'Did Raleigh ever make that many decent bikes? '
Tomacs Raleigh USA bike was a collaboration of Ti lugs made by Merlin and carbon tubes from Easton, all glued together by Raleigh in the UK.
When the Raleigh/SAAB team were winning national titles, world cups and medals at the world champs they were all riding bikes built in Nottingham.
Emma Guy and Matt Farmer won NPS DH races on full sussers built in Nottingham.
You obviously didn't have enough kids on it - you need at least 3 to make them stable - one on seat, one on crossbar and another on the rack at the back. 4 kids were possible if they were little!
I went down Ditchling Beacon sat in the basket of a fairly knackered 1950's butchers bike.
About half way down I shouted back to my mate "Can you smell burning". He said "Yes, the brakes are on fire".
We were both 16 and thus immortal (at least we felt it) so we got to the bottom slightly faster than was comfortable but unscathed.
Some of the car drivers going up the hill looked a little surprised to see two teenagers on a bike trailing smoke hurtling around the corners towards them.
the Dho:
darn'ill race-bike.
lightweight, active on the brakes, 15 years ahead of the Trek Session 88.
(reynolds 853 aswell)
i met the guy who designed it at a Dragon race - i think his name was phil? - he was fast!
where did it go wrong?
Same way as saracen? Build bikes people lust after but cant afford, then build progressively more low end bikes untill an accountant tells you to stop making £3k bikes as theres more money in £30 ones.
Think about it, do you think trek made more money from £7k madones as a result of lance's 7 TDF's, or from lower end trek 1000's? They peobably made more money from increaced sales of £300 'mountain bikes' than they did from the ones Lance was actualy riding!
Its a ballancing act, you have to make enough desirable cars (Ford GT), to sell a few mid range ones (ford RS/ST), to sell millions of basic bred and butter cars (fiesta). Ford could cut its raceing and maybe never have made the GT, but if it did how many fewer fiestas would have sold?
Shame that they were asset stripped in the 90s. At least some people recognised what was there - pity that it was a Taiwanese company, at least it renamed itself Sunrace Sturmey Archer in recognition when they bought sturmey Archer in its entirety before it was split up in auction.
Not convinced the Special Products stuff was much cop tbh.
I worked in a bike shop at the time of the Dyna-tech frames and even bought a road frame myself - after a visit to their factory and being convinced they new what they were doing.
I would wager that every single Dyna-tech frame we sold came back to us broken, both road and mtb. (My family broke one of each plus both their warranty replacements.)
The chainstays would go in the main or, downtubes split by the gear lever bosses on road bikes.
Sorry state of affairs.
I guess that's why they ditched the name (and bonding process,) and started M-Trax.
Raleigh nosed dived but are back (like GT but somebody else owns them?)
They import and sell loads of bike accessories and cheap mudguards.
They have some nice road carbon jobbies but not exactly are bargains compared to Boardman. I would buy a Raleigh if it was the right price but for £2000? hmmm maybe not.
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