Unis
#1
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 162
Likes: 1
From: pike
Bikes: 1 Custom built Colin Laing, a Waterford Paramount & my favorite of the bunch...a 90's TREK women's multitrack, cheap, 21 spds & I can leave her locked up anywhere w/o worrying about theft.
Hey anyone here ever hear of a Unis Folding Bike.
I recently aquired one for 50 dollars and was wondering
if it was something worth leaving alone or if i should go ahead and
"Customize" it ?
Thanks
I recently aquired one for 50 dollars and was wondering
if it was something worth leaving alone or if i should go ahead and
"Customize" it ?
Thanks
#2
Senior Member

Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 813
Likes: 4
From: Seattle
Bikes: 2020 Thompson Randonneur, 2008 Davidson Custom Titanium, 2012 Custom Seven Steel Tandem, 1981 Shogun Touring Bike, 1974 Raleigh International
Originally Posted by FatBaldMen
Hey anyone here ever hear of a Unis Folding Bike.
I recently aquired one for 50 dollars and was wondering
if it was something worth leaving alone or if i should go ahead and
"Customize" it ?
Thanks
I recently aquired one for 50 dollars and was wondering
if it was something worth leaving alone or if i should go ahead and
"Customize" it ?
Thanks
#4
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 162
Likes: 1
From: pike
Bikes: 1 Custom built Colin Laing, a Waterford Paramount & my favorite of the bunch...a 90's TREK women's multitrack, cheap, 21 spds & I can leave her locked up anywhere w/o worrying about theft.
Originally Posted by james Haury
Why don't you post a picture or describe it? Did you buy it new or used?
im gonna run back to comp usa and have it replaced (glad i spent the extra money on the "Gold" protection plan) as soon as i have it back in my hands i will post a picture should be sometime sat. afternoon
and in response to "Which will make me most likely to ride it"
I kinda like it the way it is but would like to paint it and maybe change the bars and seat and strip the fenders off.
#5
Senior Member

Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 876
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From: Forest Park Il
Bikes: Yeah Dahon Bike Friday Panasonic Dyno
I Have seen some very good results achieved with a spray can .I am guessing it is a simple folding shopper bike . I had a single speed klapprad but gave it to someone cheap they were very careless with it and it was stolen. I was glad it was though, because they made it look horrible .It was torture to look at it.I am looking forward to seeing your yugoslav Bicycle.
#6
floor sleeper

Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 998
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From: Here and there in the US
Bikes: Raleigh Twenty, Puch 3 speed road conversion, lookin' into a Karate Monkey for a cruiser
Careful with the Yugoslav cycles - I had a folder from Yugoslavia... *very* non-standard bottom bracket. Keep the original parts.
#7
very non standard .... lol had me smiling for sure ...
its kinda funny that the guys in the shop call their tools standard while they call the metric ones metric...
to me what the rest of the world uses is standard... or ??? lol
most likely a cheap folder from the early 70 made in Yugoslawia... they had thompson style bb's in them. the ones with the cotter pin ...
good advice to be carefull with the parts, you might need them ....
Thor
its kinda funny that the guys in the shop call their tools standard while they call the metric ones metric...
to me what the rest of the world uses is standard... or ??? lol
most likely a cheap folder from the early 70 made in Yugoslawia... they had thompson style bb's in them. the ones with the cotter pin ...
good advice to be carefull with the parts, you might need them ....
Thor
#8
floor sleeper

Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 998
Likes: 0
From: Here and there in the US
Bikes: Raleigh Twenty, Puch 3 speed road conversion, lookin' into a Karate Monkey for a cruiser
Indeed on the Thompson style bb. That's what it had as near as I can tell. Diameter too big for a cartridge style bracket (and unthreaded) and too small for a 1pc system.
#10
floor sleeper

Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 998
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From: Here and there in the US
Bikes: Raleigh Twenty, Puch 3 speed road conversion, lookin' into a Karate Monkey for a cruiser
Originally Posted by james Haury
you might be able to convert to a modern 3 pc bb . Check with Sheldon Brown give him a tinkle on the telly ,9a to 5p eastern.
But I don't want to speak for the man, he's around here somewhere, no?
#11
Senior Member

Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 876
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From: Forest Park Il
Bikes: Yeah Dahon Bike Friday Panasonic Dyno
I have seen Raliegh Folders converted to modern 3 pc hubs . I think the last person to fix up a raliegh folder must have done that . I think they originally had 3 pc cottered cranks.
#12
floor sleeper

Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 998
Likes: 0
From: Here and there in the US
Bikes: Raleigh Twenty, Puch 3 speed road conversion, lookin' into a Karate Monkey for a cruiser
Twentys can be converted, I'm working on one right now - their bottom bracket shell is/was much more common (the threading on the other hand). The last yugoslav bike I was working on... the shell could not accomodate a new cartridge or a BMX style 3pc... and it was unthreaded. I have pictures somewhere - with a caliper and a quarter for reference.
#14
floor sleeper

Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 998
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From: Here and there in the US
Bikes: Raleigh Twenty, Puch 3 speed road conversion, lookin' into a Karate Monkey for a cruiser
Heh, trial by error... sadly... but that's how we learn I reckon... or it seems to be how I learn.
#16
Senior Member


Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 6,915
Likes: 1,259
Dude, this thread is literally from the last Generation. When someone suggested giving Sheldon Brown a call I was like, wait, what? Come on, level with me. Did you, or did you not, know this thread is not just old, but ancient? No anger (yet) but really curious how this works. I can't even find the first post I ever made on BF.
#17
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Joined: Aug 2012
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From: Somewhere in New York, NY
Bikes: 9+,...
Dude, this thread is literally from the last Generation. When someone suggested giving Sheldon Brown a call I was like, wait, what? Come on, level with me. Did you, or did you not, know this thread is not just old, but ancient? No anger (yet) but really curious how this works. I can't even find the first post I ever made on BF.
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If it wasn't for you meddling kids,...
#18
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Joined: Sep 2025
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What if someone destroyed balls bearings for the bottom bracket and can't find any balls bearings that will fit it what can I do to get it fix because I like the bicycle but I been trying to fix I was riding it next thing I know it balls bearings was destroyed beyond fixable
#19
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Joined: Apr 2017
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What if someone destroyed balls bearings for the bottom bracket and can't find any balls bearings that will fit it what can I do to get it fix because I like the bicycle but I been trying to fix I was riding it next thing I know it balls bearings was destroyed beyond fixable
I will answer your question because it is easy. If the bottom bracket is old style cup and cone, meaning loose ball bearings, replacement balls are easy and cheap to find at bike shops or online. If they are of an unusual size, a visit to an industrial hardware or bearing supply company, and bring balls, spindle, and cups, and I'm sure they can find something that works. In Detroit it was Detroit Ball Bearing. In Seattle it's Tacoma Screw. However the cups (outer races) and spindle (inner races) are not found at bearing suppliers, so if damaged, you need to check with a bike shop that handles older designs. If no replacements available, if you are handy and have tools, you might be able to restore the spindle by mounting in a lathe and fixing a small rotary grinder like a Dremmel tool, or air grinder, to the carriage, and carefully re-grind the surface as the spindle rotates, sort of a poor man's jig grinder. Same for the cups. I've done crazier things to fix something.
If the bottom bracket is threaded to a standard bike size, you can replace with a bottom bracket "cartridge" bearing, if it will fit the crank.
If the bike has individual sealed bearings at each side and pressed in, replacements are also at bearing supply companies as noted above, they can measure, or more likely, view the tiny numbers on the side of the bearing and cross-reference to a new replacement bearing, however you will probably need a bike shop to replace the bearings.
Many solutions are possible, but it starts with a bicycle mechanic/technician with excellent knowledge of all bottom bracket types.
Welcome to the forum.
Last edited by Duragrouch; 12-10-25 at 12:30 AM.





