Finally got around to taking some pics of my bike.

It's a 1990 Raleigh Technium Supercourse. I bought it new back in '90 for $400. I didn't really ride it much over the years and then got heavily into commuting last year. I ride 22 miles round-trip per day, averaging 3-4 days a week. I've made a few upgrades to the bike:

Mavic Aksium wheelset (got 'em on eBay for $150 with only 200 miles on them!)
Vredestein Fortezza SE tires
Cygolite Hi-Flux II headlight
Sigma computer
Blackburn rack

Original drivetrain (Shimano 7-speed HG cassette - with spacer to fit the Aksiums, original chain, crankset, brakes) Believe it or not, the white bar tape is original, too! I've put about 2,000 miles on the bike since last year.

Here's the bike without the commuting gear:







And here she is all "Fredded" out:
Arkel Commuter bag (for my laptop)
No-name pannier (for my clothes)
Nashbar rack trunk (for my lunch)
Bontrager saddle bag (for tools n' tube)
Zefal frame pump
SKS Race Blade fenders (they take maybe a minute to put on and about 30 seconds to take off)





The only other upgrade I'm considering is a new saddle. It currently has a Brooks Gel-Lite (which I believe is Brooks in name only).

I really love this bike. It's such a blast to ride, and I like to ride relatively fast. My commute can be hilly; I average 15-16 mph, and 19 or so when it's flat.

I'd love to find out what y'all think of it. For an almost 20 year old bike, I think it's aged well, and I've tried to make the upgrades tasteful and not silly.

Sam

About the NA-FRR front rack, can someone provide some photos of how you have it mounted?

I can finally call her a commuter as now she can carry my paniers...

Nekkid...



Dressed up for the commute...



The only original parts on this Phillip's Twenty folder are the frame and the 3 speed hub... I installed a suspension fork which required a little frame modification for the new headset, fabbed a drop bolt for the rear so I could run a medium reach (and far better brake), re-tapped the bb so I could use a Shimano 600 crank and 52 tooth chain ring, built up new wheels, and am running Schwalbe Marathons at 100 psi.

The bike is fast and comfortable and blows through potholes and ruts that would kill other bikes and like every Twenty, the handling is absolutely remarkable.

I need to swap the seat post for a silver one for purely aesthetic reasons.

65er, you and I are kindred souls. I refurbished a Raleigh Twenty similarly, back in 1980. I put drop bars on it and a Sturmey Archer 5 speed hub. I got alloy rims with 36 spokes. Boy were they a ***** to build!

You're right, it handled well on rough terrain.

I can't believe I gave that bike away a few years later.

Did you ever see John S Allen's Twenty? He was the one who inspired me to do it. He put cantilever bosses on it but mounted them high. On the bosses, he put on Mafac centerpull brakes. Cool, huh?

He used to stop in my shop in Cambridge occasionally. He waxed eloquently about Sturmey Archer hubs and other things.

https://www.bikexprt.com/bicycle/mytwenty.htm

Tom -

When I was growing up my mom's friend had a Twenty and I thought it was the coolest bike... she had been afflicted with polio and although she needed arm braces to walk she was able to take the Twenty out for rides.

Fast forward some 30 plus years and I am still intrigued by folding bikes and start reading Sheldon Brown treatise on the subject and follow every link I can find on modifications and then I come across a pair of Phillip's Twenty folders that have now both been pretty modified.

Because of some health issues I cannot always ride a full sized bike and sometimes I have trouble turning the pedals over with my left leg or generating adequate power so I often find myself riding a fixed gear which makes on legged pedalling much easier.

I built up a fixed gear folder first and then found myself wanting a similar bike with a little more gear range so I could spin up hills so I built up the other bike... if I had a 5 speed I'd be lacing that up and ya know... I may know where to find a 5 speed hub with a drum brake.

My fixed gear folder that has seen some serious commuting miles in the past few years...

That's the same bike model that got me into riding on roads... an awesome bike. Moved from that to a CF bike... but that Trek 400 was so special... I got it from a co-worker, and passed it on to another co-worker.

Nice of you to turn it into your commuter bike.

Bike from the city dump: $0



Tires taken from another bike: $0



Wald rear baskets I had laying around: $0



Lights & saddle bag I switch from bike to bike: $0



Riding a piece of Vintage Americana to work: PRICELESS!

Google "Nashbar Front Rack". It attaches to the vbrake nubs in the front. There is an optional stabilizer that can attach to the front reflector thing. It is very affordably priced too, under $10 or so. A lot of people on this forum rate it very highly.

Way to go Doohickie! I am really looking forward to getting back to the States and increasing my stable.

Nice one Doohickie. I must say you have a bunch of sweet vintage bikes on your hands!

Doohickie's blog sure is Nice.

Very... It's been added to my favorites

BAH

What kind of camera and lens do you use?

Who? Me?

Yet another LHT:

Sweeeeeeeeeeet Bike, Bike-Bum.

Bike-Bum, what kind of hubs are those?

The rear hub is a White Industries, 40 spoke and the front is a Schmidt dynohub, 36 spoke. Wheels built by Peter White.

Here's my once in a blue moon commuter. It' mostly a "cruiser".

My 1998 Raleigh SC-200 that I am trying to turn into a commuter. She has big fat tires (26x1.95) and weighs as much as a small tank. But my commute takes me through fields as shortcuts, so these things are good for me. Plus, I am not exactly a little girl, so there's that to take into consideration. I

I want to get either a trunk or some panniers. I switched out the original straight bars for butterfly/trekking bars, I just ordered a Dinotte 200L, and I need some more blinkies. I live in BFI, so my commute is on fast, dark roads at dusk...I need to be lit up like a Xmas tree. I'm getting there.

What spoke reflectors are those, heifzilla?

They are Lightweights, which are essentially pre-cut pieces of 3M reflective sticky tape. They were tedious as heck to put on, but you can't really see them during the day and they really pop when light hits them at night. I got mine at Performance, but you can also order them online at www.lightweights.org. A really simple way to add some reflectivity and not a lot of weight.

This is my Fuji Touring, posted a while ago but with some different kit now. I've been very happy so far with this bike. The top mount brake levers are my best friends.

This is my mid 90's Trek 820 that's my beater bike. It's upgraded with SRAM X7 derailleur and shifters and a Deore/RhynoLite wheelset I bought used and rebuilt the hubs. It jumps curbs and handles old sidewalks quite a bit better than the Fuji.

^^^ Those look like the same tires I have on my '97 730 beater. Are they 36mm? They definately run smooth over the rougher pavement.

They are Bontrager Select Inverts...26x1.5. What is that, 38mm?