Folding Bikes - I've finished my Raleigh Project

So my LocalBikeShop FINALLY finished lacing the SRAM hub into the rim on Friday so I've been able to finish the build and take her for a spin; needed some adjustment to get the steering non-skittery but she's running like a dream now. The frame was stripped, blasted, new v-brake bosses added and sprayed/laquered/decaled by the good folks at M.Steel Cycles, Newcastle who did a wonderful job
http://www.msteelcycles.co.uk/

http://www.littlepixel.info/twenty/AnotherRaleighTwenty/Gallery_files/105_0554.jpg

Ok here's the anal bit
Original Parts used:
Frame
Frame Bolt
Rear Rack (Sprayed with matt-black 'barbecue paint')
Handlebars ( " " )

Parts list:
2x 406 Diamondback Black Alloy Rims
2x Schwalbe Stelvio 'Dahon Speed edition" tyres
Shimano Deore V-Brakes front and rear.
Chili Works 1" threaded Suspension fork (cheap and cheerful and a bit 'divey')
Tange 1" threaded headset
Kalloy 1" Angle-Adjustable quill Stem
Second hand Scott ATB Brake handles (eBay)
Cane Creek ergonomic bar-ends
Shimano UN-72 Bottom Bracket, held in with Phil Wood rings
Shimano Tiagra Chainset w.52 tooth cog and long arms (175mm?) (will remove second ring when I get pre-ordered singlespeed bolts)
Shimano SPD clipless pedals
SRAM Spectro 7 hub and shifters
SRAM silver link chain
Selle Italia lightweight road saddle
Altura Saddlebag
KF seatpost clip
Ultralight suspension seatpost (can't remember manufacturer but was not a cheapy!)
Cateye Lights
Marware iPod clip
New Raleigh headpost badge from eBay
No-name lightweight mudguard (rear)
Cateye Velo 5 cycloputer

You can see a full gallery of my wee beauty at:
http://littlepixel.info/twenty/AnotherRaleighTwenty/Gallery.html

Nice! Does it handle better? It looks like the suspension fork has raised the front of the frame and changed the wheelbase and fork rake angle a bit. I should think that would improve the handling.

Beautiful!
Just out of curiosity how much does it weigh?

That looks really nice. Fine job!

Nice work!

Nice! Does it handle better? It looks like the suspension fork has raised the front of the frame and changed the wheelbase and fork rake angle a bit. I should think that would improve the handling.

Thanks - glad you like it! I haven't really ridden it that far yet but it seems very lively and responsive. Though saying that the ride on a stock twenty is pretty good too. My first ride was a bit hairy so I increased the angle of the stem. It felt very 'tiller' like and unstable but just a few degrees and an inch or so height added to the bar and it made all the difference...

Beautiful!
Just out of curiosity how much does it weigh?

Thanks for the kind comments. I'm especially happy with the way the yellow tyres set off against the black wheels and forks. As for your question - hmm it's hard to say as I don't have a good way of weighing it. I picked it up today and it felt kinda ok weightwise. Not as heavy as I was expecting but not light like I'm sure a Dahon must seem. It probably weighs a wee bit less than than it did unmodified but the light rims, mudguards, saddle and seatpost are offset against a heavier fork and hub so its diet helped to cover its new heavy bits.

It looks very nice . I am sure you will enjoy it.

Very nice. I love the black wheels and that's a really nice paint job. The rear V-brake is great also.

One comment - you may end up wanting a front fender to keep the grit out of your face when riding in the rain. My 20 has Bike Friday fenders, but they are a bit expensive if you get them new. Recumbent fenders may work. Check out Gaerlan (http://www.gaerlan.com/bikeparts/acc/fender/fender.html) for some ideas. You may also want a waterbottle cage for distance riding.

Do you plan to travel with the bike?

Very nice. I love the black wheels and that's a really nice paint job. The rear V-brake is great also.

One comment - you may end up wanting a front fender to keep the grit out of your face when riding in the rain. My 20 has Bike Friday fenders, but they are a bit expensive if you get them new. Recumbent fenders may work. Check out Gaerlan (http://www.gaerlan.com/bikeparts/acc/fender/fender.html) for some ideas. You may also want a waterbottle cage for distance riding.

Do you plan to travel with the bike?

Thanks - I thought you'd appreciate it.
I actually do have a front mudguard but opted not to fit it right now for reasons of pure aesthetics. More honestly put - it looks a bit silly with those slick tyres. Neccessity will probably dictate I fit it very soon though as arriving at work with spots of mud like a dalmation is bound to wear a little thin. But I'll have a look at your links as a skinnier guard is what I'm really after. I had to abandon the plan to use the black skyway wheel as its axle was not long enough for the forks, plus the fact those tyres didn't sit very safely on the rim because of their lack of inner flanges.

Do I plan to travel? Well I do an 8 mile round commute every day to work and plan to use her on that for a while. My partner and I also have a semi-plan to get a VW camper so if we do this one and the purple stowaway you probably saw in a couple of the shots will come with and be our local day transport wherever we go.... Thanks again for your help and inspiration - if I hadn't seen yours none of this would have happened!

Huw

Thanks - I thought you'd appreciate it.
I actually do have a front mudguard but opted not to fit it right now for reasons of pure aesthetics. More honestly put - it looks a bit silly with those slick tyres. Neccessity will probably dictate I fit it very soon though as arriving at work with spots of mud like a dalmation is bound to wear a little thin. But I'll have a look at your links as a skinnier guard is what I'm really after. I had to abandon the plan to use the black skyway wheel as its axle was not long enough for the forks, plus the fact those tyres didn't sit very safely on the rim because of their lack of inner flanges.

They do look better without the front fender and I sometimes take it off on nice days.


Do I plan to travel? Well I do an 8 mile round commute every day to work and plan to use her on that for a while. My partner and I also have a semi-plan to get a VW camper so if we do this one and the purple stowaway you probably saw in a couple of the shots will come with and be our local day transport wherever we go.... Thanks again for your help and inspiration - if I hadn't seen yours none of this would have happened!

Huw

I'm glad you got inspired. That is a really nce result and I'm sure you will enjoy it.

I was wondering more about whether you plan to pack it for air travel. My website is out of date in that regard. When I switched to the different bars and rear wheel I had to invert the frame in the case to make it fit. I'll update the site next time the bike is at home. I've left it in Florida since the beginnning of the year because of frequent business trips there.

Despite the looks you might want to go with the fattest front fender you can get if it is too skinny water and dirt will get by.

I was wondering more about whether you plan to pack it for air travel..

Oh right - I see what you mean...
Maybe - I haven't really considered it but I suppose I could - especially if I convert the purple stowaway too. Then me and my girlfriend could fly out to europe with them. But I suppose it wasn't a prime consideration in the build.

Purple stowaway? There's a picture to see!

Purple stowaway? There's a picture to see!

It's in the last picture on the gallery...

http://www.littlepixel.info/twenty/AnotherRaleighTwenty/Gallery_files/105_0561.jpg

Got it . I was thinking Dahon stowaway not raliegh.

That's awesome! Great idea with the iPod mount.

I've slowly been building up my Twenty over the winter. I haven't bothered to paint it yet, still trying to get all of the mechanicals worked out. I'm hoping to bring it out for it's maiden voyage today. I had plans to install a front derailleur, but I scrapped it when I realized that I don't use it enough to make it worth the hassle. I need to get it out to work out the bugs. I'm still trying to decide on handlebars also, right now it has a set of Scott AT-3 bars. I'm debating between that, bullhorn and H-type like yours. I'm also considering building a fixed rear wheel.

Got to get some pictures up...

Nicely done! May I ask you where you got those tires and for what price? Do they have more?

DG1

Nicely done! May I ask you where you got those tires and for what price? Do they have more?

DG1

Thanks to everyone for all the positive comments. Been looking at Harris Cyclery today with a view to getting a 16 or 15 tooth sprocket for the hub so I can get a bit more speed. I've removed the redundant chainring and all is running sweetly.

In answer to your question about the rubber: The tyres (tires) are 406 1 1/8" Shwalbe Stevio folding tyres. The fabulous 'mango' stripes are to go with the paint on a Dahon Speed Pro (http://www.dahon.com/speedpro.htm) for which the tyre has been manufactured as a special edition. They weren't cheap but I saw them for sale and *had* to get a pair. Have them inflated to 110 psi and they just roll and roll.

Here's the bike they're *meant* to be for:
http://www.bikesandtrailers.com/folding-bikes/images/dahon/speedproTT_z.jpg

I got them from this UK mailorder site "Cyclesmart" (which is handy living in London); not sure they'd ship overseas but I'm sure a good Schwalbe stockist near you may have them or be able to order them in for you....

http://www.cyclesmart.co.uk/shop/index.php/product/tyres/schwalbetyres/stelviokevlarbelttyres/TYS1902.html

My bars are actually the original chrome/steel originals sprayed black - they're not bad if still a bit heavy - narrower than a lot of bars and the big rise means there's less need to have a lot of stem protruding from the headset; Sadly though the width of the twist shift makes the right-hand brake lever a little hard to reach because it meant the brake fixing had to clamp a little way around the curve of the riser.

I'm begining to think I'd like to get some "Tora Tora" bullhorns and road levers as I seem to predominantly use the bar-ends - though how that would work in conjunction with the twist shifter is less apparent to me... Anyone got any ideas that wouldn't look stupid?

(LittlePixel hasn't actually *listened* to any music on his iPod whilst riding yet - he sees it as a 'summery activity' on quiet roads and isn't sure whether to endorse this contentious practice...)


Got to get some pictures up...

I'd Love to see some pictures of yours: How did the maiden voyage go?

I actually do have a front mudguard but opted not to fit it right now for reasons of pure aesthetics. More honestly put - it looks a bit silly with those slick tyres. Neccessity will probably dictate I fit it very soon though as arriving at work with spots of mud like a dalmation is bound to wear a little thin. But I'll have a look at your links as a skinnier guard is what I'm really after. I had to abandon the plan to use the black skyway wheel as its axle was not long enough for the forks, plus the fact those tyres didn't sit very safely on the rim because of their lack of inner flanges.

Huw

Have you thought of using mudguards from HP Velotechnik's Grasshopper recumbent.
You may be able to get them from: www.bikefix.co.uk/grasshopper.html

They certainly look quite good, and hopefully won't spoil your bike's cool looks.

Hopefully this will look as good one day... maybe?

http://www.andysutty.ndo.co.uk/my%20bike/My%20Twenty%20Project.jpg

Can I also ask what length UN72 Shimano bottom bracket should I get to fit into the BB shell, with Phil Wood rings?

Thanks...

Take it Easy,
EZR.

Can I also ask what length UN72 Shimano bottom bracket should I get to fit into the BB shell, with Phil Wood rings?

Thanks...

Take it Easy,
EZR.

What kind of hub are you using? I just found that a UN72 113mm with a SRAM Spectro P5 works lovingly well on the Twenty. It did some math, and the math seems to have been right. yay.

The hub is a 126mm wide 5-speed derailleur gear, lovingly forced into the rear triangle, so chainline isn't that important.

So the 113mm BB should be fine for my needs.

Thanks, and Take it Easy,

EZR.

Is that a non-folding twenty with 406 wheels? I thought they all had 451...

Originally it did have 451 wheels, but I managed to use 406 wheels, but the brakes had to be seriously altered to get them to line up.
Note the BMX-style U-brakes and mounts. They certainly help to stop the bike a lot better than the original deep drop calipers.

Ok so I've just upgraded the drive on my Twenty so that the front has gone from 52t to 54t and the rear from 18t to 16t; About to go for a ride and see how much faster it can possibly be...

I did have a 14t I got all the way from Harris Cyclery as well but though it fits to the hub but ends up too near to the wall of the hub to let the chain fit on properly.

Anyhow - Gear inches should have changed from 54" to 63" in 4th (1:1 gear)...
Hope it all works with no chain-drop etc etc..

---

Update: Everythings seems to be in order... Yay! Didn't actually get a faster top sp on my favourite hill but it's very windy today; feels a lot quicker at cruising speeds of between 15-25mph...

h;)

Update and a teaser.
Nearly 7 years on from the original rebuild, I'm junking the cheapo heavy suspension forks and going for a more classic resto-mod roady build.

Cue skinny 451s with Primo Champ 19mm wheelchair tyres, Araya Rims and sweet chrome fork.

236333236334236335236336

Am stealing Phatatude's super-clever quill stem extender system (http://web.mac.com/phatatude/Green_Space/Raleigh_Twenty_Blog/Entries/2008/3/26_Steering_Tube....html) (because of short steerer on forks) with a twist - As he suggested might be possible, I've managed to add thread to that extender part at 24 tpi so that I can still fit a nice classic headset and stem. More difficult than an A-head, but more period correct in it's look. (And tough on my hands!)

More to show soon - (respray, build, money shots as and when they happen).
Thanks for looking in.
Huw.

Cool, looking forward to the results.

Bit more of an update; Chrome forks on, Phatatude's stem hack worked a treat. Still do do - remove v-brake bosses (one is actually already off), fit caliper brakes onto chainstays, repspray, make brake drop bolts... and then build up.

http://distilleryimage5.s3.amazonaws.com/137f3f02865411e1abb01231381b65e3_7.jpg

Hey, what is the story with the fork here? Was it an older fork you had re-chromed (lamp bracket knob seems unusual)? Also, why the cut-away headset race?

It's a Raleigh fork but off [or for] a different bike (not sure which, but definitely not a bmx as it's too delicate) - The steerer is too short for it to fit like a standard Twenty fork, so perhaps a higher end kids bike? It's a bit of a mystery, but I didn't chrome it and it looks to be early 80s vintage by the label that was on it. So it's not a standard fit for the bike, bit it looks sweet and fits fine with the steerer extension hack. The cut-away headset is probably a bit of a curve-ball that went unexplained; I had to cut the old one off with an angle-grinder as it'd all seized, and it now works quite nicely to chase grease, dirt, swarf out of the threads. Those shots were taken before I'd got a new headset, which is now fitted as seen in the second post.

The seatpost is obviously not in place yet either - tube is full of rust and crud so didn't want to push it all the way in and damage/scratch the new post; will attack with a small wire brush before it's repainted.