Raleigh Technium Teardown

I have a late 80's Raleigh Technium that needs some serious work:

I think these bikes are cool because they have aluminum tubes bonded to steel lugs. This particular example looks like it sat outside for a decade or more. I mean, just look at that drivetrain:

I would almost consider this bike a worst case scenario in terms of repair work needed. The cables will likely be useless, the tires are shot, the chain probably needs replacing, and every bearing is going to be dry or rusty. I would definitely avoid buying a bike like this if you don't have the right tools or experience. Fortunately I have lots of tools, so lets dig in.

These crank bold covers unscrew with an allen key:

Now I just use a 14mm socket to remove the crank bolts:

And then pull the crank off with my crank remover:

Crank off:

Those chainrings can be removed with a special little tool with small prongs to fit in the two slots. You need this to keep the little nuts from turning as you unscrew the chainring bolts:

Now just unscrew the bolts with a 5mm allen key (they sometimes come with thread locker on them, so expect them to be tight at first).

All disassembled:

I really only did that so I could clean up those rusty bolts. Next it's the chain's turn:

A slightly rusty chain can be revived by soaking it in motor oil for a while. This one might be too far gone, but I'll try it anyway.

After taking the rear wheel off, I can remove the freewheel with a special tool:

That was easier than I thought:

Now the brakes:

And now the handlebars. First loosen the clamp for the stem shifters:

Then unscrew the stem bolt. If it rises up and the stem still won't move, smack the bolt down with a hammer.

With the quill loosened, you should be able to pull the stem and bars out. Sometimes the aluminum stem can weld itself in place, and then you're going to have a bad day. Fortunately, I had a good day:

The fork comes out after unscrewing the top nut and the bearing race underneath:

That pile of parts used to be a bike:

I'll stop here for now. My next post will show how I restored this bike. With the right tools, even this rusty old bike came apart easily. The most important things to look for would be frame or wheel damage, so always inspect a used bike before you buy. This one is actually in decent shape despite all the rust, and deserves a second chance.