THE RALEIGH TWENTY

Your ever-expanding web resource for the Raleigh Twenty
and other classic small-wheel bicycles.

April~2018

dangabrown's Raw Twenty

After restoring my first twenty (see previous gallery), I had well and truly caught the R20 bug! I found another gem, this time on Facebook marketplace, and decided to do something a bit special this time round, after doing a standard restoration before. The inspiration for this build was to create a tiny wheel road/urban bike for a bit of fun and maybe some summer club rides, which is completely different to my other Twenty, designated for the food shop and pootling around. The first step to this build was to take off all unnecessary bits from the frame, which included removing and sanding down the pump mounts, kickstand and chain guard mount, as well as adapting the bottom bracket shell to open up my options. I had also considered how spec this bike, and decided that modern components with a classic styling was the way to go. For the gearing and brakes, I decided to go for single speed coaster brake, which is so simple and clean looking. A modern caliper brake and lever was chosen for the front for added stopping power. The wheels were build for me by BikeuLike in Southsea, with 451 Aluminium rims I found with Tioga Powerblok BMX tyres. Once I had the frame back with the components needed, I built the bike back up to see how it was looking. I have to say I was over the moon but felt that there was something else that could be done to make it that exta bit special... Stripping the paint was not something I took lightly, but having seen it done on other frames, I really wanted that silver raw look with the brass around the welds. I decided to speed this process up with some power tools, using a drill with a metal sanding brush. This made the job easier but still very time consuming! Once done, the bike was built again and the end result is something very unique I think. Next project (when I have the space) is a R20 offroader I think... Full build specs Nitto handlebar and extra long stem, BLB brake lever, Brooks Honey Tape, ETC seatpost, BLB Pista cranks, SA single speed coaster brake hubs, Tioga Powerblok tyres.


Click here to see more of his photos.
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Please send me your pictures and write-ups by the 25th of the month so I have something to choose from for the next month and beyond.


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The Grumpy Old Squid, David in Florida, 2whls3spds


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Since April 10, 2013
 
Twenty-Twenty Vision by RichardM
 
Twenty-Twenty Vision by RichardM

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The original Raleigh Twenty was in production in various forms and under various names from 1968 until 1984 and has gained a cult following from cyclists worldwide. This popularity can be largely attributed to the late Sheldon Brown, a legendary bicycle guru, who owned several Raleigh Twentys throughout his lifetime. 


At one stage, the Twenty was Raleigh's biggest seller.  Raleigh's survival through the cycling slump of the 70's can be largely attributed to the Twenty and it's variant models.  It was also sold under many of Raleigh's captive brand names such as Triumph, Sun, Hercules and BSA.  It was sold as the "Supercycle Twenty" in Canada.  It was also built to a unique design by Morrison Industries in New Zealand.