dynatech Odyssey build thread ~ https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/boy-o-boys-1991-raleigh-dynatech-odyssey.420325/page-3
and you'll see the differences between these and a 'standard' 2070 frame from the 1991 line up.

Got some more pics to post of bike and original paperwork, including my 'proof of ownership 3D hologram' 😌 Oh the tings we keep for 30 years, cluttering up drawers, kept all this stuff, but can I find my original bar and Flexstem?...
Great you've got this. That hologram frame ID is all important to the originality of these.
The bars will be Reynolds 753. That neon flexstem was a massive draw for me...love the way the splash of neon stands out.
My Endeavour #2 has a colour coded rigid stem but I've recently switched this out for another flexstem.

Nice! I'd definitely measure your frame though.
Centre of bottom bracket to top of seat tube on both of mine are 18" (457mm)
Yours looks the same but only a measurement will confirm. Happy to be proved wrong though....without having the other 2 at hand, it's purely a guess. I've got a Marin that was only made in one size for that particular model....interesting to see if that theory applies to these Dynatech Endeavours

Original pedals, started with the original clips, switched to Deore SPD clipless when they came out - HATED them with a passion and finally ditched them after falling sideways at a busy junction cos I couldn't unclip. Returned to the original pedals and tried Power Grips - In Purple of course! - and never look back. They are a marmite item, but I love these as much as I love my marmite 😁. can wear any shoe, or boot, or trainer, easy in and out, greatest invention ever! And they will stay if I bring it up to spec cos' they're still 90's even if not truly original spec.
View attachment 606829
Used to love power grips BITD!
Ran the same purple ones as these on my Aluminium 'O' - my reasons were the same as yours....didn't matter which shoes you wore.
My bike was also college transport so carrying other shoes around didn't make sense.
...that and I could afford SPD shoes and pedals.
Once I discovered SPD's though...there was no looking back.
 
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If you read the original paperwork in the first pic it says if you try to remove the holographic decal it will void itself to deter thieves. I always took this to mean your claim of ownership would be void without it. Looking back @boy"O"boy restoration, it literally VOID's itself... Every day's a school day
Yeah....whatever you do, don't remove it if you want to preserve originality.
It was literally falling off Endeavour #2 when @nporternz had it, so Nic removed it as the whole frame needed a respray.
Gil_m (gil@thecycleshed) does really nice reproduction ones of these. They are not holographic like the originals but he can customise these with you own unique frame number.

Cheers.
boy"O"boy
 
Hoping you can help boy"O"boy, looks like I've managed to source a NOS florescent Girvin Flexstem, and think I'll end up spraying my current zoom bars black cos the original Reynolds were a touch narrow and twitchy for my tastes BITD and even moreso now I'm 'vintage'. But... Scouring t'internet for replacement brake pads and I'm struggling to find anything similar, attached pictures in the hopes that you, or someone on here knows a part number or name that can help. Sure it will be obvious to someone on here. Thanks

IMG_20220301_170954.jpg
 
Hoping you can help boy"O"boy, looks like I've managed to source a NOS florescent Girvin Flexstem, and think I'll end up spraying my current zoom bars black cos the original Reynolds were a touch narrow and twitchy for my tastes BITD and even moreso now I'm 'vintage'. But... Scouring t'internet for replacement brake pads and I'm struggling to find anything similar, attached pictures in the hopes that you, or someone on here knows a part number or name that can help. Sure it will be obvious to someone on here. Thanks

View attachment 607846

This is one of the problems with Retro Sav!
Finding exact replacements especially on parts that were considered expendables. Same goes for things like the original Tiogas the Endeavour was specced with....expect big $$$ for NOS

I've checked the blocks on both of my Endeavours, one set was NOS so I even checked the box and the instructions....and it's not showing any part numbers.
If you want to go new, you might have to look for other brakes using bolts to attach to the cantilever. Maybe something like U-brake ones?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BRAKE-PA...p2349624.m46890.l6249&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0
Suppose as well it depends how worn the originals are? - could you get away with still using them if you adjusted the brakes...or are they too far gone.

You're part way there with finding a NOS neon yellow flexstem in 1 1/8" though...I've had to buy 1 1/4" examples and swap the quills to 1 1/8"

Lucky you don't have to source the Campagnolo pedals. I'm still searching for a pair NOS/VGC for Endeavour#2.....and paying over £300 for a pair is a non starter.
The sum of parts on these Endeavours far out weighs the value of the frame. It's taken years to build Centaur groupsets from parts, and often the hardest parts to find are the small items like brake blocks or crank caps that command crazy prices for what they are.

Try a wanted ad in the >97 wanted section.
There's a wealth of help and knowledge here...and someone may see it there that won't read this thread.

Good luck ! 🍀

boy"O"boy
 
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