Chrome Molly

I think 555t is probably tange 2 or tange 3, but can't really substantiate that. I'm pretty sure it's not rebranded Reynolds. The reason I think it's tange is the fact the frame is made in taiwan. I think the company probably designed the bike without really thinking what tubing it would use. They came up with 555t as a sort of "corinthian leather", and then sourced it later. My even lower end Wyoming's sticker specifically states "555t butted chromoly main tubes, all tubes chromoly", so I doubt the stays on the alyeska are hi ten. Having fondled it as a bare frame for weeks before building it up, I can tell you these bikes are of decent quality (even if built in Taiwan)

Standalone 

Makes sense. Your point about the "Corinthian Leather" had occurred to me, though not with so apt an analogy. Thanks for the info on the Wyoming Sticker. Guess I'll have to wait for my Alyeska in the mail to see what it says!

thestoutdog

I have two of these Kodiaks and think they are great rides. My boy, thestoutpup rides the the 23" and the 25" is waiting for later this year when he grows into the bigger one. Anyone have advice for making this a 700cc wheeled bike with bar-end or even brifters? It currently has 27" wheels with down tube shifters.

The Thin Man 

I'm not changing the wheel size of my Kodiak but I certainly can comment on the bar-end/brifter issue. If you scroll back to the beginning of the thread the cable stop issue is touched on then I posted here and the gloves came off for opinions on how to handle these alternative bosses. I will be posting more on my workaround for these within the next few days but I can say that if you have the time and inclination, cable stops can be altered to fit, it just won't be perfect.

Bianchigirll 

ThinMan glad to hear you got something cooking for those bosses.

StoutDog; The problem with putting 700c wheels on these is the cantilever brakes, the studs are aligned for 27" wheels which puts them tii high for 700c wheels.

The Thin Man 

Just to close the loop on the above mentioned Shimano shifters, I have pushed through some challenges to modify the cable stops I currently had to work around the shifter boss issue. My solution is not perfect nor is it permanent (assuming I keep and restore the bike fully). In the end, I believe my resolution works for functionality but it is not quite as streamlined as I would have liked. Either way it should be good enough for government work.

Check out the full disclosure on my blog posting.

Standalone 

Me on my Alyeska this week. 175 miles, 15 hours ride time, 31 hours total doorstep to doorstep.

The Thin Man 

Very nice!! I'm convinced more and more that the Raleigh line of touring bikes from this vintage is some solid stock.
Also, on another note, I just picked up an '86 Alyeska in the same color scheme as yours. I plan on posting the find on the main forum soon.

cycleheimer

How did it do? Any maintenance issues? Comfortable ride? 175 miles in 15 hours sounds like a pretty steady average speed of 12mph without any hitches. Looks great!

Doohickie

Yeah, I've heard Raleigh 555 = Reynolds 501.

Doohickie

Interesting theory, but it could be any tubing; after all if they named it before sourcing, you never know what they ended up with.

Are all the Raleigh tourers made in Taiwan? I have some from the Sport Touring side of the lineup- a Marathon and a Super Course. The Marathon, made with 502 tubes, was made in Taiwan; the 555SL Super Course was made in Japan.

cycleheimer

My '84 Raleigh Touring 18 (similar to the Alyeska) has 555t tubing. There is a sticker on it indicating that it was designed and engineered in the U.S., but was made in Japan. It's a pretty decent bike.

Standalone 

cycleheimer-- it was awesome. I blew upstate at an average of 14+ over the first 70 or so miles. The average crept down with headwinds and the fatigue of 110 miles after 70 the day before. And the deer didn't let me sleep much...

Maintenance was great, although the cantis are designed so that the spring pulls directly on the brakepad posts as you try to adjust-- hard to work with. I was in a rush to head out, so only replaced the front pads, which the spring had toed way in. I set them up right and pretty quickly on the morning of day 2, but it took some determination.

The geo is amazing. The bars will settle themselves to go straight after any bump or jostle. Really amazing. As far opposite of twitchy as you can imagine, but not to the point of feeling clunky or absurdly slow.

Also-- as for the steel question-- I corrected myself here I think-- 555 was several different things. This is Double Butted CrMo.

The Thin Man 

*** Update ***

The Kodiak rebuild has been taken about as far as I would like to go without knowing if the fit is where I need it to be. Plus, tack on my need for a daily commuter and you've got a recipe for a bike that needs to hit the streets!

Thanks everyone for your initial thoughts and advice. If the build goes to the next level, I will be thrilled to show the progress on the board.

The shots are below as there are more (along with a more thorough write up) showcased on my blog. Enjoy the shots.

kiwigem

Very enthusiastic thumbs up!
Aren't you going to give us a close up of the cable stops after all that?

The Thin Man 

Haha! Good point. I probably should do that.



I'm not sure if you have had the opportunity but I did a small writeup about the cable stops here.

Thanks for your comments!

kiwigem

Those gaps are very subtle- a casual onlooker wouldn't notice. What a lovely bike.

Chris_in_Miami

My first thought was "uh-oh, he must have butchered up the shifter bosses..." I'm glad that wasn't the case. Very nice work Thin Man!

cycleheimer

Have you planned any more trips for it yet? These bikes are great!

The Thin Man 

Thanks Chris! They aren't perfect but I'd say they are good enough for government work!

spurious

I wouldn't bother. Put some 630-32mm paselas on there and call it a day. They are pretty good touring rubber.

Standalone 

I have some 27" CX Knobbies that I could throw on and take on a gravel towpath somewhere-- I think the C&O has packed gravel stretches, right? I grew up right around the MD/DE/PA border, so that's kind of my neck of the woods.

I have also considered a coastwise trek from my home in Conn. down through Jersey and on the Cape May Ferry-- then on down Delmarva and then back up Rt. 213 to my parents' home in Cecil Co., Md.

I do have the summer off and no major home rennovation projects, so it might be a good time to tour, tour, tour!!!

THIN MAN-- great work, and thanks for all the photos. My left arm was literally pumped up from just 2 days of shifting-- constantly doing that one armed push up to shift... I'm seriously considering the same shifter retrofit. Yours worked out rather nicely. Part of the attraction of Touring Bikes is that they can be beautiful while also gladly making practical aesthetic compromises-- like forgiving a little gap in the cable stops! It's all about doing what works, and sometimes doing it in style. Your bike does both!

My Alyseka is jealous of that Deore RD...

rossiny

I am looking at one right now. I was disappointed by a Schwinn Voyageur Champion tubing, that I later found out has a bent fork on one side and toe overlap which I dislike. I had a 1985 or so Bianchi Volpe and found it s bit heavy and toe overlap when had fenders. I sold that and need to sell the Voyageur, but will disclose the bent fork. .
So wish me luck on this Kodiak...!

polymorphself 

If the tubing is the same and the kodiak has low rider fork mounts, fender and rack eyelets, cantis etc, what did the portage have that was better?

rossiny

it was blessed by the British touring gods..hehe.
I am sure somebody will know. I am going to go look at a Kodiak , tried to research a bit, looking for s decent touring bike ( light touring)that doesn't weigh a ton.