Any ideas for this “half restoration” Raleigh Twenty?
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Any ideas for this “half restoration” Raleigh Twenty?
Hello everyone,
So my family was given this Raleigh Twenty from my next door neighbour who became too old to use it. Of course it was left out in all conditions to get a bit ratty and now it’s in its current condition. Fast forward to today my girlfriend (who doesn’t actually own a bike) took interest in it and thought it was pretty comfy/ a good size for her.
The brakes are seized along with a bunch of other stuff and it needs a big strip down which I have started to do, in the aim of getting it back in working order to pootle about on alongside a kona nunu I can pass on to her.
The issue is I cannot tell if it’s past the point of “leave the current paintwork and it’ll look alright” and I was hoping somebody else could give their opinion. I have never done a “half restoration” like this before. Once I have taken to the shop to have blasted/painted and another I have sanded and painted. I’d like to keep this bike as original as possible and I believe the chain cover, pump, seat etc are all original too. This included the paintwork in my mind.
Does anybody have any idea on where I should take this? I can see the paint still has a little shine in it but are the rust spots too big? Would you leave it as is? I doubt it will get a ton of use so probably no point sinking all the money in for a blast/paint. Would I put a clear coat all over it to protect the parts that are already rusted through the paint?
Thank you all for reading!
So my family was given this Raleigh Twenty from my next door neighbour who became too old to use it. Of course it was left out in all conditions to get a bit ratty and now it’s in its current condition. Fast forward to today my girlfriend (who doesn’t actually own a bike) took interest in it and thought it was pretty comfy/ a good size for her.
The brakes are seized along with a bunch of other stuff and it needs a big strip down which I have started to do, in the aim of getting it back in working order to pootle about on alongside a kona nunu I can pass on to her.
The issue is I cannot tell if it’s past the point of “leave the current paintwork and it’ll look alright” and I was hoping somebody else could give their opinion. I have never done a “half restoration” like this before. Once I have taken to the shop to have blasted/painted and another I have sanded and painted. I’d like to keep this bike as original as possible and I believe the chain cover, pump, seat etc are all original too. This included the paintwork in my mind.
Does anybody have any idea on where I should take this? I can see the paint still has a little shine in it but are the rust spots too big? Would you leave it as is? I doubt it will get a ton of use so probably no point sinking all the money in for a blast/paint. Would I put a clear coat all over it to protect the parts that are already rusted through the paint?
Thank you all for reading!
#2
Phyllo-buster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 8,829
Bikes: roadsters, club bikes, fixed and classic
Mentioned: 133 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2287 Post(s)
Liked 2,028 Times
in
1,244 Posts
Strip it, soak all steel bits in properly diluted Oxalic acid, clean it and touch it up. Polish to finish the job. It's not worth doing a full Monty on such a bike.
You've got the rather rare and maybe desirable, white crappy Raleigh pedals. Try to get some grease and/or oil in the axles. They have bushings, not bearings.
Dare I ask how the rims are doing?
You've got the rather rare and maybe desirable, white crappy Raleigh pedals. Try to get some grease and/or oil in the axles. They have bushings, not bearings.
Dare I ask how the rims are doing?
#3
Senior Member
That is one of the non-folding R20’s. Give it enough to stop the rust and get it back on the road. They are great minimal bikes. You Brits had(have) some great ideas about what people need to ride on.
Lots of us on this side of the pond have restored, modified those frames. Look through the BF threads on it. I LOVE mine!
1979 model mostly original.
Lots of us on this side of the pond have restored, modified those frames. Look through the BF threads on it. I LOVE mine!
1979 model mostly original.
Likes For 3speedslow:
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: Beaverton, OR
Posts: 1,443
Bikes: You had me at rusty and Italian!!
Mentioned: 31 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 559 Post(s)
Liked 1,032 Times
in
534 Posts
Strip it, soak all steel bits in properly diluted Oxalic acid, clean it and touch it up. Polish to finish the job. It's not worth doing a full Monty on such a bike.
You've got the rather rare and maybe desirable, white crappy Raleigh pedals. Try to get some grease and/or oil in the axles. They have bushings, not bearings.
Dare I ask how the rims are doing?
You've got the rather rare and maybe desirable, white crappy Raleigh pedals. Try to get some grease and/or oil in the axles. They have bushings, not bearings.
Dare I ask how the rims are doing?
That is one of the non-folding R20’s. Give it enough to stop the rust and get it back on the road. They are great minimal bikes. You Brits had(have) some great ideas about what people need to ride on.
Lots of us on this side of the pond have restored, modified those frames. Look through the BF threads on it. I LOVE mine!
1979 model mostly original.
Lots of us on this side of the pond have restored, modified those frames. Look through the BF threads on it. I LOVE mine!
1979 model mostly original.
Likes For RustyJames:
#5
Junior Member
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Saint Paul, MN
Posts: 176
Bikes: 1969 Raleigh Twenty, 1975 Raleigh DL-1, 1984 Specialized Stumpjumper Sport, 1989 Schwinn Voyageur
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 86 Post(s)
Liked 78 Times
in
43 Posts
I probably wouldn't do the whole oxalic treatment myself. Instead, I'd knock off (wire wheel/brush, fine sand paper, etc.) any active or dust bubbling, then do a few coats of boiled linseed oil to provide some protection. For the chrome parts, I usually ball up some aluminum foil, add some oil, & buff out the rust.
Here's my Twenty that I've done almost nothing to (I got lucky, but I also don't mind a little"patina"):
Here's my Twenty that I've done almost nothing to (I got lucky, but I also don't mind a little"patina"):
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Long Island, NY
Posts: 2,096
Bikes: Trek 800 x 2, Schwinn Heavy Duti, Schwinn Traveler, Schwinn Le Tour Luxe, Schwinn Continental, Cannondale M400 and Lambert, Schwinn Super Sport
Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 801 Post(s)
Liked 1,000 Times
in
654 Posts
I am kind of fond of the Raleigh 20's. They are a halfway decent bike. Now doubt worth half a decent restoration. There are some parts that you would want to upgrade. If the head bearings are plain plastic bearings, upgrade them to a ball bearing headset and look for a set of better pedals. These don't have to be expensive. I like the plastic pedals for an application like this. Many enthusiast don't like plastic pedals, but the good ones work well and take a beating without issues.
Good tires are always helpful. Perhaps someone here has recommendations for good 20" tires. If the rims are too rusty to save, you might be able to get a pair from an unwanted BMX bike. The good ones have 36 spokes which I think should match what you have on the Twenty. Then switch them over to the original hubs.
Looking forward to before and later pictures. Bike projects are never done, but keep the pictures coming as the bike progresses.
Sheldon Brown had a Raleigh Twenty with hardly an original part on it. It shows you how far you can take these bikes. Sheldon Brown's Raleigh Twenty
Good tires are always helpful. Perhaps someone here has recommendations for good 20" tires. If the rims are too rusty to save, you might be able to get a pair from an unwanted BMX bike. The good ones have 36 spokes which I think should match what you have on the Twenty. Then switch them over to the original hubs.
Looking forward to before and later pictures. Bike projects are never done, but keep the pictures coming as the bike progresses.
Sheldon Brown had a Raleigh Twenty with hardly an original part on it. It shows you how far you can take these bikes. Sheldon Brown's Raleigh Twenty
#7
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Strip it, soak all steel bits in properly diluted Oxalic acid, clean it and touch it up. Polish to finish the job. It's not worth doing a full Monty on such a bike.
You've got the rather rare and maybe desirable, white crappy Raleigh pedals. Try to get some grease and/or oil in the axles. They have bushings, not bearings.
Dare I ask how the rims are doing?
You've got the rather rare and maybe desirable, white crappy Raleigh pedals. Try to get some grease and/or oil in the axles. They have bushings, not bearings.
Dare I ask how the rims are doing?
Going to replace the tyres with the same totally white style to go along with new brake line covers. They have the original ribbed cream colour ones at the minute but there’s about a 10cm break in it where the spring stuff is exposed so I’ll see if I can get more of that first.
Here they are:
#8
Junior Member
Thread Starter
One thing I wanted to ask you more experienced guys was how do I get the crank shafts off? I can’t figure out what sort of attachment it has. I’ve tried a little to bash the bolt through with a mallet but that’s not worked so I stopped in case anything else happened. Can’t tell if it’s just seized or that’s the wrong way to go about it
#9
Junior Member
Thread Starter
There are some parts that you would want to upgrade. If the head bearings are plain plastic bearings, upgrade them to a ball bearing headset and look for a set of better pedals. These don't have to be expensive. I like the plastic pedals for an application like this. Many enthusiast don't like plastic pedals, but the good ones work well and take a beating without issues.
I’ll definitely replace the headset bearings though that’s a good shout - should be some in a box somewhere that can get donated
Likes For stormy_ll:
#10
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Although I wish I could restore it to how it looked new, I have just spent some money on my first pair of spd sl shoes and pedals. I don’t really have enough in the bike money pot to spend on more bikes! I’d have to strip and paint it myself but that’s a lot of effort.
#11
Senior Member
Check before you go tyre shopping. The 2 standards for rim size are 451 which English versions came with or 406 which exports generally got.
BMX uses 406, plenty of tyre choices. 451 not so much.
BMX uses 406, plenty of tyre choices. 451 not so much.
Likes For 3speedslow:
#13
Abuse Magnet
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Colorado
Posts: 1,888
Bikes: '91 Mtn Tek Vertical, '74 Raleigh Sports, '72 Raleigh Twenty, '84 Univega Gran Turismo, '09 Surly Karate Monkey, '92 Burley Rock-n-Roll, '86 Miyata 310, '76 Raleigh Shopper
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 151 Post(s)
Liked 172 Times
in
86 Posts
#14
Senior Member
^^^ Thanks for the link! Been meaning to visit that page. Just spent some nice rainy day weather time cruising through it.
#15
Junior Member
Thread Starter
@stormyII
You are referring to the cotter pins which hold the crankset on the BB? Lots of good vids to watch and learn how. Too long to post a written explanation. Best to see it done!
You are referring to the cotter pins which hold the crankset on the BB? Lots of good vids to watch and learn how. Too long to post a written explanation. Best to see it done!
old man to do for me at the minute he explained it briefly but when it didn’t work for me I assumed i misheard him and left it lol
#16
Senior Member
Never hit it with a hammer
When I work on cottered cranks and they feel rough, I pour a little motor oil down the seatpost and spin the crank around while leaning the bike to both sides. Messy but will give you time to work out how you will remove the pins.
cotter press tool is best
8” C clamp and socket will do the job as well. Make sure to keep the pin centered on the clamping points.
Continue to search for vids on this job.
I say 8” cause a 6 will bend slightly.
When I work on cottered cranks and they feel rough, I pour a little motor oil down the seatpost and spin the crank around while leaning the bike to both sides. Messy but will give you time to work out how you will remove the pins.
cotter press tool is best
8” C clamp and socket will do the job as well. Make sure to keep the pin centered on the clamping points.
Continue to search for vids on this job.
I say 8” cause a 6 will bend slightly.
Last edited by 3speedslow; 08-07-21 at 11:05 AM.
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 2,887
Mentioned: 49 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1103 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1,309 Times
in
773 Posts
If they are tight they'll need more than a C-clamp.
I just had a right-side crank for which there just wasn't enough clearance for a cotterpress - the nose hit the chainring and the throat wasn't deep enough to get at it sideways. Fortunately the fixed cup was not so tight that I could'nt get it off, so I did the non-drive side and pulled that side of the bearings. It was a bit of a signal, that side was quite tight. Then what was left of the assembly came off the drive side. put in in the vice with a socket placed just as the above, and started squeezing. It's a good big vice but I've broken them before and I had to crank it down enough that it was starting to worry me, then there was a almighty bang and the pin shot out of the hole into the socket.
I just had a right-side crank for which there just wasn't enough clearance for a cotterpress - the nose hit the chainring and the throat wasn't deep enough to get at it sideways. Fortunately the fixed cup was not so tight that I could'nt get it off, so I did the non-drive side and pulled that side of the bearings. It was a bit of a signal, that side was quite tight. Then what was left of the assembly came off the drive side. put in in the vice with a socket placed just as the above, and started squeezing. It's a good big vice but I've broken them before and I had to crank it down enough that it was starting to worry me, then there was a almighty bang and the pin shot out of the hole into the socket.
#18
Senior Member
+1 had to do that as well on a Rudge! You ain’t kidding about the bang! Even more so I was doing it at the LBS( local bike store).
#19
Full Member
Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 303
Bikes: a few
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 91 Post(s)
Liked 367 Times
in
141 Posts
Thanks for the tip on the c clamp idea.
I just picked up this Raleigh twenty at a car show and swap meet for $35.
Tearing into it now similar condition from years of neglect.
Added to collection 8-14-2021
I just picked up this Raleigh twenty at a car show and swap meet for $35.
Tearing into it now similar condition from years of neglect.
Added to collection 8-14-2021
#20
Senior Member
@tjfastback66.
sweet folder and mostly complete. Check the hub for a date. Probably before 72-73
Looks like you are close enough to do the Lake Pepin 3 speed ride. You would fit right in!
sweet folder and mostly complete. Check the hub for a date. Probably before 72-73
Looks like you are close enough to do the Lake Pepin 3 speed ride. You would fit right in!