Help identifying Dyna Tech Chronos MMC

[tenshin5521]

Hi Guys!

I've been recently cleaning out my parents garages and I've stumbled upon a good as new.

Special Products Chronos MMC, now I know a little bit about these bikes but I've failed to come across any information on this one at all!

I wonder if anyone has seen one of these particular ones before?

It's in brand new condition with barely a mark on it, infact it still has the original seat post block in.

Dressed in old dura-ace and 600 i think this is a pretty cool bike!

 

[Gtpulse]

Not seen an MMC one of those before. There are some MMC tubes frames in the MTB side of the forum think they are MT5 and the Decade models sure someone can confirm.

There’s an old Hilary Stone for sale thread with a Cronos MMC out there with a bit more information on it. It’s not the same colour way as your bike and is possibly earlier.

@Benandemu on here has 2 Cronos Titanium’s may know more about these?

 

[tenshin5521]

Thanks for that @Gtpulse I did some extra digging and it is one of the XMT100 models so I can only assume not very common.

I'm really unsure what to do with it, as it's so mint.

Ride and ruin.
Or sell to someone who collects Dyna-techs.

 

[Gtpulse]

It’s really nice, if it were a bit bigger I’d probably have messaged you!

If it were mine I’d be inclined to at least find the dura ace rear mech to complete the group (assuming the shifters are dura ace?), fit a post and saddle and admire it built up for a while.

Is that a seatpost shim still in there? Do you think someone borrowed the post for another bike?

 

[tenshin5521]

That's just typical of my dad, brought it and never ever rode it, they're the original tyres all still with the manufacturer hairs on. I have the original seat post it's just not fitted. Not a single bit of wear on the rims or DA hubs

Sizing it appears to be a 57cm making it a little small for me too but I could just get away with it. (I have about 5 others to work through too)

I'd also pulled a box of groupsets out, inc dura 7700, 7800 and a more modern ultegra SL set although I'm pretty sure this is all 7400 series.

 

[sjcprojects]

Was this only available as a frameset, not a full bike? I'm guessing that's the case.

That is one of the most definitively late 80s/early 90s paint jobs I have ever seen!

Obviously rare, and in this condition surely almost unique. Even in this depressed market I would think it would go for good money, with the SPD/Dyna-Tech appeal. Unless you were tempted to keep it for sentimental reasons, I'd sell it. A bit hard to price because it's so unique, so I'd just put it on eBay at a decent starting price and see where it gets to. This can backfire on some items, but for actually rare and desirable items like this, I think you'd get a lot of interest and some strong bidding.

Anyway, good luck whatever you decide to do. It's quite a bike!

 

[tenshin5521]

@sjcprojects it litterally couldn't be any more 80s or 90s unless it was wearing a shell suit!

I've zero sentimental attachment to it, I might give it a whirl on ebay see what interest it gets.

If it was a tad bigger I'd most likely would keep and ride it, and it seems offensive to flat bar and single speed it as my commuter.

 

[sjcprojects]

If it was a tad bigger I'd most likely would keep and ride it, and it seems offensive to flat bar and single speed it as my commuter.

Yes, that would be offensive!

I would keep it exactly as it is - I think that actually will help sell it as it’s then a proper unmolested time capsule bike, and it leaves things like making it a full DA build up to the buyer (there are quite a few buyers who like to have something to do to a bike once they’ve bought it, I find).

I still remember getting a hole in the knee of my shell suit from an over-enthusiastic knee-slide. Those were the days .

 

[zerogravitas]

Great looking bike! Love the frame finish

 

[Benandemu]

I’ve seen one of these before. They’re pretty rare (like the Cronos Titanium), and that’s because of their cost versus the other versions of Dyna Tech frame sets. Specialized were the first to really get behind the whole metal matrix thing, and Raleigh soon followed. The benefit of glueing the tubes was that they would retain a higher yield strength versus their welded/brazed counterparts. The Metal Matrix Composite (MMC acronym) was comparable in weight to Titanium or 753 versions of this frame, but the tensile strength was different for each.
If I was to put a year on this frame, then 91/92 seems appropriate.

Incidentally, the later MMC versions like this are considered more desirable than the Titanium, because Raleigh had shifted their supply of 3/2.5 Titanium tubing from Reynolds to another supplier, which used a purer (and more brittle) grade of titanium. Don’t quote me, but I was told it was a Russian manufacturer, and cheaper to buy. To the average consumer, Titanium is Titanium!

If it was a 55/56cm then I’d be tempted to cut a deal on this.

I think the 93/94 model changed to more conservative paint job…