Raleigh Dyna Tech appreciation and information thread
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ultrazenith
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12345":1qqf9nio said:
The bonded titanium Dynatech / M Trax frames are very good, on par with the best contemporary welded steel frames, only a welded Ti or a custom built steel frame (like a DOGSBOLX) would be significantly better. That's my opinion, anyhow, having owned and ridden each of those types of frame.
The bonding process required very clean surfaces during assembly. Basically, some frames will be prone to debonding if the Raleigh employee didn't ensure the surfaces were totally clean, which could arise due to something as simple as going for a tea break halfway through the process, with this delay being sufficient for particles to accumulate on the erstwhile clean surfaces. Some frames will not be prone to debonding. There's no way to predict which are good and which are bad. I'd say, if a frame has lasted the ~20 years since it was sold, and has been ridden a bit, it's most probably one of the good ones.
At least, this is my opinion, and I could be wrong.
it'd be hard to compare to a modern frame, as there isn't really anything comparable.
Geometry, materials, suspension are all but unrecognisable compared to how a 25 year old bonded frame would have been built up.
As far as I can remember, early frames were just built in the workshop, they should really have been in a clean room.
Later ones, the bonding was more controlled, but still subject to greasy finger prints, tea breaks and so on.
As stated above, if it's lasted this long, it's obviously a good bond. But unfortunately, you them get in to long life issues with the glue!
Geometry, materials, suspension are all but unrecognisable compared to how a 25 year old bonded frame would have been built up.
As far as I can remember, early frames were just built in the workshop, they should really have been in a clean room.
Later ones, the bonding was more controlled, but still subject to greasy finger prints, tea breaks and so on.
As stated above, if it's lasted this long, it's obviously a good bond. But unfortunately, you them get in to long life issues with the glue!
I have a 19" '94 Raleigh M-Trax Ti 4000 (purple and blue) I'm going to split for/fund other projects ( 
sorry! I know this the appreciation thread).
I was thinking I could 1x8 it and turn it into a commuter but it's more likely to end up never leaving the shed.
Now the really dirty part...that leaves the frame, stem etc, which with new decals would look almost new, I was wondering how much I could look for?
Cheers/Apologies.
-I have cross-posted in the WIW? thread.
sorry! I know this the appreciation thread). I was thinking I could 1x8 it and turn it into a commuter but it's more likely to end up never leaving the shed.
Now the really dirty part...that leaves the frame, stem etc, which with new decals would look almost new, I was wondering how much I could look for?
Cheers/Apologies.
-I have cross-posted in the WIW? thread.
