Folding Bikes - WASP R20 upgrades

So, after fiddling around with other bikes for a while I decided to finally play with the R20. It has a SA 8 spd IGH with a 25t rear and 48t front with 451 wheels, this makes 8th gear quite tall and 1st not low enough for serious mountain climbs, so this is what I'm doing.............

1: I've mounted a 37t front ring with the 48t

2: Removed/cut the old steel drops, (Some may remember I had to cut and weld them to fit the SA gripshifter), and installed a flat bar with the SA shifter and a 2 spd Sachs shifter attach, then in place went a set of Origin 8 drops bar ends.

3: I have a Shimano Alivio FD which fits a R20's frame nicely if you remove the small metal shims.

4: A chain tensioner will be mounted when I figure out which type of rear hanger to use. I have numerous claw type hangers, but they seem to have the original RD pressed into place and are lacking a thread for the CT to screw on.I can either make a suitable one or cut a hanger off one of my steel roadie frames and weld that onto the R20.

This will make the R20 a 16 spd with a wide range of gears for all applications...wish me luck!!

Good luck!
Sounds like a good set of upgrades - the kind you can only make when you've had the bike a while and learnt it's shortfalls.

Interested in the Alivio front derailleur - I thought it'd be a nightmare to find one that'd fit the R20 frame for some reason. [adds it to ebay watchlist]

So still thinking about doing a 520 wheeled version?

I got some claws from Shimano Tourney mechs. The horrible red and black ones. They have the standard thread on them. Could send you one.

Or you could scrounge one at local bike shop. I would have just thrown them out of my bike shop

Also the FD has to be a 31.8mm top swing type. These have the frame clamp lower, so its not at the same place as the frame tube.

A lot of them either have 2 places to clamp the cable, or have a guide on the mech.
So they can be used with the cable coming from under or above

You will need a cable stop on the frame some where. As modern front mechs seldom have one built in.

Good luck!
Sounds like a good set of upgrades - the kind you can only make when you've had the bike a while and learnt it's shortfalls.

Interested in the Alivio front derailleur - I thought it'd be a nightmare to find one that'd fit the R20 frame for some reason. [adds it to ebay watchlist]

So still thinking about doing a 520 wheeled version?

Yes LP, I am......I have a XT front hub and a Sachs 3x7 rear hub waiting to be laced up into a set of Velocity rims and some nice Avid Vbrakes which I'll have to add travel agents too for the roadie brake levers on drop bars. I'm making the forks up from an old 24" junker bike, so braze-ons for a front pannier rack will happen as well.

Being kept too busy with the mods on my R20, the upgrading I'm doing on my tandem, the Ultegra shifters that need to go on my steel roadie and more, I hope to get this R24 project done by Xmas for a tour I want to do.




I got some claws from Shimano Tourney mechs. The horrible red and black ones. They have the standard thread on them. Could send you one.

Or you could scrounge one at local bike shop. I would have just thrown them out of my bike shop

Thanks for the tip, Alec. I have an old fashioned LBS nearby so I'll check it out. :thumb:

...I have an old fashioned LBS nearby...

Sigh.You lucky barstard.

...I have an old fashioned LBS nearby...

Sigh.You lucky barstard.


Yep, stuff like Sturmey Archer bits n pieces, old school bmx junk etc.....If you need something let me know I might be able to get it for you.....Central Vic is not that far from Sydney for posting small stuff. ;)