1986 Raleigh (USA) Technium 440
After serving two years duty as my general purpose errand / beater bike, I saw fit to subject my trusty "SlopCycle" to a thorough strip-down and overhaul. Inasmuch as she has evolved to a great extent from that point in time when first I brought her home and thrust her into this unglamorous and utilitarian role, and in consideration of the fact that she was looking quite presentable once again, I thought it perhaps appropriate to provide an updated series of photographs and descriptions for the benefit of those who might be interested in following such mundane matters. To revisit an accounting of her initial state of build, please refer to the Velo-Pages album entitled "1986 Raleigh (USA) Technium 440 (SlopCycle XIII) - 1st edition".
And here she is all decked out in various states of hauling / touring garb - at times, looking somewhat akin to a two wheeled pack mule. Actually, this has proven to be a pretty versatile set up thus far with respect to multi-use applications (...although she is not exactly a "lightweight" at this point).
I took the perfectly usable but older gear which had seen duty on several previous iterations of my "SlopCycle" bikes and fitted it all onto one of my wife's bicycles, thereby conveniently rationalizing my purchase of the new Topeak equipment seen here. The rear panniers are collapsible and when not needed they simply zip up into their own integrated storage compartments located on the sides of the trunk bag which itself has an expandable main compartment (...shown herein both fully deployed as well as in a more modest state). Both the rear trunk bag and handlebar saddle bag each have one touch quick release mountings and individual carry handles as well as detachable shoulder straps such that they can easily be removed and ported about separately from the bike. For in-town errand use as opposed to touring, I normally leave only the rear trunk affixed and then mount the handlebar bag on those occasions when its presence is warranted. As for the Topeak Explorer rear rack, these are currently only available domestically having a more contemporary "black" finish which I thought would look rather out of place on this vintage bike. Therefore, the unit that you see pictured here was chemically stripped of its finish, given a specialized primer base coat, and then painted with a highly durable hammer tone silver that was developed for use in the professional refinishing of painted wire wheels as found on various makes of classic British sports cars.
Perhaps the most troublesome accessory to have added to this bike were those Zefal Racer full profile fenders. Indeed, I had already counted on having to modify the fender stays and mounting hardware (...you know how it is, "universal fit" is actually code for "doesn't fit anything at all" - most especially whatever your contemplated application may be). But the particularly low brake bridge on the rear stays of the bike itself was something that I had not accounted for and this proved to be the most challenging aspect of fender fitment. The simple solution might have been to move down from a 27" x 1 1/4" tire to something on the order of a 1 1/8" or even a 1" profile. However, I enjoy a good challenge now and then, and so it was that after crafting all new low profile mounting hardware that I eventually found the clearance I sought...but only barely.
After taking this bike out on a few fully loaded excursions, I soon found that the braking which had previously been adequate was not at all to my liking. Therefore, I chose to refit a set of beefier Scott / Mathauser SuperBrake shoes and pads having the later style cartridge replaceable pads and adjustable pivot mountings (...which I had to modify by making them thinner for the rear caliper in order to provide enough space for the wheel to turn freely and still allow proper orientation of the pads themselves). And after a little bit of experimentation to get the toe-in adjustment set appropriately, I can now quickly pull this rig to a controlled stop regardless of load.
And finally, arguably the most significant evolution from her original incarnation is the fitment of a triple ring crankset in the form of a Sugino XD-600 having 46/42/26 chain rings in conjunction with a SunTour New Winner 13/30 (13-15-18-21-25-30) 6 speed freewheel to affect a compact half-step plus granny setup. The XD-600 is a relatively inexpensive, extremely durable, current production crankset having a traditional polished alloy look suitable for a retro rebuild and it uses the HIGHLY desirable and versatile 110 or 110/74 mm BCD platform, thereby facilitating a multitude of conventional or compact double or even wide range triple options. In my circumstance, the new configuration also begot a changeover to a SunTour Cyclone Mark II GT RD-200 long cage rear derailleur and Shimano Alivio FD-MC17 front derailleur which gets an assist in the form of an N Gear Jump Stop chain guide to help avoid unintentionally dumping the chain on the ground during that nasty suicide shift to the 26 tooth front ring - most especially under load, like when you are already climbing up a hill.
The secrets to successfully employing a half-step plus granny setup involve carefully choosing your finite number of available gears so as to provide a wide range of tightly interspersed choices within an optimal power band ... AS WELL AS ... knowing how to employ said gearing options while minimizing the need for cumbersome double shifts. In consideration of the errand / utilitarian purpose to which this bicycle was to be employed, I reasoned that there was no practical purpose to exceed 95 gear inches on the top end, while roughly 38 gear inches on the bottom struck me as being eminently feasible for most anticipated inclines. Accordingly, the individual tooth counts on the freewheel cogs were selected specifically because they are near perfectly spaced at one whole-step apart (...i.e. they are spread out in a manner which provides a constant logarithmic ratio between each pair of adjacent cogs) whereas the two larger chain rings up front were chosen to exploit the exact (...or as close to that as may be practical) difference between each of those respective freewheel ratios, or in other words, at half-step intervals. While it may look a bit odd or confusing at first, the simplistic beauty of this arrangement is that I can generally stay on one or the other outer or middle ring and then shift the chain along the rear cogs only. If and when I run into a situation where I would prefer to use a gear "in between" one of those six or five selections otherwise available (...accounting for no cross chaining on the outer ring), only then do I change front rings in order to get into the half-step and thereafter stay on that particular front ring until the situation once again warrants otherwise. In this manner, one keeps the number of double shifts required to a bare minimum while still being able to utilize the most efficient and effective choice of gearing. And as for that tiny little front ring, it can get me all the way down to a miniscule 23 gear inches and serves as nothing other than a "bail-out" for climbing steep walls or perhaps for use when laden with an inordinate weight load (...heck, I can climb almost anything with it - albeit very, very slowly). Should anyone else out there consider replicating this type of arrangement, just remember that while setting up any theoretical gear inch combinations may prove to be relatively easy, finding a front derailleur that will accommodate both a wide differential in chain ring sizes as well as a narrow differentiation too can prove to be a bit of a challenge - most especially when you are trying to do so within a vintage paradigm.
TYPE:
12 speed - "lightweight" sport / touring type - 1986 model Technium 440 - serial number R825260081
SIZE:
23.25 inches or 59 cm : 590 mm (physical seat tube C-t-T) - 570 mm (physical top tube C-t-C) - 440 mm (chainstay) - 105 cm (wheelbase) - 266 mm (bottom bracket height) - 70 mm (bottom bracket drop) - 33.5 inches (standover height with 27 inch wheelset) - 450 mm (trail) - 50 degree (fork rake) - 73 degree (head tube angle) - 73 degree (seat tube angle)
COLOR:
Metallic Teal / Turquoise with Metallic Silver head tube
FRAME:
Heat treated ALCOA Aluminum 6013-T6 frame main tubes (seat tube, down tube, top tube - straight gauge 1 1/4" o.d. with 0.049" wall thickness) - interference fit and thermally bonded to internal steel lug bands using a proprietary epoxy developed by Boeing - CrMo alloy steel head tube - 68 mm bottom bracket shell - 1.370” x 24 TPI English threaded bottom bracket shell (non-drive side - right threading / drive side - left threading) - CrMo alloy steel rear stays brazed into bottom bracket shell and seat lug - internal top tube brake cable routing - threaded / bonded fittings for shift levers and single water bottle - braze-on fittings for derailleur cable guides and chain hanger - forged horizontal rear dropouts with rack eyelets / standard 10 mm x 26 TPI threaded derailleur hanger and locating notch / spring tensioned adjustment screws - 126 mm dropout spacing - Manufactured in Kent, Washington (...a suburb located just south of Seattle)
FORK:
CrMo alloy steel - 1" (25.4 mm) x 24 TPI English threaded steer tube - forged steel fork crown - forged vertical dropouts with dual rack eyelets (fore / aft)
HEADSET:
YST - threaded headset - 1" (25.4 mm) x 24 TPI English thread - chrome plated steel - sealed mechanism - 1/8" ball bearings with metal retainers - model 8001
STEM:
Sakae / Ringyo (SR) - aluminum alloy - 22.2 mm quill - 25.4 mm size clamp - 100 mm length - single bolt "hidden" non-quick release - model Custom
HANDLEBARS:
Sakae / Ringyo (SR) - aluminum alloy without logo etching - traditional non-anatomic profile - 25.4 mm clamp sizing - 42 cm C-t-C / 125 mm reach / 155 mm drop - model Custom Road Champion : Velo Orange - leather (elk hide) handlebar covering - hand stitched sewn-on mounting - White - model BCV-W : Velox - handlebar end plugs - slotted head screw in attachment - post circa 1983 "small" Velox logo - Black
BOTTOM BRACKET:
Shimano - sealed cartridge type bottom bracket for 68 mm shell - steel spindle - square taper - 118 mm symmetrical without offset - 1.370" x 24 TPI English threaded cups with 20 tooth internally splined interface - removable composite ring left side (right threading) / fixed steel flange right side (left threading) : steel crank bolts with integral washers - 14 mm head - model BB-UN53
CRANKSET:
Sugino XD-600 - 110 / 74 mm BCD - 46/42/26 chain rings / 110 BCD 46t SuperShift aluminum alloy outer ring with profiled teeth, shifting ramps, lift pins, and integrated chain "roll-off" pin (SP3-46) / 110 BCD 42t aluminum alloy middle ring with profiled teeth (NJ42T) / 74 BCD 26t aluminum alloy inner ring with profiled teeth (NJ26T) - hidden reverse mount fifth spider bolt underneath the driveside crank arm - 170 mm forged aluminum alloy arms / 9/16" x 20 TPI pedal threads - 22 mm x 1 mm threaded alloy caps - model XD-600 : M8 1.25 x 25mm SHCS crank bolts with aluminum collars : stainless steel pedal washers
CHAIN:
SRAM 1/2" x 3/32" (12.7 mm x 2.38 mm) narrow profile - nickel plated - bushingless design - chamfered plates - cross step riveted - chrome hardened pins - model PC68 with SRAM PowerLink connector (114 links)
HUBSET:
Sakae / Ringyo (SR) - quick release hubs - small flange design - Clear anodized aluminum alloy barrels and flanges - 36h front hub (100 mm spacing) - 36h rear hub (126 mm spacing) - 1.370” x 24 TPI English freewheel thread - C.P.S.C. compliant curved handle QR mechanisms with knurled adjusters - model CRH-310
RIMS:
Araya - satin finish aluminum alloy without eyelets - 20 mm section - hooked bead rim profile - smooth / non-machined braking surfaces - 27" clincher - drilled for Schrader valves - 36h front / 36h rear - rim etch reading "ARAYA 27 x 1 1/4 W/O JAPAN" adjacent the valve stem hole - model SP30 : Wheels Manufacturing - Presta stem adapter - model PSS-1
SPOKES:
Daido Kogyo - galvanized steel - straight taper / non-butted - 14 gauge or 2.0 mm - laced three cross : Daido Kogyo tin-nickel plated brass nipples
TIRES:
Kenda - 27" x 1 1/4" (ISO 630-32) - black with gum sidewall - steel wire bead clincher design - raised center tread - model K-35-06 : Pyramid - PVC inner tube - 27" x 1 3/8" / 700 x 35/42 - Presta valve - model 63064
FREEWHEEL:
SunTour New Winner - 13/30 (13-15-18-21-25-30) 6 speed - 4 notch removal interface - 1.370" x 24 TPI English thread - 3x3 stepped body - four notch slip fit cogs with spacers / duplex threaded locking cog pair / 21, 25, and 30 tooth cogs factory "drilled" - silver cogs with black colored faceplate and body - model NWN 6S-S
SHIFT LEVERS:
Shimano "Z" series - 22.2 mm clamp-on - stem mount - friction style - twin control levers with integrated cable guides - aluminum alloy levers with chrome plated steel clamp - model SL-Z401-S
FRONT DERAILLEUR:
Shimano Alivio - 31.8 mm clamp-on mount - aluminum alloy body and clamp mechanism - stainless steel pivot link arms - chrome plated steel cage - hinged type / top swing / bottom pull design - maximum 20t front chain ring difference - model FD-MC17 (model year 2000)
REAR DERAILLEUR:
SunTour Cyclone Mark II GT - long cage - slant parallelogram design - aluminum alloy bracket, body plates, and pulley cage plates - maximum 30t freewheel cog / maximum 38t front chain ring differential plus rear freewheel cog differential (...despite the fact that Sutherland's states it should be 34t) - model RD-1200
BRAKE LEVERS:
Dia-Compe / New Gran Compe - standard non-aero cable routing - aluminum alloy bodies - factory "slotted" Clear anodized aluminum alloy lever blades - low friction without return spring - model NGC202 : Dia-Compe rubber hoods - Brown - model 202.1-2/BR
BRAKE CALIPERS:
Dia-Compe / Gran Compe - 47 mm to 57 mm reach - single pivot "right-handed" side pull design - cold forged aluminum alloy construction - Clear anodized finish - non-recessed hex nut mount - quick release mechanism - "Campy" style GC-64 barrel adjusters - coated wheel guides at the brake shoes - model GC-500 : Scott / Mathauser SuperBrake shoes and pads - "finned" aluminum alloy shoes - cartridge style replaceable pads - iron oxide compound - adjustable pivot mountings - model 1b
PEDALS:
MKS - platform style pedals - CrMo steel spindles - aluminum alloy spindle housings and central frame with rear kick tab - plastic dust caps - 9/16" x 20 TPI thread - model GR-9 : MKS toe clips - size Extra Large (70 mm long) - chrome plated steel - model LL : Saint Tropez braided nylon straps (White) - chrome plated buckles - plastic pinch rollers
SADDLE:
Selle San Marco – White smooth leather cover - copper rivets - 150 mm wide base at the rear - solid titanium frame rails - closed cell micro fiber padding - model 495T006 Regal Titanio
SEAT POST:
Kalloy Laprade - one piece cast 6061-T6 aluminum alloy construction - non-fluted shaft with "limit line" - one bolt micro-adjusting clamp - 20 mm offset - 350 mm x 26.8 mm - model Laprade
OTHER BITS:
Raleigh - seat post binder bolt - chrome plated steel - 8 mm diameter - 5 mm Allen key release : Jagwire/QBP - front brake inner cable - stainless steel - 1.6 mm x 58 cm - model CA-1370 : Jagwire/QBP - front brake outer cable housing - Teflon lined - White - 53 cm - model 60Y0023 : Jagwire/QBP - rear brake inner cable - stainless steel - 1.6 mm x 121 cm - model CA-1370 : Jagwire/QBP - rear brake outer cable housing - Teflon lined - White - 116 cm - model 60Y0023 : Jagwire/QBP - front derailleur inner cable - 1.1 mm x 110 cm - model CA-5210 : Jagwire/QBP - front derailleur outer cable housing - compressionless - Teflon lined - White - 38 cm : Jagwire/QBP - rear derailleur inner cable - 1.1 mm x 158 cm - model CA-5210 : Jagwire/QBP - front derailleur outer cable housing - compressionless - Teflon lined - White - 38 cm (front section) / 29 cm (rear section) : Campagnolo - dropout adjuster screws - 25 mm length - adjuster bolt / spring / plastic wing nut - models 302 / 303 / 302/1
ACCESSORIES:
Bell - water bottle cage - down tube mount - 74 mm aluminum - polished finish - model 2446002003 : California Springs - water bottle - 800 milliliter / 28 ounce capacity - LDPE construction - White - model 12-C28
Topeak - Explorer tubular rack - 6061 T-6 hollow aluminum construction (10.2 mm o.d.) - integrated top plate with MTX QuickTrack mounting system - stainless steel bracket - model TA2026-B
Topeak - TourGuide DX handlebar saddle bag - Black - 2520 / 840 Denier DuPont Teflon coated nylon - 3M reflective strip - QR mounting clamp - divided main compartment with zippered top, front, and map pockets - built in carry handle / detachable shoulder strap - large size (470 c.i. total capacity) - model TT3071B
Topeak - MTX TrunkBag DXP rack mount saddle bag with panniers - Black - 2520 / 840 Denier DuPont Teflon coated nylon - 3M reflective strip - MTX QuickTrack mounting system - insulated main compartment with multi expanding top and side compartments - built in carry handle / detachable shoulder strap - insulated water bottle holder - large size (1500 c.i. total capacity) - model TT9616B
Zefal Racer fenders - full length profile - 35 mm wide - silver - lightweight cellulo-aceto-butyrate (CAB) polymer construction - stainless steel stays with G-Clip and Safe-Clip attachments - model ref 202 Racer
Serfas - head light - clear lens - 5 LED bulbs - high / low beam modes - steady / flashing functions - QR mounting bracket - battery powered (4 AAA) - model SL300
Serfas - tail light - red lens - 5 LED bulbs - steady / flashing functions - QR mounting bracket or clip mount- battery powered (2 AAA) - model TL311
Nashbar - frame pump - frame fit style - polished aluminum barrel - anatomically shaped T-handle - thumb lock lever - model NB-FP
N Gear Jump Stop - chain guide - fiber reinforced adjustable clamp (1 1/4" sizing) - stainless steel guide plate - model JS-2
SunTour - spoke protector - slip fit - clear plastic with metal reinforced hub section - 35 mm center hole - 150 mm overall width - 34t maximum - model 10603
Lizard Skins - chainstay guard - standard size - neoprene with Velcro attachment - cut to size - Black - model CHNDS100
Greenfield - kick stand - burnished aluminum - 285 mm / cut to size - model KS2
Crown - bicycle bell - chrome plated dome / galvanized base - traditional "ring-a-ling" tone - model BH-34
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