HELP! Newbie bought a Raleigh folder! What have I done?!?
 

This is my first post on Bike Forums. I bought this folder on eBay the other day. It was posted as pickup only but he agreed to ship it to me. I spoke to the seller on the phone and he said it doesn't have the word "Twenty" anywhere on the bike. It really looks like one, though. He said it's a two-speed. Could that be true? Anyone have any ideas about what model bike this is? It looks like the 1976 DL25 on Sheldon Brown's Retro Raleigh catalog page.

On a side note, I want to say that I love this forum. I'm new to biking and bike culture, and I've learned so much on here. I really wanted a Twenty after reading the folding posts and looking at what other people have done with them. Many thanks in advance!

It seems so. If you are happy with it-then who am I to question you?
As for dating the bike, I used the date stamped on my Sturmey-Archer three speed hub to date my old, used British Phillips I bought several years ago. The date on the internal gear hub is "1968" and the component along with the rim appears to be as old as the bike. Plus I remember similar bikes from that era. It may not the 100% accurate, but it worked for me.

But anyway, Welcome to to the folding world and feel free to post anytime!

Horizontal fold: Check
Aluminium Rear parcel shelf: Check
BB Mounted kick-stand: Check
Frame geometry: Check

Looks like your gen-u-ine bona-fide Raleigh twenty to me! Maybe it's billed as a two speed because it's not shifting into top or bottom gear? Probably just needs adjusting! Any which way - when it arrives you will love it I'm sure!

Thanks for the kind responses. I'm really excited. Little Pixel's research, enthusiasm, and advice about these bikes was a huge inspiration for me to look into the Twenty. It's like joining a weird, obsessive cult!

The bike was being sold on consignment through a "guns and ammo" shop in the Midwest. It's a strange story. Once I get the bike, I'll post with pics and an update. I'm just praying it gets here OK.

It looks mint congrats. It has the 'newer' shifter in black plastic rather than the 'older' which was metal with a clear plastic cover that had 1,2,3 marked on it. My '72 has the 'older'. I have no idea when they changed. It could also have been replaced for some reason. I agree that it probably just needs a little tightening of the cable to find the third speed. Agreed on the year verification also. The rear hub should have a stamping like AW 72 on it.

Weird obsessive cult. Hmmmm

way cool ... it almost looks to good ( original ) to severly moding it .... congrats and welcome to the fold.

I bet you gonna find a third gear somewhere, just dont use brute force, and make the cable and shifter nice and silky ....

an ammo shop in the midwest ???? lets hear the story ...

thor

Yeah that looks like a 3 speed Twenty. Adjust/replace the cable and you're in bizz.

How much did it set you back by the way?

Welcome to the Cult! You can never go back now,.... not ever..

The first rule of Twenty club is: We need more pics/close ups!

Could i interest you in joining the leather Brooks Cult mayhaps?

:) ;)

OK, I suggest all Twenty-owners dress in orange, shave their heads and start chanting some kind of a 'Twenty-song' :p


Good luck with the bike ! ;)

It really sounds like you've got a great find there! Maybe you'll find a gun thrown in with a free clip too! YEAH! :D

Enjoy!

Koffee

Here's the story. Not too exciting, but a little unusual:

The bike wasn't posted as a Twenty on eBay. It was posted as a "take down bike" or something like that. I was scrolling through 1000 hits of "Raleigh" items and I found it. It had a Buy it Now price of $100.00, BUT it said pickup-only in who-knows-where Wisconsin. So I bookmarked it. A few days later it was still available, so I emailed the guy to see if he would ship it. I was bouncing between this bike and that "NOS" one from Florida that just sold. It was like, the clock was ticking as I waited for the guy to email me back. I've been home sick so I was able to keep my eye on both.

It ends up, he was selling it for a friend. He said he would ask the friend if they could ship it to me. They agreed to ship. So I let the FL one go, bought this one, and sent out the $100.00 M.O (with shipping to be calculated later).

I decided to call him to see how we would figure out the shipping cost. I just Googled the guns and ammo shop and got the number. He's a nice guy. It ends up, the owner of the bike is a retired Army guy/carpenter who used to keep the Twenty on his houseboat in Florida. The seller, being an experienced carpenter, is "building a crate" to ship the bike in. I think this is like a little adventure for them both. I'm glad I called b/c they trust me enough to ship the bike once they get my $100.00. I got a quote last night for $60.00 shipping with DHL. So, all in all, the bike was $160.00. I was worried that the shipping was going to be astronomical, considering the so-called crate. Hopefully it won't be stamped with "guns and ammo" all over it and be impounded by the DHS. Who knows what it's going to look like!

They must be somewhat conservative because he asked me if I was from California. When I said no, he replied "Good, because I really hate California." Yes, sir! Me too, sir (I love California, actually)!

I will post a follow-up with pics when/if(?) the bike arrives. Then I can bother you all with questions about upkeep, upgrades, etc.

we need to see pics of the "crate "or it never happened..... that is too cool.....
Usually what people should do is to go to a friendly bike store and ask them for a bike carton and than pack it nice and tight... In case of a small wheeled bike, cut the carton down and make it to fit easier ... ( ssaves on ups oversized rates as well )

Pictures of the crate .... or as I said it never happened ....lol

Thor

Please help
 

I'm new to this site as well I have been trying to find out more info on the Raleigh Folder as well I looked at the picture and I have two of these exact bikes myself in original condition, one is brown and the other is green, sorry I have no pic at this time their in storage, but what are they worth are they considered a collectible? any help would be appreciated.

Thanks Jim

Relative value
 

Jim,

It's like most re-sales, it depends on what people are willing to pay. On this thread the 20 was bought for $100. I have seen them sell from $100 to $250. A listing on eBay seems to get the highest price. Just be willing to ship. If you cannot do the packing yourself take it to a bike shop and they will do it for a fee.

Bob

Oh yea, the Twenty club. I don't have a Twenty but never miss an opportunity to read these threads and ogle the photos.

My thoughts exactly when you mentioned the "crate". Glad it was only $60.

Just posting a friendly reminder: value inquiries are fine here, For Sale postings are not. This thread has not turned into For Sale yet, and we appreciate that. Please keep it that way. Thank you.

--Juha, a Forum Mod

They're getting a little collectible, but the values are as Flitzer says. Half the Raleigh Twenty crowd are hobbyists that find a cheap one and "upgrade" it- personallize it with different wheels, gearing systems, handlebars, etc, to fit some purpose often forgotten in the process. The other half want polished original equipment and appreciate the history and utility of this ugly little bike.

If you need to sell, take really good pix and list it on Ebay for top dollar.

Yep. I just put on a pair of Schwalbe Big Apples on my Raleigh Twenty and it is comfortable and fast. I'd advise against a set of skinny road tires unless you put on a suspension fork. In the small wheel size, it just isn't worth the loss of comfort.

Have fun with your Raleigh Twenty!

BTW- this thread is 3 years old- Did Ben (the OP) ever post any pics of his 20?

Twenty on eBay
 

Jim,

A Raleigh Twenty has been listed on eBay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Raleigh-...1%7C240%3A1318

Follow it for six days and see what it brings in.

A very expensive one in the S. F. area.

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/bik/1033012410.html

There are loads of those in the UK, I saw one the other day thrown on top of a pile of rubbish hear my house. They are really cheap here £20 in the paper

Funny thing about that is that when I've been looking for them on ebay.co.uk, they often go for a lot if they are remotely tidy. I've seen some near perfect specimens (like this one) from American posters. It seems a lot have hardly been used and are near new, as this one seems to be.

I got a really tatty one for £15 in the winter, but to tell the truth, it hardly seems worth doing it up, when you see bikes like this one going for $100. Having said that, everything worked on my old wreck once I'd put some oil into the rusty hub (you could see orange rust inside through the oiler hole) and un-siezed the chain. Amazingly, a few cycles of the pedals and the horrible croaking sound coming from the hub just melted away and the gears started to work just fine - all three of them. Total wreck to functioning, tatty bike after applying a little oil and blowing up a two flat tyres. They are still hard months later. Mine is a '71 I think. I can't remember to tell the truth which shows how much thought I have given it, but the year is given as two digits on the rear hub. It will be something between about late 1960s onwards.

Yer eBay prices are top dollar really, for everything. I'd look in the back of the local paper if I wanted one. Moultons too are expensive on eBay, but there are loads about in places like Cambridge. although I think people are buying them to sell abroad

They are quite expensive here in the states. In my area, Southern California, I've seen people trying to sell them for $250 +