Raleigh M Trax 7000r 58cm - 531 Frame.

David B":ke6ko3k3 said:
bigjim":ke6ko3k3 said:
I've no idea what year it is. I bought it frame and forks only. Assume middle to late 90s with the twin bottle cage mounts. I wonder if they were built as team bikes. Thinking this because of the braze-on race number mount. Very light bike and comfortable. Been out on it today.

I think the number mount was standard issue for the model - there's a pic of a bright green one in the RB catalogue archive which has the same braze-ons - although a good few top domestic teams used them (mine originally had "RSP Team Issue" decals until a much needed respray). Any frame number on it? Mine is no.SC1160, built in 1998 or so, I believe.

Agreed - lovely frames these; comfy, light and unlike some of my past road bikes, very stable on fast descents.

David
Mine has RSP Team Issue stickers on it. Frame no is H38138.
 
Re:

I can tell you that the M-Trax 7000R is a 1995 model….. it was my first ever road bike, in this size as it happens. If the paint had been in A1 condition I would have snapped your hand off!

M-Trax was a range that replaced Dynatech before coming under the umbrella of just RSP. Each one was handbuilt and came with a photo and signature of the builder (mine was built by Clive I think). In 1995 the various models were 6000R with 501 tubes/Exage kit in green/gunmetal, 7000R 531 tubes/Exage kit in red/gunmetal. After that there were some bonded titanium models (8000r and 9000r) with RX100 and 105 kit on and, importantly, STI levers. The Raleigh team were riding the Sky City Centre Crits at the time on welded full ti frames rather than bonded ti/753 like the older Dynatechs which I assume were then just rebadged as M-Trax's. My friend Tom Newton bought Gary Coltman's at the end of 1995 and raced it very successfully at races like the Junior Tour Of Wales and eventually went on to ride as a Stagiaire with Mapei, even riding the Tour of Langkawai with a team led by Andrea Tafi.

In 1996 Raleigh brought out the Optima range of tubing which was a chromoly they had made for them by Reynolds. Being CrMo rather than Manganese Moly, it could be tig welded, rather than hand-brazed, which was presumably a change they made to save weight and significantly ease manufacture, making them more profitable. All the 1996 models were named after TDF climbs, Aspin, Tourmalet, etc…. They were very nice as it happens and good performers for the money.

The 7000R model is 531 main triangle with high-tensile stays and forks. I loved mine but unfortunately it got written off in an accident after only 10months of ownership. Still, I won my first club trophies on it though!

Hope this is interesting and useful information to you!!
 
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