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Old 08-15-10, 07:26 PM
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folder fanatic
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Originally Posted by Gotte
How heavy a Raleigh 20 frame is? Is it like a ton of bricks, or comparable with say a Dahon 7 (which seems quite sturdily built)?

I can get one for about £10, and the thought has crossed my mind to build it up into a second folder (replacing everything, probably except the stem, handlebars and frame).

Also, does it take a standard Shimano BB? I'm guessing being British, it would. But you never know...
I am a Raleigh Twenty owner and now a former owner of 2 sacrificed Dahon bicycles. I guess I can safely chime in on this thread's discussion. I bought my Twenty as a back-up folder to my Brompton (my primary bike) as I decided that longevity is more important to me than solely focusing on the weight fixation that the bicycle world seems to argue about endlessly. I am leaving most original parts on, upgrading some other parts, and adding some bags for it's sole use (will not be used on the Brompton). The bike is right now at the shop awaiting some ordered parts. So far, so good.

Originally Posted by stevegor

The next thing to change is............

Just remember the R20 is an old bike...you can sink some money into them and mod them like I have, it will still be an old bike, but if you're a tinkerer and you enjoy some challenges the end results are a surprisingly fun bike to ride which will serve you faithfully for years to come.....and NO FLEX!!

Good luck.
I cannot go the way of stevegor, Little Pixel, and the rest of the gifted artistic tinkerers of these forums simply because I don't know how to tinker! But that did not stop me from buying, salvaging, and even selling off the Dahons for this old bike. I grew up with bikes such as this one is. I understand this is an old bike (and so am I), and no one in their right mind would buy one since the new bikes are so pretty. Well, I always like to go against popular opinion and operate under the best way to conduct my own life. And this bike is the best way for me way back in the past (had I known about folding bikes then) and now.

Originally Posted by Gotte
Many thanks, esp to Stevegor - that answered all my questions. I'll pop over to the Sheldon site and read up. I enjoy a project and will think about this one. I had half hoped to tour abroad with it (well, for my friend or me, depending which is the best ride between that and my alu folder), but my main fear is the weight, not so much for my legs as for paying excess luggage.
If you have the fear of weight (and rightly so) when choosing to fly with such a heavy bike, I would also hesitate to bring the Twenty with me. The reality of flying has change very much over even a short period of time with all the new excess fees placed on passengers. As for riding the Twenty, I don't have such fears. I do fear it somewhat if I have to carry it or even lift it for too long. I am busy working on solutions to those problems and will share my solutions when the bike comes back from the shop.

Originally Posted by harlond
The fork weighs 872 grams (1.92 lbs). The front frame section weighs about 1140 grams (2.51 lbs). I couldn't weigh the rear frame section because my scale only goes up to 5 lbs!
I think I will take the bike over to the Veterinary hospital soon to weigh it. There is a large scale there that is meant for the giant dogs that might just about fit the Twenty.

Originally Posted by stevegor
As I said over a year ago, the R20 is not a light bike, but it has stood the test of time.
With sensible light weight mods you can drop a far bit of that weight off and you still have a solid and dependable bike ideal for touring and commuting....... and no worrying FLEX.
Just remember, it's not a Bike Friday Pocket Rocket Pro.
That is exactly what I want in my own Twenty!

Last edited by folder fanatic; 08-15-10 at 07:33 PM.
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