Sammyboy

Ok, so here's my replacement Raleigh 20. As you can see, it's single speed, with a dodgy replacement saddle, but very good nick. The bars have been replaced at some stage with these wonderful late 70's/Early 80's cowhorn bars. All the bigger kids had them when I was a kid, but I'd not seen them in years. I'm undecided whether to use them or not, but they're super-awesome. I think when my saddle comes, I'll stack up the new seat and post, and see how comfortable the riding position is. I've ordered everything else I need for the build, and it's still arriving.

I've got or am awaiting:
Shimano Nexus 7 rear hub
Trigger shifter
BMX front hub
Velocity Aeroheat red deep section rims,
black spokes
Schwalbe Big Apple tyres (really hoping they'll fit in the fenders!)
400mm Alloy seatpost
Brooks B67 sprung saddle
Shimano UN72 BB
Phil Wood Cups
Alhonga deep drop dual pivot sidepull brakes
Leather grips
A selection of cranks to choose from


I'm not decided on the rack though - I've got supposed 20" rack that doesn't fit at all, and would be tiny if it did. I've also got the offer of a really nice Pletscher from a forum member, but I'd like to consider other options. Can those who know link me to other 20" rack options? Other things I'm not 100% decided on are the bars (lots of other options there) and the back brake. I have a roller brake for the hub, but I'm concerned about how much hassle that will add to puncture repair. Stage 1 will be to strip down the frame, and fork, open out the fork dropouts for the bigger front axle, do any cold-setting, and then respray in matt black. The wheels will get built as soon as my spokes arrive, and then, it'll be full speed ahead to build 'er up!

tgzzzz

I will eagerly await progress reports.

If this were my project, I can almost hear the ex hollering: "If you've got all that time to work on the [expletive deleted] bike, you've got time to paint the [again, expletive deleted] garage door [yup, one more personal noun deleted]." Cheers

Sammyboy

Aha! Not my garage door - the neighbours (not that mine is much better)! However, my missus does, thankfully, appreciate the need for me to do things just for fun.

stevegor

I feel your pain

Sammyboy

Almost everything has arrived. I think I'm short the BB cups and tools (HubJub were out of stock on Raleigh cups), spokes and one set of brake blocks. Very excited to start building, but more excited that our new baby was born last night!

jur

Ha! Congratulations!!!!!!!!! All the best to you, your wife and the new arrival!

alecw35

I like those bars a bit like Bomber or Vektar ones

thinking of Vektars, has anyone took the 3 speed Mags and electronics to a shopper.
seen the wheels on Grifters though

Sammyboy

That's an idea. Makes me want to pick up a Vectar. Wonder if the 3 speed innards could be swapped for a Sprinter5, for evenbetterness....

MnHPVA Guy

I'd be more worried about whether they will fit between the fork blades. Not even close with the stock steel 406 R20 rims. Let us know how they fit on the Aeroheats.

wahoonc

Congratulations....pictures are in order when available

Aaron

jur

They fit fine on Aeroheats, the fine fine on the rear triangle, but the front fork is very close. The fit with a only few mm to spare. Make sure the tyre is properly seated or it will rub the fork.

Come to think of it, I think I pressed the fork a small amount to make the tyre fit better. Can't remember...

Sammyboy

Quick picture as requested.....

4cmd3

Congratulations Sammyboy!

jur

+1

phatatude

Congrates!!! Better be gettin' another frame together, looks like another R-20 Pilot

badmother

Congrats with the new baby\biker! Hope he`ll have a good life with few punctures\ flats!
sammyboy, could you briefly tell me how you go about to rpaint the bike? I made two attempts so far. One paintjob (brush, Hammerlite) one with partly remowed old paint and "rattlecan" primer and same in "paint". Both not sucsessful, must redo my fixie, it deservs better.

The folder I am doing now is not much used, so original paint is present, but in a horrible colour\finish. I`we been thinking that in the past attempts I used paint that is not strong enough and I am thinking of using "rim paint" for autos, thinking that is stronger.. Guess I can forget about a nice shiny bike then, but at least all the colour will stay on I hope.

Do yoy always start with a "sandblasted" clean frame or can you get an ok result the easy way? Sandpaper and wirebrush is not an option I think, I am way to impatient..

Sammyboy

Well, I've just rattlecanned an old Holdsworth frame for my other son (11), with Plastikote paint from B@Q, and it looks pretty good, though not absolutely perfect. Most of that frame I stripped to bare metal with wire wheels on my drill, but it took an age, and went through a lot of wheels. I gave up on trying to strip the lugs in the end, and just went at them with wet and dry - it looks fine. I'll go for the same with this, but I'm very far from a frame-painting expert!

badmother

OK, thank you. I`ll try what I have planned then. Perfect finish is not so important, but when it starts falling off ewery time you sneeze then it is looking bad from a long distance and that is not ok (this is how my fixie looks at present).

I remember in the old days we were careful not to spill brakefluid on the car paint, it was said to remowe the paint. Is that still so? Tryed it anyone? Remowing is not relly important, but even base and for the new paint to stick properly.

jur

I stripped my R20 frame simply by holding it over a gas flame from a camping cooker, and with a hand-held wire brush manually cleaned it. Easy-as. An electrical paint stripper instead of gas flame ought to work as well. Make sure you wear well-insulated gloves though - ouch!

badmother

Ok, I`we been thinking of that, but did not try. Did try different paintremowers and they did nit work. I`we just been out in the sun heating and remowing the BB. Helping alot to get it out in the sun so yoou can see the treading and then know wich way to unscrew

LittlePixel

The paint on a twenty does not want to come off!
The stripped one I have in the garage awaiting inspiration for it's next incarnation (for inspiration read time and cash) is metallic orange which actually means it's orange lacquer on gold on a thick grey primer. Stripper seems to get the lacquer ok and makes a little dent in the gold but the primer is like diamond powder coat. The blowlamp idea sounds about right - a smelly job though right?

Sammyboy - congrats to you both on the new addition. Better get some stabilisers ready...

stevegor

Well done Sammyboy, keep riding mate 'cos those 2 boys are going to keep you very active when they get older and you'll have some great bike travel companions as well.

badmother,

For my bike frames I simply take them to the powdercoaters who sand/bead blast then coat them in the colour I choose...easy as.

Sammyboy

Don't worry Steve, I intend to! My eldest loves cycling, we've built a chopper together (see below), and we're currently restoring his first vintage road bike, a Holdsworth (annoyingly, no before pics, and it's not finished), and we tandem together (see pics again!). He and I are planning to try track cycling together soon, and I reckon a kiddy trailer must be on the list soon, now that he has a brother....

badmother

Stevegor: sounds easy ofcourse, but somebody posted something about price sometime back that I did not like..
Also I am struggeling to find somebody willing to do it. Too small a job I think. Such things is not "serious enough", just somebodys hobby. Once went to a place, after trying to call them and SMS them. Third time I went there a man who spoke fiwe words only in English came out, looked scared as hell and said "come back later for boss" a couple of times and then dissapeared. And then there is the ones I newer managed to contact. Get it?

There is garages doing pricy work for insurance companys and the ones I described, nothing much in between. Maybe if you know the right peopel, but I do not.. How much do you pay?

EvilV

Congrats on the new arrival and great on the pictures. I have pictures of my eldest lad at about eight on our mamoth bike tours. He's 28 now and in Australia. I'm glad we did those trips - they were epic. At eight, he could do 68 miles in one day, least ways, he did it once (with a bit of whipping and being stoned with chocolate biscuits to stop him whining). He just travelled to OZ overland over a period of five months - not on two wheels though.