A few days ago, I picked up this Raleigh folder that was advertised on our local CL.



Now I know that this folder has the very undesirable vertical hinge rather than the horizontal hinge of the Twenty, which also makes it a near abomination in the eyes
of the C & V (and probably the Folder) membership. 16" wheels, too many threaded parts, etc. Looking at previous posts it was said that one '...should stay
away from this model, no matter what the price...'.

Here's the thing, though. After tuning and riding it around for the past few days, I'm finding that this little bike is quite enjoyable to ride! Being somewhat 'vertically challenged'
and way outside parameters for the 'average build' rider, the seat and h-bar adjustment works quite well. With all of the alloy components on the bike (rims, fenders, crank) the
bike is somewhat lightweight compared to its steel wheeled counterparts, and the alloy goodies are quality components (Araya, SR, etc.).

I'm going to be using this one for short errands close to home (< 10 mi. RT), small grocery and Slurpee runs, and when I need a change of pace from my other rigs. Speed and
efficiency aren't paramount, there are no space or 'compactness' concerns, and I don't plan to convert it over to a "HP" bike.

I know there are better designs out there, and that it's got a lot of drawbacks with the 16" wheels. But if the bike is comfortable to ride and it's well built with good
equipment on it, why not ride and enjoy it? Is it a bad thing?

Thanks for reading...

I love small wheel bikes and your Raleigh looks cool. I would not mind having one of these to go with my Raleigh 20 Folder.

I have owned a couple of these models. made in Japan. I think it is a cool folder.

That was my thinking, too. Based on the amount of Japanese parts on the bike I had surmised that it might have been Taiwanese built.

@ Dynocoaster -- Is there a way to tell based on serial #? I was also wondering if there was a model name for this bike?

@ airwulf -- I think it's a pretty cool looking bike, too!

I think they were known as a RSW Raleigh Small Wheel built in the mid eighties.

Don't underestimate the 16" wheels. If it performs well, the size of the wheel is of little consequence. Ok, I have to say it....size doesn't always matter.

The Raleigh rsw has excellent geometry if you are 6 foot or over. Better than a Raleigh 20. I have a one piece frame RSW and the riding position is exactly like a full sized bike. New tyres made a big difference - a very underated bike!!!