The non folding version is still usually called a Twenty or for earlier models, a Shopper.

Raleigh made a lot of adult sized bikes with 20 inch wheels... my daughter has an adult's Saffron that she just loves and this bike also came in a folding version called the Compact.

Hers is a 1980 model.

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikepics/shopper3.jpg

Like that internal hub. Here's another 28-year-old Schwinn, this one a Continental that both my brothers owned before me (and they weren't the original owners either). Converted to single speed with an IRO build kit. 46-18. Brooks saddle, Arkel trunk, Schwalbe Marathons, MKS pedals from Rivendell. I've commuted a few days a week on it for about a year. Not too bad for a 12-mile round-trip commute.

my 1989 performance vitessa has tange d/b chrom-moly frame w/shimano comps that work great too!
it has shorter wheelbase, appropriate for quick-tour/commuting in flat s nj.
like a good wine, they can get better with age!
t

My Schwinn 564 is a 1992. I love it, it looks good to me, and feels somewhat new, but the gears click, 14th gear is useless, it takes forever for it to shift using the 2nd lever (whatever it's called)... The wheel has never been straight, the OEM rear wheel has broken multiple spokes in weeks, even after I got it home, I broke a spoke picking the wheel up.

When it starts snowing heavily, I think I might rebuild the gears and such. I would like to keep it more or less OEM, but it would be nice to install new style gears, brand new wheels/tires. So far I think the Shimano clip pedals and the Bontru... seat, and the rear wheel are the only things not factory.

that older bike...
 

may be cool, and the price is right: but be careful that the brakes are all they can be. it is possible to retrofit brakes and have brakes that actually stop you.what a concept.!

also,i had a accident where my front wheel quickrelease on my late 70s Fuji came open and i lost my wheel at 20MPH..with bad consequences. Newer bikes have 'lawyer locks' that prevent such accidents. I personally will not ride a bike that does not have them. Your call. Just be mindful of them.

This is my 1984 Crescent. A Swedish classic.

I only use it as my winter bike, studs and all.

Attachment 87525

old commuter
 

I am in love with older bikes, especially raleighs. I found a late 60's raleigh sprite in May and I love it. It is the bike I always wish I had. It is in super nice shape so I don't want to upgrade it or anything, but it is only a 5 speed. It is my sunny day nice weather I don't have to go up any big hills ride. Lately my regular bikes have been ill so I had to take the raleigh where it had never gone before to work and places with mountain grade hills. It did really well, I had to walk some of the big hills, but otherwise it's so fun. I always have a smile on my face while my other bikes are fraught with problems, don't fit properly etc.. When I was in high school I rode my mom's no name raleigh style bike and thought nothing of it. Then mountain bikes became the it and only bike around so I got a mountain bike which I used for commuting for YEARS! Not too smart. I had to replace my beloved steel mountain bike and got an aluminum one and then an aluminum hybrid which is my main commuter. Meh! So my next dream project is to find a nice old steel bike like a raleigh and set it up with an 8 speed(or whatever works) internal geared hub.
Keep those old jewels going!

1982 Miyata 1000. My old clunker I ride everywhere:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3024/...11ca4c.jpg?v=0

latest build:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3507/...bd8faa.jpg?v=0

The beauty of an older refinished bike is............they look like new!!:thumb:

Late to the thread, but I took some shots of bikes in Firenze earlier in the year. I was very much wishing I had a bike (or the city had a BikeShare/rental program) while I was there.

These are taken near the Grand Synagogue / Ospedale Florentino. I saw a number of enormous bike parking areas, but this might have been the biggest.

http://gregandsue.net/util/bikes/firenze_bikes1.jpg

I liked this one -- even the tires got the spray-paint treatment.

http://gregandsue.net/util/bikes/firenze_bikes2.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/b...ber2008073.jpg

'81 (?) Panasonic DX-2000. This has been seeing use on the 14.5 mile R/T once-or-twice weekly night runs to church choir and deacon meetings. It's stowed now awaiting an overhaul and a much needed cleaning, but will soon be pressed into service for a bike/train commute.

I had one of those looked just like it. I t was my first road bike. I miss her so terribly. :cry: I wish I never sold her.:bang:

My daily commuter that I just converted to single speed

http://www.mindaugas.us/images/bike/commuter_after.jpg

I've never heard of premier and can't find any info, I figure it was a short live dept store brand. Had suntour components and steel everything, very heavy. little bit lighter now with aluminum wheels.

1973 Sekine (Seh-kee-neh). Japanese steel. Rear wheel and drive train reengineered to 21 speed.

Manufactured in Japan, assembled in Saskatchewan by Canadian First Peoples :-)

I know, it has the world's longest handlebar stem and seat post. It was a women's bike I rescued from a friend's garage and refurbished in 2001 when I was unemployed.

It's my trusty commuter and randonneur bike. It's truly special. The more I ride it, the more I like it. 27" wheels are a PITA, but as long as tires and inner tubes are readily available, hey, I don't mind.

http://bp1.blogger.com/_rJA2Fbd9B68/...0/IMG_2504.JPG

Just like I feel about 80's and 90's sporty cars. My over 15 year old 92' 16 valve GTI is a much more fun vehicle with some character than all the new cars that are over weight and overly packaged/complicated with power everything and more crap to go wrong. I would rather spend $500 a yr on repairs than over $3000 a yr in car payments on a car that looks and drives like every other new car on the road.

'86 Schwinn Varsity Fixed Gear, lugged steel, tiny fram, fixified=VERY LIGHT, and fast, and fun on the ice. its only a couple of pounds heavier than the empty trailer
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3252/...2995826270.jpghttp://farm4.static.flickr.com/3182/...fbe882e697.jpg

Currently hitting some of the downsides to owning an older bike... a spoke broke when the shop tried to true it (not their fault, I had tried myself the day before and probably caused it) but then they could not disassemble the freewheel (?) and so I bought a cheap new wheel and had them take my $15 worth of wheel truing and do the front wheel. Put the new rear and freewheel assembly on, did a major de-greasing. adjusted the screws on the rear derailleur, and now I still can't ride it-- the deraillieur is bent or something. Now I've got to schlep it back to my LBS and either put a cheap low-end component on it or invest in a good one--- when who knows what will be next to go!

Yeah, my other varsity is 40 years old this month, and has a bad habit of breaking spokes...the guy who works on it for me though only works with old bikes so he knows what he's doing...

It's been so long since I posted pics, I forgot how. Here's a link to my post when I first got his bike on the road. One weekend I had nothing to do so I drove to Connecticut and Rhode Island to look at $20 bikes. Yeah, I know I spent way more than that on gas but I got a good ride. I continued the insanity by spending easily $200 on parts and lights for my 17 mile commute.

I'm looking forward to spring to see if this '70 era Swchinn LeTour is still gonna cut the mustard or if I'm gonna upgrade some hardware, or just keep it whilst I shop for another good deal with better hardware.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...243&highlight=

I commuted on one of those for 2 years about 20 years ago.

The wheels were steel, so I replaced them with aluminum ones as well as replacing the derailuer with a Shimano 105. For the life of me I can't recall what the groupo was.

I remember the bike being about 30 pounds and not being good quality.

I had simply borrowed it from my father-in-laws new wife's sister (does that make her a relation?) who was a First Nations person. She had the bike because it was given to her. I wonder if there is a connection there.

Here's my wet weather bike I bought used 8 years ago.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3123/...fc4e9daa05.jpg

It might be 20 years old, but I'm not sure.

It had a Rocky Mountain Bikes stamp on the saddle (replaced after I did an endo and bent the rail) and has a Vitus 172 sticker on the seat tube.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3158/...3bd581351d.jpg

My LBS owner who knew Derek Bailey when he started Rocky Mt. said he used Vitus tubing at the beginning of the business back in the 80's.

I first knew of Vitus back in the 80's when they were at the fore front of aluminum frames. 172 is steel and I think it was from the late 70's / early 80's.

Ready for commuting duty:

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...8/104_3293.jpg

A week before Christmas, I found this 1983 Raleigh Marathon in a dumpster. I cleaned it up some, put on wheels and a seat from another bike I had, and added fenders, toe clips, a rack, a headlight and rear blinky, saddlebag with spare tube and tool kit, frame pump, and I retaped the handlebars. For commuting I'll hang panniers from the rack.

It is my backup commuter, but I'll start the New Year on the backup because my primary ride is down and awaiting parts (Shimano crank recall).

What is it with people throwing out perfectly good bicycles?

I found a 1988 Trek 400 and a Schwinn Woodlands in the trashpile this morning before work. I stopped and rescued them away to my garage without even looking at their condition.
Turns out the Trek is a 64cm and in nice condition (frame/fork-wise). I'm going to take the components off my too-small '91 PDG Series-5 and turn it into an SS/FG commuter.

The Woodlands is going to get a similar treatment. Low gear singlespeed utility cruiser.

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/i...n/101_0910.jpg
http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/i...n/101_0911.jpg
http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/i...n/101_0913.jpg

Not quite 20 yrs, but my 16 year old "clunker."
The GT Talera that I love dearly. Bought him for $60 about 2 months ago. Set up with Blackburn rack, and SKS fenders it's a total commuting beast. Rode him around in the snow and actually rocked!!! I love this beast.

Posted this on the classic forum and received a couple of replies

... and from a link provided on the history of Vitus...

"Later in the 70s/early 80s, the company introduced alongside Vitus 172 - slightly lighter than 171 - an extra-light series called Super Vitus 971. "

so I guess my frame is at least 20 years old.