Show us your Raleigh?!?
- Thread starter *Dusty*
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
raleighnut
Legendary Member
- Location
- One of the 'Elite'
Very niceToo small for me though
It is small it's only a 51cms frame, I'm 5'7" so perfect for me as I prefer a smaller, more compact bike.
philtalksbx
Über Member
- Location
- Oxford
Very nice, and I'm with you on the balance of a bike to ride for its own sake. Hope to see you on it around Oxford sometime - I might even have got my RRA built by then.
SkipdiverJohn
Deplorable Brexiteer
- Location
- London
Here's a little teaser of the latest piece of quality Nottingham machinery to join the fleet at Skipdiver Towers.....I'll have to forego a pint of 'spoons finest real ale with my curry to balance my household budget now, but I think it was worth it.
As you can see, it's one of those funny small wheel shopper jobs. It has the rear rack but no front basket. The frame number starts with NS4, but the rear wheel has been replaced so no SA hub dating available. Haven't managed to ride it because the rear inner tube is completely f***ed and won't hold any air at all, front seems fine. It's been modernised with ISO 406 alloy rims and is running 20" x 1.95" tyres.
I know there's a few Twenty family owners on here, so am I looking at a 1974 bike or a 1984 bike? My gut feeling says 1974, because they were big sellers in the 1970's, much less so in the '80's.
As you can see, it's one of those funny small wheel shopper jobs. It has the rear rack but no front basket. The frame number starts with NS4, but the rear wheel has been replaced so no SA hub dating available. Haven't managed to ride it because the rear inner tube is completely f***ed and won't hold any air at all, front seems fine. It's been modernised with ISO 406 alloy rims and is running 20" x 1.95" tyres.
I know there's a few Twenty family owners on here, so am I looking at a 1974 bike or a 1984 bike? My gut feeling says 1974, because they were big sellers in the 1970's, much less so in the '80's.
FrankCrank
Old layabout
Nice one Skippy - always said these were only worth a round of drinks, got yourself a bargain there.
Should be a number on the top rear of the seat tube, and this will help determine the manufacture date
Good that it has alloy rims - better braking and saves weight. Any plans for it?
SkipdiverJohn
Deplorable Brexiteer
- Location
- London
Thanks for that @FrankCrank , I knew I'd seen that page before somewhere. The frame number is in the normal place and looks like it dates to December 1974, as I'd be surprised if they lasted to the end of '84. It's a Nottingham built example.
The alloys also mean it has been single-speeded - so if I want to restore it to SA gearing I'll have to rebuild the wheel. When I have a proper look over it, I'll do a spoke count and see if Ive got a AW hub in stock with the right number of spoke holes. If so, I'm going to find out if I'm any good at wheel building or not!
.
Plans initially are dismantle it, regrease all the bearings, maybe give the frame a coat of clear lacquer, get rid of the girly saddle, put an airtight inner tube in and give it a try. With a basket strapped to the rack, I can see it being useful for local shopping trips or even going to the pub on. Doing the latter would probably result in me being on the recieving end of much piss-taking though!
The alloys also mean it has been single-speeded - so if I want to restore it to SA gearing I'll have to rebuild the wheel. When I have a proper look over it, I'll do a spoke count and see if Ive got a AW hub in stock with the right number of spoke holes. If so, I'm going to find out if I'm any good at wheel building or not!
.Plans initially are dismantle it, regrease all the bearings, maybe give the frame a coat of clear lacquer, get rid of the girly saddle, put an airtight inner tube in and give it a try. With a basket strapped to the rack, I can see it being useful for local shopping trips or even going to the pub on. Doing the latter would probably result in me being on the recieving end of much piss-taking though!
FrankCrank
Old layabout
Wheel building is not to be feared, certainly not the black art that some make it out to be. I've built around a dozen or so now, and found the tutorial over on Atomic Zombie very useful. My R20 here is from '77, and another back there is an '82 I think. Here's a pic of the one over here
It's had the full modernisation treatment - BB conversion with alloy crankset, V-brakes, etc. A fun project for sure
It's had the full modernisation treatment - BB conversion with alloy crankset, V-brakes, etc. A fun project for sure
raleighnut
Legendary Member
- Location
- One of the 'Elite'
Headbadge says 74, by 84 they'd gone to a glued on one.
SkipdiverJohn
Deplorable Brexiteer
- Location
- London
@FrankCrank how did you deal with the Raleigh BB issue? Is that a standard cotterless square taper axle housed in the original cup & cones? Was the axle width compatible enough for it to go straight on, or did it require metalworking?
I wouldn't be averse to doing something similar. After all R20's aren't rare bikes, so modifying one to make it more practical is no great crime. I can weld and bash metal, and I can always cannibalise scrappers for donor parts. Possibly a project is coming on...
I wouldn't be averse to doing something similar. After all R20's aren't rare bikes, so modifying one to make it more practical is no great crime. I can weld and bash metal, and I can always cannibalise scrappers for donor parts. Possibly a project is coming on...
SkipdiverJohn
Deplorable Brexiteer
- Location
- London
That's really confirmation of what I was thinking @raleighnut, as my later Raleighs from the 80's and 90's don't have visible badge rivets. Looks like it could make a nice little bike and it was, literally, the price of a pint in 'spoons.
