I have two Raleighs that are Technium in name only, and one is likely a Raleigh in name only. One is an SBDU road frame in 753 with a bonded aluminum fork. I believe this was shipped in primer to the US and painted and decaled here. It says TECHNIUM on the top tube but is a lugged, brazed frame. The other looks almost exactly like it, and also has TECHNIUM on the top tube with a 753 designation as part of the graphic, but it is a track bike made with mostly aero tubing.
What I know about both of these bikes, which I bought at different times from different people is exactly ... nothing. I expect that both are from the mid-1980s, and the serial number of the road model indicates it was built in Nottingham, after the Ilkeston shop was closed down. The track bike has no serial number. The cynic in me says that the only 753 in the track frame might be the top tube and perhaps the chainstays, as they are the only non-aero tubes besides the headtube, which has a significant fairing added. I've seen dimpled 753 stays, but not as deep a groove as these, and my road frame has oval stays. There were supposedly two small batches of 753 aero tubes produced over the years and the crossection of this bike's tubes does not match at least one of them. It is my understanding that 753 cannot be cold worked, so the other tubes would have to have been factory produced, or of some other steel. Also, 753 is supposed to be silver-brazed, but this frame has all kinds of brass fillets. The components were mostly first-generation Dura Ace track, but this group lasted much longer than its road counterpart, well into the 1980s. The rear wheel had a rim to match the front but a Suntour Superbe track hub, which I've since swapped out for an inferior, but matching Dura Ace track hub (not easy to find in 28-hole!) Spokes are aero Wheelsmith 15 ga. The fork is a standard road model, possibly 753, with the crown heavily relieved, apparently for aerodynamics and weight reduction. It has a very short rake. My thinking is that a road fork was selected for expediency and possibly because it would have been considered more aerodynamic than a track fork with round blades. It also had a cut-down LaPrade seatpost, likely because the post needs to be within a cm, due to the lack of adjustment available. I was lucky and found a round Dura Ace seatpost that was the correct length for me. When I got it, it had a 130 mm Nitto stem and round handlebars.
The bike shows very little wear. Unencumbered by any facts, I think it likely that it was built by an American framebuilder for some special event, perhaps a record attempt or championship race. How much of it is actually 753, if any, or who built it, I may never know. It's possible that Mike Melton wielded the torch, but this is all conjecture. The graphics are almost identical to those of my road model, with the exception of the colors, with green substituted for blue. There is no head badge or decal. It rides beautifully, with predictably quick steering.
Have pity on the road model. It's setup for my wife and she likes the bars set high. The component group is Shimano 600 Tricolor, 7-speed. The serial number indicates 1987 or '88.
