Originally Posted by
bhkyte
I don't not fully get the R20 (cult) thing. In England they are/were a bit of a joke. But I am starting to get the upgrade interest.
"Thoses in the know", know better I guess.
Maybe one day I will "need" a R20
Lemme see... the bike is bombproof and has one of the nicest rides of any small wheeled bike and with some small upgrade to the wheels and brakes they become really wonderful bikes with no need for changes as radical as mine.
Because I work in a frame shop I have the ability to do some pretty radical stuff... my 20 is a great bike but is also serving as a test bed for ideas as I would like to translate the changes I have made on this bike to a new custom build.
I could have bought a Bike Friday NWt but where is the fun in that ?
There is something about riding a bicycle that you have pretty much built from the ground up... the H frame and stem are the only original parts on my 20 and even the stem has seen some custom work as it had no wedge nut and was retained by a top clamp. It now has a bottom fitted wedge nut which is accessed through the bottom of the steerer and is a temporary set up as a new custom stem is in the works.
I have a number of one off custom built bikes that were made by other builders... but there is something about riding something you have built yourself and feedback from other test pilots has been exceedingly positive.
My partner has been building bikes for 30 years... he is just starting to appreciate small wheeled bikes and we have a custom 20 inch tourer in the works that is shaping up to be an incredible and original design.