Folding Bikes - Rear rack for R20

I recently purchased a '68 Twenty and it has a rear rack. Though the color matches the bike perfectly (bronze green), I think it was an add-on, as the stays are much too long, making the rack too high in the back.

I see many R20's out there (including the '76 catalog page courtesy of Sheldon Brown, attached) which have aluminum racks (Pletscher?) that run level to the ground, mere inches above the rear wheel. I'd like to find one on ebay, but am unsure how long the stays are. I can eyeball about 15" from the many pictures I see. Can someone confirm please? Am I right in assuming that the rack I have is after-market equipment?

Thanks for the help, BFers!

I recently purchased a '68 Twenty and it has a rear rack. Though the color matches the bike perfectly (bronze green), I think it was an add-on, as the stays are much too long, making the rack too high in the back.

I see many R20's out there (including the '76 catalog page courtesy of Sheldon Brown, attached) which have aluminum racks (Pletscher?) that run level to the ground, mere inches above the rear wheel. I'd like to find one on ebay, but am unsure how long the stays are. I can eyeball about 15" from the many pictures I see. Can someone confirm please? Am I right in assuming that the rack I have is after-market equipment?Every Raleigh Twenty I've ever seen came with a Pletscher aluminum rack, a special version of this popular rack with shorter legs than the normal model.

These are not great racks. The Twenty has an unusually beefy, long seatpost so it's a prime candidate for a seatpost-mount rack. There are lots to choose from, both flat models and versions with extensions to permit the use of panniers.

Sheldon "Twenty" Brown

If you are set on having a Pletscher rack, Thor sells them, plus some very nice other goodies. I don't know about their leg length. I use my Pletscher rack for commuting but for touring I used a heavier Topeak rack.

Just measured mine, the rack legs are exactly 30cm long between the mounting hole centres.

Follow up: There's a Raleigh Superbe up for auction on ebay right now ... and behold ... there's the rack that's on my Twenty (see pic). Interesting.

Guess what's coming off tomorrow? Maybe I'll stick it on my Hercules.

Thanks for the advice on alternatives, Mr. Brown. Reading your page on Twenty's is what got me interested in them in the first place. I was surprised that they commanded such a high price on ebay, and I had nearly pulled the trigger on one auction, but then I discovered a Twenty on Craigslist at a very reasonable price. I consider myself lucky that the seller hadn't done his homework and listed it low.

Thanks again, all!

My '71 Twenties have a chromed steel rack that originally had plastic tray-like thing fixed to the top; I believe the bike came with a rack-top shopping bag. Unfortunately the bag is missing and the plastic has gone bad, but I will be using the rack.

For what it's worth, I have a Tubus Logo on the back of my R20. Seems to work fine.

My BSA 20 has a 77 hub

Its got a chrome rack with some holes in it. Must be for the box thing.
Put the light in one....after I butchered the rusty bracket from the light....doh

Thanks for the advice on alternatives, Mr. Brown. Reading your page on Twenty's is what got me interested in them in the first place. w.



I second that. Sheldon is the man. He's the one that got me on the Twenty mod'ing bandwagon and 4,000+ miles later, I still love it. I second his suggestion of getting a rack that attaches via seatpost. I have one on mine and it works great,

Juan