I Bought A Vintage 20" "Shopper" Bicycle & These Are My Plans For It - BSA Twenty 20 Resto-Mod

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So I've seen a few custom shoppers and it got me thinking how I would go about one. I managed to find this BSA 20 pretty cheap so jumped at the chance.
I didn;t realise how heavy they were! 18KG for this in a stndard form is a huge weight, especially when you consider my 29er full sus weighs less! The first part of the plan is to get this thing on a diet! Replace as many of the steel parts with alloy to shift the grams (or kilos!). I'll be converting to 20" BMX wheels at the same time so I'll build myself a fresh set with alloy rims to lose more weight.
The second part of the plan is to tackle the gearing. My first though is a belt drive system. It's something that's intrigued me for a while but if that falls through, I'll be potentially be adding a derailleur. Maybe.... This might actually suit just hub gears.
Before I do all that though I need to tackle that crankset and the 77mm bottom bracket and prey it isn't Raleigh threading!

[@johnfowler4820]

I have an original 60s Cinzia folding bike , a great project I will never get round to. Need s tyres , cables. You can have it because you rescued the cat , that makes you fully decent in my eyes. I am in Worcester which can not be far away by your accent.

[@ianwilson2631]

My Mum had one of those, branded Triumph. I remember it being really quite a good bike. They seem to be popular for conversions.

[@pootlingalong8928]

If you replace all those lovely steel bits with alloy, you’ll ruin the ride quality. These old bikes are heavy yes but you’re not carrying them, they’re carrying you. Lovely smooth ride, Raleigh knew what they were doing. 👍🏻

[@jamesrocker2780]

I found one of these many years ago in San Francisco. Ca. Much less complete. I would not do so many changes but see room for improvement.

[@daves4954]

The wire in the stem is a safety feature to prevent the stem being raised too high. It should be attached to the front brake bolt, but in this case it has become detached.

[@MonkeyShred]

Thanks Dave.

[@Ricobass0]

Cut the tubes out and replace with carbon fibre. You can get them in 1mm increments, so you can double or triple butt in high stress places. Use VM100 structural adhesive for bonding steel to CF.

[@MonkeyShred]

That sounds a bit too extreme for what I want right now!

[@another3997]

If you wanted to reduce weight, you'd have to be extremely stupid to do that to an old, steel framed Twenty. You might as well just get a lighter frame to start with. Once you start doing silly things like that, there's not enough of the original bike to make it even remotely worth the effort. And I guarantee that with a bit care, that old steel frame will outlast a new carbon fibre one. Delamination, fatigue and structural failure are real threats to carbon composites.

[@nickdowdell2441]

The weight of some of those components was mind bending.....This going to be an interesting build with the bmx parts....hope you are going to paint the frame,even rattle can finish would be good enough.

[@ChrisDemers23]

Thanks for publishing this. I'm picking up a Raleigh Twenty next weekend, so it was helpful to see what you did with this Shopper. Keep up the good work.

[@MonkeyShred]

I’m yet to finish it but glad it was helpful!

[@hazzalandy]

Join the Facebook group, we're all friendly. Shopper group rides are a thing too

[@AndrewEtchells]

These bikes are awesome! Cheap, cheerful and reliable. I’ve probably owned about 5. I’ve always kept them stock though. I personally would do a fixie conversion to make it even more reliable. Regardless you’re gonna love this thing! Definitely makes me want another

[@MonkeyShred]

I don't think the build is going to be cheap but I hope I'm cheerful after it! Looking forward to seeing what I can do.

[@davidardley2380]

Can't wait to see what you do with the shopper. Got one in the shed myself, waiting for resurrection.

[@MonkeyShred]

It's not going to be the easiest thing to work with but I reckon it should be doable with a bit of tinkering.

[@peterbaker8221]

Looking forward to an update on this project, just looking at doing something similar myself.

[@FrancoDX]

Some cool ideas, really looking forward to see how it turns out! I have a 70’s Trusty Folder that is loads of fun to ride, got an Elswick Folder as well but the hinge is a bit rickety. That one does have alloy 20” wheels though so a little lighter. Sheldon Brown did some cool stuff with Twenty bikes.

[@MonkeyShred]

Yeh I've seen some of those! I have a Rekord folding bike years ago that was quite nice to ride. I'm looking forward to getting stuck in to this too.

[@FrancoDX]

I picked two Twenty’s up yesterday, one Raleigh and the other is a Triumph Traffic Master. The seller had a Puch Tourist as well but I couldn’t fit three bikes in my van, haha.

[@adrianbrimble3168]

Someone beat me to it. The metal rod in stem tube should be bolted to front brake bolt to stop handlebars being pulled up too far.i always look at it as at least no-one can steel the handlebars 😀

[@MonkeyShred]

Ah ha! I took the brakes off before. That would have driven me nuts pulling on that stem with the caliper in place, not knowing!

[@adrianbrimble3168]

Yeah, it wouldnt come out withbrake calliper still attached😀

[@robbchastain3036]

Nice find and I, too, like these little bikes. And maybe you could find a banana seat and high-rise bars and make a shopper chopper.

[@iQuincyboy]

Man. your video skillz and storytelling are on point in this one! A pleasure to watch, cheers!

[@MonkeyShred]

Thanks. Appreciate it!

[@vexborg]

As for a beltdrive, you should take a look at the belt system fra VEER Cycle, it's a split belt system connected with rivets and is easy to install, although you need a new-ish crankset.

[@MonkeyShred]

That's what I've seen before :) I need to contact them for a bit more info really.

[@cccpkingu]

@@MonkeyShred It is a gates belt that has been split :)

[@alexleide1823]

I just bought a Moulton Mini to restore, so I'll be watching this project with interest! Trying to decide between a chill shopper style town bike, or a TT bike with a mad chainring and aero fairing...

[@MonkeyShred]

A moulton mini TT bike?? Sounds crazy. It might just work.

[@3000batman]

I overhauled one and ride when I'm riding with my kids. It's fun as it's easy to mount and speed isn't needed.

[@MonkeyShred]

I've done a "cheap" 90s soft tail folding bike before. That was fun. Crap, but fun.

[@gerry5858]

gday Mate, love your work.. have you made a second video on this one ? keen to see where you go with this.. i have a Raleigh twenty folder i am tinkering with at the moment keen to see what handlebars you end up with ...

[@michaelx9079]

I've fancied doing one of these for a while too...... can't remember who it was but one of the midlands bike companies made a 531 one...... on the belt drive...... won't you have to cut one of the rear stays to get it on?

[@hazzalandy]

Royal Enfield Revelation is the suuuuper posh shopper, Dawes Kingpin was made from better steel than most

[@altern8tive]

Used to get carried to school on the back of a Raleigh Twenty in the early 70s, with some egg crate packaging on the panier for padding :D

[@MonkeyShred]

Rolling in style!

[@johnsmithers284]

Very cool

[@frankdevaney5156]

Hey Mr. MonkeyShred, Watched loads of your vids - very good they are too, well done fella!. Do a fair bit of tinkering myself, and good to watch others from time to time - always something new to learn/different ways of doing things. This vid is of particular interest, having recently modernised an R20 and made it a decent everyday runaround. Mine now has regular 406 alloy rims, v-brakes, alloy levers, alloy seatpost and alloy bars/stem. Still using a SA 3-speed hub, but the more modern alloy-shelled version. Also, alloy crankset and converted to cartridge BB. Kept the original colour-coded mudguards, albeit trimmed down a little. Wouldn't call myself a weight-weenie, but the stock bike is just way too heavy and pretty useless as regular transport. They're definitely worth upgrading for the 21st century! Anyways, mine tips the scales now at 12.5kg, so something to aim for, and no doubt undercut. Looking forward to the next installment :)

[@another3997]

Not sure how you can say they're "pretty useless as regular transport", because millions of people used them as exactly that during the lifetime of the "Twenty" and it's siblings. Perhaps all those ordinary men and women back in the day were a bit hardier than weight weenies of today. With a little bit of care, those old steel bikes will outlast any modern aluminium or carbon fibre framed, full suspension bikes of today, whilst needing less maintenance and less money spent. Replacing all those parts to decrease weight... you might as well just buy a modern bike in the first place.

[@frankdevaney5156]

@@another3997 I think the reason so many Shoppers/Stowaways and their variants still survive, is they were not that good to ride in standard form. Look at the Ads, many say something like 'been stored in garage for XX years' - says it all. They are cheap and easily available, and offer a blank canvas to experiment/tinker and have some fun. I own several of these now, and will keep 2 pretty much original, as they're the pick of the bunch condition wise. The others will be modernised to my liking, and certainly ridden on a regular basis instead of languishing at the back of a garage. If you choose to keep one in original condition and use it as regular transport then fair play to you.

[@ronalmeida2536]

I love this project! Looking forward to the next installment. BTW if you havnt already, read Tim Moore’s book about riding a shopper along the Iron Curtain Trail:)

[@MonkeyShred]

I haven't. I'll have a look and see.

[@nstarmore]

This will be interesting, looking forward to progress. Couple of questions: How are you planning on doing the belt drive, is there a split in the frame I haven't noticed or are you going to create one? Do you want a spare set of Orbea Katu stem and bars I have going spare for this, similar style to what you have but matt black and bound to be lighter than the current ones (although I've not weighed them)?

[@MonkeyShred]

The belt drive is "hopefully" going to be solved with a VEER kit. They're belts you pin together and made to fit your bike. I need to contact them to see if they can help out :)

[@joesbloggs660]

Hey MonkeyShred i am really looking forward to the next instalment of this BSA Twenty Resto/Mod,keep the vids coming bro.

[@MonkeyShred]

Thanks Joe. I'm interested myself to see what I can come up with.

[@murphyco88]

Can't wait to see finished shopper. I direct my heat solely to the pin till you see smoke good luck patience 😎

[@MonkeyShred]

One is out now! Still attacking the other.

[@austinmaxi555]

@@MonkeyShred is there an update yet

[@MonkeyShred]

@@austinmaxi555 I'm probably looking at June/July on my current schedule.

[@yafflehk]

Could you cut the headset tube to accept a larger range of forks? (and reduce weight!)

[@Max-xl3ml]

I know that there is 20 inch bmx, 20 inch schwin and 20 inch recumbent. 20 inch recumbent is still used in bmx racing with an IRD of 451. Box components makes rims in this size that are pretty lightweight.

[@MonkeyShred]

Thanks for that. I've taken a look and there is one rim size with an ERD close to that. I'll have to message them to confirm

[@LittlePixelTM]

It’s worth noting that R20 and BMX wheels aren’t the same size- BMX = ISO 406 and R20 = 451, so you may have issues with BMX forks being too short. You can just fit the smaller 406 wheels (like on US market Twenties) but you’ll need long-reach (weaker) brake callipers to stretch to meet the smaller rims. Great to see another twenty getting to live a second life!

[@FrankLadd]

On my ancient heavy loop folder, I just bashed those cotter pins off and threw the crank and the bottom bracket away. I replaced it all with parts from pauls comp and amazon. I kept the fork but put on a bmx stem and bmx bars. I looked and it seems you decided not to move forward with this one?

[@doronron7323]

It's worth remembering this bike was built in proper feet and inches, so your notes and measurements should be imperial units (then the dimensions will seem more logical). Note them and later do whatever metric conversions you need. Be nice to see your progress.

[@blankroomsoup666]

Belt drive would have been cool but it’s expensive, and also you would have to figure out a way of getting the belt around the rear triangle.

[@daves4954]

I am restoring a folding version of this bike, the Raleigh 20 Stowaway. The Sheldon Brown website is the place to start. Raleigh made 140,000 of these in one year alone in the early 70s, so there are lots available on ebay, gumtree etc. Shop around for the best available, there are many rough ones and some that are almost mint. The whitewall Raleigh Record tyres are still available and there is a big market in used and OEM parts. Enjoy!

[@MonkeyShred]

Oh I know, thanks. This one wasn't going to be OEM though. It's going to be a bit of a modification...

[@deskelly9313]

I had one for my paper-round when I was 13. The smaller wheels meant it was quite nippy, as I recall. Looking forward to an update when this baby has been on a diet - maybe get cheapo carbon parts from aliexpress...?

[@MonkeyShred]

Hopefully I'll dig it out soon once I've got the 3/4 builds I'm working on at the moment out of the way!

[@doronron7323]

Just weighed my 'Solitaire' = 16k sans lamps and front rack. The weights you gave for the pedals/calipers/mudguards; is that each or 2 of each?

[@bonzobanana1]

Childrens bikes with 20" wheels go dirt cheap secondhand and seem to be strong. Might be a good source of replacement wheels. I think you can even use 24" wheels but you might have to also use the 24" forks on the front too. You could do a single speed conversion. I think personally I would just repaint and fit some 20" wheels from a cheap childs bike or bmx and that would be it. I certainly wouldn't throw out the 3 speed sturmey archer hub that is ideal for spares. I remember the Raleigh Twenty having lovely ride quality but dangerous brakes. I recently got a Puch Promenade a very similar bike to the Raleigh 20 shopper. It felt relatively light like a Dawes Kingpin though.

[@MonkeyShred]

I'll most likely be building my own wheels once I work out the braking etc. Not to keen on singlespeed so I'll be keeping the internal geared hub for a clean look, whether that's the 3 speed or an 8 speed, I'm not sure at the moment.

[@bonzobanana1]

@@MonkeyShred Doesn't the 8 speed need wider dropouts? I'm only saying that as my old 3 speed sturmey archer bikes seem to have narrower dropout spacing than the Nexus 8 bike I have. I think 3 speed hubs can be very compact but I haven't looked at all the options out there.

[@peterbaasch5598]

i am really interested to see how this comes together. I am currently working on a bike with "the same" wheelsize, it is ETRTO 19-451 or 20" x 1 3/8. i wonder how you would deal with the brakes when converting from 451 to 406. Unfortunatly i won't be able to weld studs for cantis onto the frame so i guess i have to stick to the awkward 451 wheelsize?! Good luck with the BB

[@MonkeyShred]

The brakes are a major issue. As you've pointed out there. Near enough 50mm difference in brake height! It's going to require some sort of custom work. A Bmx fork Woulld easily sort the front but the rear is going to take a little more thinking.

[@frankdevaney5156]

@@MonkeyShred The rear brake has longer reach. You can put this on the front fork, but you'll have to swap the bolt over. This definitely works, I've it on one of mine. You'll then have to figure out something for the rear brake :)

[@ElliotFlowers]

Hi there. Would you say the cranks would weigh about the same as the forks, so a frame and fork set would be 4.2 kg?

[@bobwilliamson5574]

How will you get a belt through the chain stay ?

[@MonkeyShred]

Check out VEER belt drive system.

[@bw25908]

Was there ever a follow up to this? Keen to see what you made of it. 👍🏻

[@austinmaxi555]

Me too

[@MonkeyShred]

Not yet. I'm trying to work my way through a backlog after realising I'm terrible with this starting and not finishing business. I'm probably looking at June/July to take a look at this again.

[@RchBlk]

Did you get any further with this one?

[@wongalitprobolinggo5248]

Good..☺

[@Ludwigxivx]

You should weld on disc brake mounts

[@MonkeyShred]

That'd be interesting. I thin the canti mounts would be more suited here though.

[@spencerdodds2207]

In ten years this boy will look back at this video and think what a Pratt.

[@MonkeyShred]

Is that 10 years from now or 10 years from the video. I can just about 20+10 but boy, adding 10 to 22 is tough! Whichever it is, I won’t be changing my name… unless you were trying to insult me?

[@spencerdodds2207]

Sorry mate that was nasty of me, I apologies. I’d had one too many last night. It’s your bike you do what you want with it. It’s good to see you tinkering with them.

[@donalsinnott4303]

Maybe put the nuts back on the crank pins. Leave them just a little bit loose, and they might help to give your crank tool more grip

[@MonkeyShred]

Could work. I'm giving it a bit more soaking and hopefully the "bond" holding the pins in will loosen slightly.

[@danielbrown6157]

Check out the Raleigh Twenty Facebook group, lots of builds on answers on there! The metal bit in the stem is supposed to have the brake bolt through it so you don’t ride with the stem too high!

[@MonkeyShred]

I'll have a ganders. Thanks.

[@hazzalandy]

Front racks are in huge demand and are really the only rare bit in the world of shoppers

[@MonkeyShred]

Looks like I got lucky then!

[@ElliotFlowers]

Have you seen that picture from the sixties of an old lady doing a wheelie on a raleigh shopper?

[@hazzalandy]

@@ElliotFlowers Actually I think you'll find it's a Dawes shopper... I promise I'm not that boring in real life

[@ElliotFlowers]

@@hazzalandy haha nah i just thought it was a cool photo, and this bike reminded me!

[@archiechadderton8887]

any progress on this? I find my all original twenty lovely to ride even though, as you say, they are very heavy and mine is especially scruffy.

[@MonkeyShred]

Unfortunately not. It’s turned in to one of those back burner projects

[@archiechadderton8887]

@@MonkeyShred ok, looking forward to it, would it be easier just to use a three speed aw and just rebuild it into a 406 rim?

[@johnfowler4820]

If you put 2cotter pin nuts on the end of the thread and lock them together you can then tap the pin out with a hammer. The BSA the Raleigh and the triumph were all the same just badge engineering

[@robbchastain3036]

O man, keep the chainguard, too. It's art. And think about it, if you didn't have one, you'd probably scour eBay for one. But do whatever, just that I'd keep the frame, fork, and chainguard as the soul of the bike. Prolly the front basket, too. I mean, what's a shopper without its big ol' original front basket? Or turn it into a BMX shopper and race your friends to the supermarket.

[@GreenJimll]

Heh, snap! I'm just starting on a Triumph Trafficmaster (which is another TI Raleigh Twenty rebranding). Mine was pulled from a skip after languishing in a back garden for 30 years, so a teensy bit more rusty than yours. :-) My headset stem is currently seized so doing the penetrating oil/heat dance. Its got the same little metal pin with a loop on it that yours has (as it popped out from the hole in the forks). I've not yet worked out what its for - I thought it might be some way of pulling a wedge out but doesn't appear to do anything (Edit: just read down to @Stuart Russell post explaining what its for - thank you!)

[@MonkeyShred]

Fortunately this one was dry stored in a barn for 25 years or so! I cleaned up all the chrome at the weekend and it all came up really well!

[@kenmcfarland4287]

I do charity work on bikes and have just been given a Dawes version of the Twenty tad rusty to say the least ! I am thinking of restoring it so will be interesting to see this one when it is finished. I like the twenties lol

[@Crizsehjrimace]

A friend gave me a retro rb frame, all of the tubes are not round, they're all teardrop(aero) shaped, i dunno the brand coz it's been repainted(plain silver)

[@MonkeyShred]

Roadie? I've had a 80's Raleigh Record Sprint with aero downtube and seat tube.

[@Crizsehjrimace]

@@MonkeyShred I was finally able to know my bike frame after a week of image searching, I got a 1982 Tsunoda Aero 😁

[@grumpygrandpa3640]

Did you ever finish this ?

[@azimaxim4377]

My raleigh twenty folding bike frame made in Germany...

[@krispayne729]

How to put a set of 20in BMX old school mags

[@MonkeyShred]

Nah. I really don't like single speed.

[@ronwhite8503]

When's the next instalment?

[@MonkeyShred]

I'm not entirely sure! I'm going to speak to VEER about the belt drive and then go from there.

[@coolcycles]

The Monkey is going to shred this one, before riding it at all. Don't frankenstein it, please. I think, frame, fork and chainguard should be kept in their original paint. Just clean and keep 'em a bit greasy for rust protection. The adjustable seatpost and stem and special fasteners are essential for the concept of the bike as well, as are the racks. Chain works fine. New wheels with internal gearing, tires, new saddle, new cranks and pedals, new cockpit, some powder coating in white, there is left more than enough to do.... Old grips are beautifully sculpted!

[@MonkeyShred]

All my plans are still in place 😊

[@markbudd5250]

I was thinking that- especially ditching the rather nice chain guard. But then I thought this is quite a fascinating idea- putting lightweight components on a heavy steel frame. Who would have thought of doing that?!!

[@MonkeyShred]

@@markbudd5250 I'm sure lots of people have thought about it. I just like the challenge to try and strip out as much weight as I can... Cost effectively though.

[@markbudd5250]

@@MonkeyShred I can't wait to see how it turns out....It's the bicycle equivalent of putting a turbo charged engine in a Robin Reliant.....

[@MattMahon84]

Any update?

[@StoccTube]

We all know weight doesn't matter --- you need to make it aero 😂. This build should be called Triggers broom!

[@MonkeyShred]

Triggers broom haha! 17 new heads and 14 handles. Still the original broom though ;)

[@razzorbladz]

I would have just cleaned it up those sell for good $$ here in Australia as does anything with a BSA badge

[@MonkeyShred]

They're dime a dozen here!

[@razzorbladz]

@@MonkeyShred just looked at sold listings on ebay UK at the folding ones 25 pounds average up to 75 pounds that is very cheap for a vintage bike I would really like a early folding BSA badged one for my sail boat

[@paulthesurfer7470]

@@razzorbladz I have three! Find me, I'm in Adelaide.

[@razzorbladz]

@@paulthesurfer7470 hello 👋 I'm in a Noarlunga 😂 Small world

[@paulthesurfer7470]

@@razzorbladz If you're serious... Gumtree - Goodwood _ Malvern Star. Cheers.

[@am4nf]

You selling the grips 😏

[@MonkeyShred]

I cut them off. Sorry!

[@am4nf]

No worries 👍

[@borderlands6606]

Shoppers gained a cool factor in recent years, but they were inferior to the 26" 3-speed ladies bikes that preceded them for the majority of users. I did a 50+ mile ride on a single speed version aged 11, and it was very hard work. There was no attempt at weight saving. The Dawes Kingpin was better thought of than most 20s.

[@MonkeyShred]

The Kingpin might have been the one I was advised to look for so I didn't have to contend with 26tpi!

[@kenmcfarland4287]

Glad you mentioned the Dawes as I was given one yesterday , everything is there albeit very rusty. I will get round to restoring it when the weather improves a bit. I done an amateur resto last summer on a similar bike of unknown make which turned out alright.

[@pressplay1703]

where is part 2

[@fredyt8318]

Here is some info Bicycle belt drive kit www.veercycle.com/blogs/getveered/how-to-choose-an-internally-geared-hub Sounds like a fun little project. You should consider something like a 16 front wheel . I have a rally light chopper that's missing a ton of parts. I'm planning to do up for my son ,luckily he's only one. So I have some time

[@paulthesurfer7470]

The best you'll get is 14.5 kilos - at best. In the meantime, you have ruined a very original bicycle, binned a 28 spoke Sturmey hub, will have great difficulty putting new cables through the frame (you cut them too short) and all on a vehicle that was never meant to go fast, and never will due to the diameter of the wheels. It's called a shopper for a reason. It is for cruising. Fat BMX tyres increase rolling resistance and you might have considered how similar to the Raliegh Commando the bike is. A banana seat, low, sprung sissy bar( you need to weld high tensile bolts to the rear drop outs) and ape hangers puts the bike in a league of it's own when it comes to low riders... My daughter is the king of her town on hers (albeit a Raleigh Shopper 22 - made in N.Z. only). I recently found a Sun brand H frame with 18 inch wheels and that is a work of art. Obviously the inspiration for these shoppers, after Raleigh consolidated the brand. The heavier the bike, the stronger the child...

[@MonkeyShred]

I see you edited ‘the heavier the bike, the stronger the man’ to ‘the heavier the bike, the stronger the child’. Very adult of you 😂

[@mikelandson6022]

I would of bought a modern aluminum folder since your going all modern on most of the parts. Its better to keep it original with the old original parts. It's rare steal chrome vintage value is only being destroyed. It's still not worth going light on all the parts because the frame is too heavy anyway. It also doesn't have the geometry like the newer models do. The pedals are too far forward from the seat on this old bike, therefore your not going to get as good efficiency out of your leg muscles as you would from a modern designed frame where the seat is more directly over the crank. I have a beach cruiser like this, my leg muscles work extra hard than they do on my mountain bike. Also, the seat tube can't handle high torques at the crank or hard hits on the back tire. The seat tubes in this design bend easy, I know because I've easily bent three 26 inch bikes with this same kind of geometry. The seat tubes bend toward the handle bars because there's no top tub or angled tube close to the same place where the rear frame comes up to the seat. These old bikes are only good for keeping all their steal and chrome parts, to show off a rare bike, and not for upgrading with modern parts for better performance.

[@MonkeyShred]

They’re good for whatever you want really. There’s whole groups dedicated to modifying them. Honestly they’re ten a penny. They sell for peanuts in an original condition.

[@retromod7525]

Not sure how you'll manage a belt drive on that frame.

[@MonkeyShred]

Have a look at the VEER belt drive system.

[@retromod7525]

I dunno MS, seems expensive. How about a small coldset and squeeze in one of the new era S-A 5s hubs, custom wheels and nice gumwalls. Paint/coat the bike in Raleigh bronze-green and go Brooks saddle and grips.

[@MonkeyShred]

@@retromod7525 it is by the looks of it. Maybe I can get a deal though and try it out. Who knows. I think either way I'll be adding a modern better geared hub.

[@Anybloke]

Ever seen what the late Sheldon Brown did with these ? www.sheldonbrown.com/raleigh-twenty.html Do you reckon the BB is a Raleigh standard one or could it be replaced with a modern cartridge and hence a better crankset ?

[@MonkeyShred]

I have seen some of those yes! It's a Raleigh standard unfortunately but I have some workarounds.

[@charlieworsfold2661]

change the fork

[@michael61985]

There is a reason why its heavy

[@MonkeyShred]

I think we all know that reason.... it's all thick steel!

[@robbchastain3036]

Keep the fork. Please. And I grin but don't replace everything. That bike will not recognize itself in the mirror.

[@markbudd5250]

This blog may give you some ideas on a light weight restore....hadland.wordpress.com/2012/06/24/raleigh-twenty-r20/

[@cory4152]

Why does a couple pounds bother you so much its gonna put some hair on your chest

[@MonkeyShred]

It doesn't really but I like a challenge.

[@cory4152]

@@MonkeyShred and thx for the content i have been on a vintage bike thing lately👍.

[@pwood5733]

Why are you bothered so much re weight since its not a racing bike buddy

[@another3997]

The question I have is WHY bother with changing everything on the bike? If you're obsessed by weight, which you seem to be to an inordinate degree, a steel framed "Twenty" isn't a great starting point. The bike you end up with is always going to be sub optimal, it's no longer a classic bike, and to be honest, it probably won't last as long. With a bit of a clean up and basic maintenance, that bike would have been usable for another 20 years.

[@MonkeyShred]

Probably for the same reason you left this comment even though it’s going to have no effect… Because I can.

[@paulthesurfer7470]

@@MonkeyShred And then walked away, since there is no follow up video and you obviously bit off more than you could, quite literally, bite off and chew up and spit out as junk.

[@MonkeyShred]

@@paulthesurfer7470 😂😂 awww don’t worry, it still lives on. You just haven’t searched well enough. How I Modified My Raleigh Twenty & What Went Wrong kzbin.info/www/bejne/aqfXcoungdWCoJI Keep the engagement coming though. Every comment counts 😘

[@paulthesurfer7470]

@@MonkeyShred ​ @MonkeyShred No need...You just explained what went wrong....One day you will understand patina, you callow youth, you.....

[@MonkeyShred]

@@paulthesurfer7470 callow aka inexperienced 😂 this is the first video you’ve commented on out of 522 uploads. You should probably do some more searching first eh. I’d recommend the 1935 Raleigh Sports if you’re looking for patina.

[@morrisminormadness.9370]

why would you do that you have completely destroyed that bike and you have taken everything of that makes it a shopper bike.

[@MonkeyShred]

You haven't seen what I've done yet have you? It looks AMAZING with 26" wheels and a shock. You can still carry your shopping too.

[@spencerdodds2207]

What a shame. Lovely old bike ruined. If you want modern wank buy modern wank.

[@MonkeyShred]

I think your rose tinted glasses need a good clean!

[@spencerdodds2207]

@@MonkeyShred again, sorry that was harsh of me. I’d had a few. Apologies.