My wife was walking the dogs and came across this bike waiting for tomorrow's trash pickup. She asked our neighbor about it and she said we could have it. What makes this remarkable to me is that our area is a seeming desert when it comes to quality old bike finds...garage sales usually have salted out beach cruisers and crappy department store bikes that I have no interest in.

It appears to be a 1986 Technium 440 and it's in pretty much mint condition. Tires have a bit of dry rot, but other than that, it looks like it's been ridden 5 miles. A rag and some Pledge will do wonders.


Curb Find Raleigh Technium 440 by pruckelshaus, on Flickr


Raleigh Technium 440 by pruckelshaus, on Flickr


Raleigh Technium 440 by pruckelshaus, on Flickr


P1060101Raleigh Technium 440 by pruckelshaus, on Flickr

Unfortunately, it's big - 63cm, and I'm a 58 - so I'll probably end up selling or trading it for something more useful to me. A couple things really surprised me: first, it's friction, and not index. I guess this is still a year or two shy of indexed shifting trickling down to bikes of this level. Second, it's actually really light. Nice bike.

Pete

nice find, better put your helmet on here come the technium flames.

Flames only matter of you let them touch you.

Yup that's an 86 440. I flipped a 58cm one that looks like this one. But yours has been upgraded. The stock derailleurs were Suntour AR, not that Shimano unit and Suntour Cyclone II.
And was friction shift.