DYNA-TECH DIABLO

[Racin'snake]

Re:

The U.G.L.I is anything but...love it

 

[66 triumph daytona]

Re: Re:

The U.G.L.I is anything but...love it

Did that really stand for Uncle Gerald`s Latest Invention after RSP`s Gerald Donovan or was that a myth?

 

[Racin'snake]

Re: Re:

The U.G.L.I is anything but...love it

Did that really stand for Uncle Gerald`s Latest Invention after RSP`s Gerald Donovan or was that a myth?

as a Nottingham local I am led to believe that is the word on the street...but who knows!

 

[CrossFred1978]

Re: Re:

How did the painting go? It's not been very warm recently.

two electric fan heaters in my shed sorted the temperature, it was like a sauna in there, just dreading the electric bill now the frames now taken pride of place in my living room above a radiator, the missus isnt two happy

 

[Gerard]

Re: Re:

The U.G.L.I is anything but...love it

Did that really stand for Uncle Gerald`s Latest Invention after RSP`s Gerald Donovan or was that a myth?

Yes in the SPD (Special Products Division) days which got renamed for oblivious reasons.

.7.3 Special Products Division

The demise of the European team in the early 1980s led to the closure of Ilkeston but resulted in Gerald O’Donovan and Melvyn Cresswell teaming up on product development at what became known as Special Products Division. Shortly before this, and supported by his ‘indulgent boss’ Yvonne Rix, Cresswell had designed and launched the Randonneur tourer. It was based on personal experience and inspired by his first ‘serious’ bicycle, which Gerald O’Donovan had built for him many years previously. Although Raleigh’s most expensive complete bicycle, it was an instant success. The Randonneur proved that Raleigh could still sell high-end product if it was thoughtfully designed and manufactured.

The small team gathered together at Special Products built on this success. They produced many viable new bikes, which initially sold in good volumes. Derby encouraged this development work and Ed Gottesman, leader of the Derby buy-out, was particularly supportive. An avid collector of high-end Raleighs, he was always looking to add to his collection. Moreover, he always paid for his Special Products bikes.

Managing director Sandy Roberts was also a keen supporter of the unit. However, after he retired in 1990, support waned. Despite pioneering work on thermal bonding technology (DynaTech) and frame manufacture using titanium and metal matrix composites, the Raleigh board was unsure how to make use of Special Products Department. Should it be required to make a profit? Should it be a development overhead? Was it a marketing tool and hence part of marketing costs?

Yet, even breaking even was difficult. This was the era when internal transfer charging became fashionable in the corporate world. Despite being autonomous, Special Products had to contribute disproportionately to corporate IT costs, human resources department costs and even the running of directors’ cars. Meanwhile the sales department had little interest in Special Products and was so tied to the Raleigh 5-star dealer network that access was denied to quality independent dealers capable of selling the product. The decline of Special Products was therefore inevitable, although the unit still exists.

3.7.4 Special Products as niche support for volume production

The Raleigh view is that the company always has been and remains primarily about mass-production. The brand philosophy also dictates that Raleigh must make the best end of the bicycles sold in volume. Therefore, if Raleigh sells mountain bikes, it must make the top niche Raleigh MTBs. Consequently, Special Products development unit now makes MTBs for the Raleigh team, whose mission is ‘to demonstrate that Raleigh make the best mountain bikes in the world’. This is not particularly profitable in its own right, but is worthwhile because of the brand enhancement when selling ordinary bicycles. Moreover, there is a trickle down of technological development and refinement from the team machines to ordinary production.

The philosophy today regarding Special Products is that any niche markets catered for must relate to the mass-produced products.

https://www.bikebiz.com/retail/history- ... 75-to-2002

 

[CrossFred1978]

diablo

hi all, 99% done with this one now,quite happy with how its come out. will be on the look out for a vgc m56.. rear mech and im not very happy with the front mech as this frame doesn't like low band front mechs due to the cable stop position (inner cable rubs slightly on frame).
ive robbed some parts from my 94 mtrax which im rebuilding with stx rc and some parts were from my own collection.

comments appreciated..

spec:
1994 RALEIGH DYNATECH DIABLO AL
CROMO/TITANIUM FRAME
CROMO/ALUMINUM UGLI FORK
MAVIC 221 RIMS ON DEORE LX M563/M564 HUBS, MICHELIN 1.95 TYRES
DEORE LX M563 CHAINSET
DEORE LX M567 FRONT & REAR DERAILLEURS
DEORE LX M563 STI SHIFTERS/LEVERS
DEORE XT M734 CANTILEVERS
UN72 BB
SEDIS CHAIN
TANGE ALLOY AHEADSET
KALLOY 110MM STEM,580MM ALLOY BARS, ZOOM BARENDS

 

[cherrybomb]

Re:

Cracking job Grommet.

Perfect choice of components to compliment the frame & fork,

 

[Mike Muz]

Re:

Wow! Very well done with your paintwork.

Nice bit of metallic black. I used the same on one of mine some time ago now!

Fantastic looking bike now, hope you enjoy riding it! I put the same groupset on some of my builds, works very well

Mike

 

[ultrazenith]

Wow, it looks phenomenal! Great job.

 

[CrossFred1978]

Re:

thanks for the comments all, im very happy with this now. bought it on a whim and didnt expect so much work until i saw it and thought i could either build it up as it is for a hack bike or restore it to its former glory . as cherry bomb said i think the groupset matches perfectly with the frame and the silver black colour scheme. i did borrow the brakes and chainset off my m-trax but have nearly finished rebuilding this with an stx rc group (pics coming soon).
those UGLI forks as beautifull as they are aint half flexy though

cheers