....where to begin??
The Brits have a talent for small quirky things, (no offence LittlePixel),
remember Alex Moulton? He was the designer of the Moulton bicycle and also worked on the suspension of the mighty Mini motor car in the 60's, of which the Mini Cooper S was a giant killer in rallies like the Monte Carlo and on race tracks worldwide. We R20 owners love the thought of these great little bikes being able to thumb their noses at the scoffers and after 30 years still carry the shopping, tour the world and ride very briskly in a racing guise.
The appeal of the R20 is, as has been already stated, a blank canvas to which one's imagination has no constraints, make it simple...fixed or SS, make it complex...rear and front derailluers, make it semi-traditional...8 spd SA or Nexus hub gears or keep it totally original. You get a very deep sense of personal satisfaction of "making" a bike from your own imagination, seeing it all come together after all the hard work and the knowledge of not being limited to buying an "Off the shelf bike".
I own a modern expensive road bike and MTB, but nothing gives me more pleasure than turning up to the Saturday morning HAMMERFEST on my weird little Pommy bike and riding the legs off the R20'S critics.
