'WALTER' - M-Trax 150 Comp (1997)

[Malvern Rider]

Meet 'Walter':





I'm the proud new owner, bought from a fine fellow hereabouts a few weeks ago. Really can't believe my luck as I used to have an M-Trax 1500 (purple and silver) back in 1995-6 is, but it was tea-leafed by a chavver, I even saw the little git riding off on it as fast as his legs could go (I left it in 1st gear).

So now (thanks to Retrobike) I have a much nicer looking steed, better size, and is in all honesty like 99% NOS, only change is the gripshifts and the seat.

Not sure of the weight of the frame as I haven't stripped it down, but it feels mid-range as expected, not too inspiring, but certainly not dull Seller kindly gave me a scan of the brochure, it says the frame is 'RSP full cromo series one'??

It's a lovely bike, colour 'Granite Cromica (kind of metallic bronze/grey, really classy) with some good honest mid-low parts (Acera groupset, weinmann 519 rims, RSP stem and seatpost, great titanium bars)

I would like to lighten the total weight a bit without losing it's classic style.

So far done nothing except fit a (tan) Charge Spoon seat. Considering taping the shiny bar-ends with Charge U-Bend bar tape to match. They are slippery! I really like the design of the stem, but it's too flat and long for my arms, not sure if they made another option with some rise? It's a weird RSP highly polished silver affair with the cinch bolt actually bisecting the stem (near front of the steerer)

Not sure if it's aheadset or quill, bit of a learner on this stuff....


Intended to be a do-all bike (for me that means training, touring, back lanes, trailer-lugging, occasional trail) and so far fits the bill, with a few mods planned.

Any suggestions welcome. Thanks in advance.

Will get some more recent pics soon with upgraded saddle and maybe bar tape (W*ggle are out til June end, bah)

 

[XTSTIMAN]

Nice bike, lovely colour.

Has a Ahead stem, so easy to replace with one with more rise.
See plenty of them on ebay.

 

[Malvern Rider]

Thanks XTSTIMAN. I'll start looking for a replacement stem

I wish I wasn't so keen on the style of the RSP one, it seems a shame to change the stock character of the bike by having bolts sticking out the back of the stem, as all the ones I see tend to do.

Can't change the bars to risers or swept back either.... the stock titanium ones are sooo nice.

Damn my short(ish) arms.

 

[Malvern Rider]

WALTER (redux)

OK, nearly a year on, Walter is gentrified - taken out for first ride today after being de-Acera'd'/de-Weinmann'd. I realise it's not what anyone would call a 'faithful' M-Trax restoration, but more of a 'refit to suit requirements' project'. Some stuff I had knocking about (brakes etc), some I bought here.

Couple of Retrobikers sorted him out with XT/Sun Chinook wheelset and M730 chainset (which polished up nicely after three evenings of puffing, panting and much Autosol) and a UN72 BB.

Frame: RSP 'full cromo series one' - 19 inch
Headset: RSP/Diatech
Stem: RSP Polished Alloy 125mm
Handlebar: Titanium straight bar
Grips: SRAM Gripshift
Brakes: Avid 2.5 V's
Brake Levers: Avid Speed Dial 7 (polished)
Brake Cables: Clarks premium
Shifters: Gripshift MRX
Front Derailleur: Shimano Acera
Rear Derailleur: Shimano XT M739
Cassette: Shimano XT
Cranks: Shimano XT M730 (refurbished/polished)
Chainrings: Shimano XT
Bottom Bracket: Shimano UN72
Hub Skewers: Shimano XT
Rims: Sun Chinook (refurbished/polished)
Hubs: Shimano XT M730
Tyres: Schwalbe Marathon
Saddle: Charge Spoon (tan)
Seatpost: RSP polished alloy
Bar Ends: RSP polished w/ Charge U Bend tape
Mudguards: SKS Chromoplastic (55mm)
Pedals: dunno, but soon to be SPD

Cost to date: Bike/postage £110.00, wheels/Crankset £110.00, Mudguards £30.00, Saddle £25, Tyres £34.00, UN72 BB £15.00, cables, chain, refit, tune-up etc £60.00. Bar tape £9.00. Polishing cranks and wheels to mirror finish - priceless. Vinyl lettering from Ebay £3.20

Total: £396.20 minus say £40.00 for selling off the Acera stuff and seat (and I put the Weinmann wheels to good use on better half's Protrax...)

£356.20

For the money - Walter vs a Carrera Subway 2 from Halfords? Pfffft...

http://www.bricycles.co.uk/ expertly assembled and tuned it all with my NOS Avid 2.5 Vees, an old XT rear mech, and some SKS guards (a necessity, although they make it look very sedate, it's actually really quick and nimble). Charge 'U Bend' tape on the bar-ends to aid grip (and match the Spoon) and finally some 26 x 1.5 Schwalbe Marathon Racers.

One thing I love about this bike, both when I bought it last year, and in it's new touring/keep fit incarnation is it's totally silent, no rattles, no anything - and it springs-with-a-zing off pot-holes like a tightly wound gazelle. No mean-feat with my 200+lbs bearing down.

Really happy with this, especially being as it was re-built and named as a living memory to my grandfather, who expressed some horror (lol) over my increased portliness shortly before his passing (the week I took delivery of this bike). So cheers Walter, am now inspired and back on the road, I won't let us down. Hoping for many summer days and evenings for years to come on this, watching me get narrower and the smile getting wider

Thanks again to Tufftrax, this modest but very special bike feels like the best thing I've ever ridden (including £1.5k MTBs!) - top fella! Onwards and upwards...all that remains is SPD pedals and new vinyl lettering on order (non-M-trax )

Anyone suggest a better shifter/brake lever option?

 

[KermitGKona88]

Very nice, perfect for the job

Whats wrong with the shifter/lever combo :?:

 

[Malvern Rider]

Very nice, perfect for the job

Whats wrong with the shifter/lever combo :?:

Cheers. The shifters - can't get on with loss of cockpit space, also big clicky bother.

Speed Dial 7s ... seem too light actioned and 'clacky', really flat blades too... They are good old levers, but just don't have a quality, solid feel. Also two finger doesn't suit so well on this type of setup, even with my titchy hands.

Good news is the vinyl letters came today, huzzah! Done. What a gent Walter looks! 10 mins in Photoshop, £3.20 for vinyl lettering - transformed! FIN. (for the moment)

 

[Drencrom]

Some bikes just put a smile on my face, and that's done it. Lovely stuff.

It's perfect, especially considering the H.G. Wells quote - I'm sure your Grandfather would be pleased!

 

[Malvern Rider]

Glad it made u smile Drencrom. I think mid-late 90's M-Trax are such undervalued bikes, I really think Raleigh hit a sweet spot there, shame they lost the plot shortly afterwards. I know there's a fair few M-Trax and Dyna Tech advocates hereabouts. It's a great pleasure to see so many popping up and being put to good use.

I'm still surprised at the overall quality of this entry/mid level frame and forks, it rides beautifully. OK it's not a Kilauea or Explosif, but it feels so sorted, reliable and surprisingly sprightly nonetheless. The geometry is very usable for longer distance, typically UK riding, ie trail-road-bridlepath transfers, meaning a full day in the saddle is a joy rather than a fight.

 

[Bike Hoarder]

Shifters need to be Thumbies IMHO.

 

[Malvern Rider]

Shifters are now thumbies, XT salvaged from my old Cindercone. Such an improvement!