Hello (mostly) Gentleman and (a few) Ladies, it's been a while since I've been on Bike Forums! Life's been busy. I'm still running rideblog, and still teaching, but in June I'm officially off to see the world as the owner of a guided trip company. You're welcome to come check us out, though we're aren't currently running any bike tours. It's called Distant Mountain Trips. So as you might imagine, I've been a bit overwhelmed. But as things settle down, I've been pondering travelling with a bike. Specifically, with a small, foldable bike. I don't much like the look of most modern folders, and I hear the Twenty rides a lot like my Sports.

Before I go pouring money down the drain on one of these babies, I'm wondering... just how light, and how "packable" are they? I'm thinking it would be nice to have a bike I can take on the plane to use when I first get wherever I'm going... London, Paris, whatever. Then I could essentially put it in a luggage locker somewhere while I lead the trip, and pick it up before I head home. It wouldn't be practical for every trip, but for many of them, I think it would be.

I realize that a "stock" Twenty would be too heavy to really make this practical. I'd want alloy rims anyway, for the improved braking. What else would/should I do to lighten it up? How much money am I looking at, in terms of improvements to the weight? Would it be practical, in terms of folded size?

I know lots of you own these little guys. Thoughts?

You might want to check out this page: https://www.bikexprt.com/bicycle/mytwenty.htm

But basically the Twenty is all steel, so the wheels, crank, and handlebars are all obvious parts to replace with alloy equivalents. Also remember that there are non-folding versions as well.

I have seen a couple of Twentys that have been converted down to suitcase size. You are basically looking at taking a bare frame and replacing every component on it with alloy. You will have to separate the frame to get it to fit in a suitcase too. My preference for very frequent travel would be a Brompton, for less frequent travel a Bike Friday. Neither one is inexpensive, but based on what I spend on a typical upgrade and new parts you would come pretty close to the same amount of money, unless you have access to a lot of spare parts for cheap.

Don't get me wrong, I love my Twentys (all 3 of them) and do travel with them, but only by car. I also roll a 1984 Dahon Classic 3 that lives in the trunk of my company car, a Honda Accord. If I had to fly more it would be a Brompton 6 speed with the 12% reduction gearing.

Aaron

I would recommend a Dawes Kingpin. I just purchased a Dawes Kingpin non folding and replaced the wheels withh modern alloy rims. I did this with a Raleigh but had to widen the forks to get the new rims to fit. I also like the build of the Dawes better than the Raleigh. Here is some more on the subject of both,
https://raleightwenty.webs.com/thedaweskingpin.htm

https://www.flickriver.com/search/Dawes+Kingpin/

https://raleightwenty.webs.com/

This is a Dawes stock


Mock up using a SS rear wheel,dont know if I will use a 2 speed or 5 speed hub yet. New seat post 28.6, new Soma handle bars, Charge saddle, cork grips.

I also have 3 Twentys but when I travel I use my Bike Friday. I have had it for 25 years and it is light years lighter than any Twenty. They a made in Eugene Oregon so for you it wouldn't be hard to visit Bike Fridays plant and see how they are made. You give Friday the measurements off your favorite ride and they will give you a bike that dupicates that bikes riding. The make a bunch of different models for you to choose from. Www.bikefriday.com. They also have what they call "Preloved Fridays" that are bikes that were traded in. Even those bikes come with full warranty. Roger

I would suggest you give up on the C&V forum for now. I mean, we're always happy to have you here, but what you need now is the folks over at the Folding Bikes forum.

In a nutshell, the Raleigh Twenty is a fine bike but a poor folding bike. The ones with 20 x 1 3/8" wheels are all steel, the ones with the 20 x 1.75" wheels are all steel except for the insanely long Weinmann sidepull brakes. To make one light, you pretty much have to replace every component on it, which will run you into a lot of money and in the end you'll have a bike that cost a lot but still doesn't fold well.

Also, as for upgrading a Twenty, note the setup of the handlebar on most modern folding bikes: it has a hinge just above the headset, offset by about 45 degrees to one side or the other, so when it folds the whole handlebar flops into a position that's upside down and turned at a right angle, so parallel to the wheels and either between the wheels of on one side of the wheels. This folding stem comes with just about every modern folding bike, but is nearly impossible to buy after market. You probably can't get one for a Twenty.

Bottom line, I would suggest you research folding bikes and get a modern one. I ride a lot on vintage bikes and I commute on a folding bike every day, but there's no way I'm ever going to commute on a vintage folding bike.

If you want to travel with a bike, it needs to be light as possible. rhennings Bike Friday or a vintage Moulton.

https://www.bikecult.com/works/collections/am14sk.html

As for the vintage Moulton, well... again, lovely bikes. I consider them a high point in bicycle design. But they are not light, and they do not fold. There is a separable model, on which the frame comes apart into two pieces, but they are not small pieces; and there is no aluminum anywhere on the bike.

I'm with Aaron (wahoonc) on this. For practicality and minimizing hassles traveling with a bike, I'd go with a Brompton. They have 16" wheels, fold small enough to fit in a 62" (h + d + w) hard suitcase that can be airline checked baggage without oversized/overweight surcharge, yet unfolded have virtually the same contact points as my road bikes.

My M6L six-speed Brommie weighs 28 pounds, and the hardcase with the bike inside weighs 45 pounds.

It can even be checked at the gate without the hardcase like a stroller or wheelchair as it folds small enough to fit through most of the TSA screening machines.

Folded in suitcase:



Ready to ride:

Thanks, all. Sigh. I was sort of hoping not to hear "buy a Brompton," as I just don't like them all that much visually. I realize that shouldn't matter, but they're expensive!

Well, I'll be in Copenhagen in August... I should see if there's anything interesting there!

Again Bike Friday is in your backyard and give you more bang for you buck than any Brompton. Roger

I spent a month heavy touring across Denmark albeit ten years ago. Everything was expensive, especially bikes. But it was all interesting!

If you like modern art, try to get to Louisiana, north of Copenhagen. Amazing.

https://www.louisiana.dk/dk

Thanks, Clubman. I'll have to see if I can check it out.

rhenning, there are Bike Fridays on my local CL (okay, 1), but it's $700. On their site, the used BFs run over $1k. That's a bit out of my budget , which is why I was considering a vintage folder. That, and I love the ride on my Sports, and I hear the Twenties are similar. Around here they run under $100 occasionally, which is more my style! But if I have to upgrade everything, maybe not. Guess I'll continue to look.

Okay. Now I want a Bike Friday (more research is not necessarily a good thing). I'll need $2000 for the bike and travel case that converts to a trailer. Who's on this for me?

Dang you all.

LOL... I get stuck that way all the time, someone posts a frame set, bike build or component that I haven't seen before and off I go into financial hi jinks But it is cheaper than vintage cars, airplanes or golf.

Aaron

I bought a highly modified and chopped Raleigh twenty while on a work trip. I just bought a duffel bag to hopefully bring it back home with me...


It ought to fit easily once folded and the handlebars taken off. It has the handlebars with the curved fixed stem. Mods include alloy rims and missing fenders, no rack, new folding pedals which help flatten it a little. Last owner repainted it. I might tape some cardboard both sides of the bike to add rigidity to the bag and for protection.

Yes, like everyone here said, You have to make these lightweight as possible but also take off what you don't need. I removed the rear brake. Fenders would just get beat up in a bag.

STill waiting on the bag to be mailed. I'll take a pic when I get packed. Trying to avoid oversize luggage fee! Duffel bags ought to have more leeway.

I once took an r20 with 451 wheels with me to Dutch Harbort Alaska. It fit in a military sea bag. It did require separating at the folding hinge joint and tire deflation to fit though.