Folding Bikes - Multi Mode Commuting to Londons Docklands

So, for about 2 years I've been cycling to and from the station, and recently, I bought a Raleigh 20, as an affordable way to get my bike to London with me (I live in Southampton). I'd thought of getting an old bike and leaving it in town, but I figured it'd be likely to get stolen, and that I'd have trouble keeping it well maintained. I picked up the 20 for £20, and all it's needed is thumb shift to replace the grip shifter, and replacement grips.

I got an Ortlieb Office Bag 2, mounted it up, and I was all sorted. Rode it to and from the station a few times (3.5 miles each way) to get used to it, and then, this week, took it with me. I'm a consultant, and my work is done on customer sites, or at hotels (for workshops). On this occasion it was at a hotel at the Excel exhibition centre in Docklands, where I work regularly. I haven't yet figured out how to deal with getting to places I've never been before and arriving on time, so I decided that this time, it would be enough just to deal with needing to cycle in my work clothes, and still arrive looking presentable.

Getting on the train, there were no bike rack spaces, and I cursed myself for forgetting my bungee, the only thing which keeps the 20 folded. Never mind - got it folded, and tucked it down beside the other bikes - no problem. At the other end, crossed the Westminster bridge, and struck out along the river. It was a lot of fun, keeping up with the guys on their roadies - sure they weren't racing, but it was nice that I wasn't getting dropped, despite that I'm noticeably slower on the 20 than on a full-size. It was all straightforward, right through the City of London, and there were still plenty of other riders as I dived into the Limehouse Link Tunnels. In there, I was in the outside lane, blasting past the traffic, but all the bikes peeled off and went towards Blackwall, leaving me the only one heading for Royal George.

Out the other side, I found myself on a 3 lanes each way road, and got honked once. I didn't see any "no cycling" signs, but it's clearly not common. Once I got to where you peel off to head down into the docks, I was able to get onto bike paths. Got there in good time, not too sweaty, quite presentable. There were no bike racks, but I double locked to a fence, and it's not a specially stealable looking bike. On the way home, there were no cycling signs where I wanted to go. I got there in the end, following "London Cycleway" signs, but got confused several times. The heavens opened good and hard twice on the way home, making me slow down (still on steel rims and sidepulls with old pads), and proving that my inexpensive rainjacket, which works well in showers, is no match for the full force of the English weather. Ended up on a train home which had no bike storage, but the 20 sat by the doors fully folded with no trouble. I'm now less convinced that I really need to drop £300 on a Brompton, and am seriously thinking about gently upgrading the 20...

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a322/Samuelw72/P6040010.jpg

Hello Sammyboy and Welcome!

Look at your experiences on your Twenty this way-as a way to see the true potential of a really nice one that is better in performance and more technologically advanced (i.e. new) folder will give you. A Brompton does not need even a cover to get on most public buses, trains or the like here in Southern California (although I still prefer to cover my 2005 Companion model). I can place it anywhere there is a odd nook or cranny space in the cabin of the same vehicles. The reason being I might have to jump on a train or bus unexpectively, or use someone's car without a bike rack on top or in the rear. I also have a 2003 Boardwalk and a 2006 Piccolo both Dahons that can do the same thing-yet in a somewhat bigger package.

Keep your Twenty for hard weekend or other such excusions and use the nice one for business or probable use on trains/buses. Let me know what you have decided to do and see below for information and photos of all of my bikes.

I don't have the money to drop on a Brompton or a Merc, and technically I'm a little over the max weight too. The 20 is doing fine for now, I'm a big enough lad to carry it with no trouble, have no desire to take it on buses or the underground, and I'm really not having any problems with it on the train. I think alu rims, and a set of dual pivot brakes are in order, as is a longer seatpost. I can do all that for £100, probably, a third the cost of a Merc, so it's hard to see the justification for paying out!

Sammyboy.... the most important upgrades will be Kool-Stop Salmon brake pads and then Big Apple (or other all-weather) tires. A waterproof cover for your helmet is a nice touch. I had a cabbie in Paddington actually stop me on my Swift and ask me where I got my helmet cover. He had never heard of Nashbar.

I don't know if the Brompton would be able to carry you and that heavy luggage on the rear rack. You'll also find the Brompton will ride a lot harder than your 20' inch wheel folder with low pressure tires. Maybe if you have more money, invest in a better rear hub when rebuilding the rear wheel like the Sprinter 5 or Nexus 8.

Hi Sammyboy, welcome - On the route, I've done the commute from Waterloo to Docklands ('Cheated' a couple of times too, on the docklands light railway :D ).

I assume you got all the (free) TFL cycle route maps (http://www.tfl.gov.uk/modalpages/2663.aspx)?
Good for route planning and for downloading route maps.
These are also available in paper form (I much prefer these - can fold them to match the ride) - TFL will post the maps to you or they can be collected from many tube stations bike shops etc.
https://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/roadusers/cycling/cycleroutes/default.asp

I find the routes are sometimes slightly longer than the road route, and the signs are often missing or confusing, so the maps are essential. These routes are usualy faster due to lack of traffic lights, cars etc. obviously much safer too ..... Also you get to see some fascinating places.

HIGHLY recommended.

Thanks for the route map advice - I wasn't aware of those! I do business development as a large part of my role, so I have to go all over london. I was considering satnav on the handlebars, to conquer new areas! I have to admit, I do love riding major roads sometimes - there's something about whipping along at 25-30, dodging the cars that gets me woken up.

My main considerations as far as upgrades are what to do with the wheels. I don't think I'm going to throw away the Sturmey hub - I have them on a lot of bikes, and love them, and the alternates are so expensive. I'd be looking at £80+ to pick up any Nexus hub. I'm thinking that 406's are the way to go, since the rims are so much more readily available. Will 406 bmx rims and Big Apples fit in the 20's fenders? I found good dual pivot LOOOONG reach brakes at SJS cycles for not too many clams, and kool stop salmons with those would be sweet. Surprisingly, I think I'll stay with the standard seat. It's quite comfortable for journeys below 10 miles, and the only thing I'd consider as a replacement would be a sprung Brooks, like a B66 or something, which would increase the stealability of the bike a LOT.

I won't say 'welcome' as we all know you've been on the boards ages!
Loving the top box - ok in winds? Your twenty is a beauty. So nice in stock form when they're as nice as that.

Caveats of going down to 406:
1) brake reach, but you know this
2) the bottom bracket gets lowered too so pedal strikes are that little bit easier
3) Wheel circumference is smaller so your top end is lessened slightly

I wish alloy 451s were easier to get here in the UK as they would be a nicer upgrade. Twenty's just look more elegant, better proportioned with the slightly bigger wheels. I think you should try the brakepad upgrade first - perhaps with new cables and more modern handles too - and see if this counters the slipperyness of the rims, before going all out for 406's

[edit] I meant to also add - watch those quick releases. Spiteful bike thieves are won't to remove parts off the bike if they can't easily steal it as witnessed the two saddles and one framebolt gone from securely locking it in london. 5 saddles in london overall when you add the bikes that have gone too. Such a blight. I wish they'd pick on someone else. Cars maybe. You don't hear of windsreen wipers or light trim going missing do you?

Sammyboy.... the most important upgrades will be Kool-Stop Salmon brake pads and then Big Apple (or other all-weather) tires. A waterproof cover for your helmet is a nice touch. I had a cabbie in Paddington actually stop me on my Swift and ask me where I got my helmet cover. He had never heard of Nashbar.

Are Kool Stop products available in the UK, does anyone know - Presumably for Twenty type caliper brakes it would be the ''Continental'' salmon type that are required ? or perhaps the Eagle2's ??

I had the same question. You can get the Mountain pads in salmon from www.wiggle.co.uk, but I've not found Salmon Continentals anywhere.

OK, i've found this link now, seems to be the answer.

http://www.amba-marketing.com/products.php?cid=58&pid=520

I've not got a twenty, but have got a Puch from the same era, & I'm guessing much the same style of brakes, it's got steel rims & no brakes to speak of in the wet, maybe this is just the thing to sort it out.

I was able to pick up some Continental Salmon blocks from The Bicycle Workshop in All Saints Road, London W11, that's the LBS that Hugh Grant would have gone to if he'd had a bike in the film, Notting Hill. A great place, they hada both an Airnimal and a Bridgestone Moulton in the window, and the door was propped open with one of those snazzy 6" wheel, £500 heavyweight folders, with the duplex drive system whose name I can't remember. The kicker was that the Kool stops were £4.50, significantly cheaper than the propriatry gear another LBs tried to palm me off with.

Well, personally, I think you're nuts to think of investing £100 in a £20 bike. Especially an old one that is pretty famous for being fiddly. (like the old English cars) I'd sooner use what you have (it is obviously working OK for you) and save a bit to get something nicer & lighter.

There's something about the Raleigh 20s that inspire passsion. People pick them up, then immediately start tearing them down to try to make them better. Maybe one has to be across the pond to understand it, as I surely don't.

Koolstop salmons will tranform your stopping performance. I've only used them on alloy rims, but my caliper brakes were dangerously bad before. Now they're only slighly bad.

As someone that's spent more than £100 (ahem) on my Twenty I'd say it was all very well spent.
(And I'm not american. Welsh actually)

Sure - it's not something everyone would want to do but hey - there's no need to be so curmudgeonly about it. It's not madness - it's enthusiasm in exactly the same way someone might put a 2000cc mill into a 1300 VW Beetle or spend their sundays painting the timbers on their boat.

Rational? Not really but this stuff is horses for causes - if someone wants to upgrade an old thing (good for carbon footprinting) rather than paying out for the fresh mining/refining/manufacturing of yet more of the worlds resources for a new thing then that's their prerogative surely?

And a new folders like a Boardwalk or Downtube just won't look as sweet as a vintage Twenty anyway. Too many doodads, not enough style.

Well, personally, I think you're nuts to think of investing £100 in a £20 bike. Especially an old one that is pretty famous for being fiddly. (like the old English cars) I'd sooner use what you have (it is obviously working OK for you) and save a bit to get something nicer & lighter.

It all depends what you want I suppose, but you have to remember the US/UK price differentials. A Dahon Curve D3 is 349 sterling here, that's around $700, puts a different perspective on the value aspect I think.