Raleigh 20 riding & thoughts. Channel changes. Selling bikes. Bereavement.

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[@andywalker7582]

Your regular reminder that Rowan needs our help if this channel is to continue. Please become a Velocipedian to thank him and allow him to continue sharing his knowledge and passion with us.

[@zigzag8111]

Great video thank you. I ride a Raleigh shopper, it's the perfect bike for me to get to and from work and run a few errands and it's light enough to carry down a flight of stairs to store at work. Another big plus is that it's easy to maintain and unattractive to thievies.

[@oldelephantstew]

I had a red Raleigh Twenty brand new for Christmas 1969. With it's Dunlop Roadster? (from memory) tyres and John Bull brake blocks it gave trouble free service for years requiring almost no maintainance at all. Then, in the early years of the present century, I acquired a Dawes Kingpin Shopper bike (for £2 from a rubbish dump) and found it to be a better proposition than the Raleigh. The 500A wheels have more spokes which are less likely to work loose or get bent and the 500A tyres seem to be much easier to remove and refit when I get the frequent punctures that I seem to get now - tyres and tubes aint what they used to be and road surfaces are bad. Also, I think that the Dawes version runs, handles and steers better than my old Raleigh. You mention in the vid that the Twenty is stodgy; well my Kingpins, I have two of them now, run so free that I can be blown along in a stiff breeze without peddling. The Kingpin is my bike of choice - I still have my old Raleigh as a garden ornament.

[@Teapot-Dave]

I bought a second-hand Kingpin for £15 in 1987 from the small-ads in my local paper, because I had just started my Student-Nurse training, and wanted a bike with no street-cred that I could leave outside the hospital all day/night and know it would still be there when I finished my shift, because nobody would want to steal it. I rode it for literally thousands of miles for well over thirty years, even taking it off-road sometimes. It only got minimal attention from me, like oiling it when needed, and I cleaned it sometimes, so after 30+years of regular use, it was starting to look a bit tired, and was needing some serious money spending on its mechanical side. Then one day I rode it to my local supermarket, and when I came out there was a note on it asking if I wanted to sell it? So long story short, a bloke gave me £50 for it. Amazing bikes, and I do miss it a bit, but am looking for the next one. I have a couple of Raleigh Stowaways, and would really love a Royal Enfield Revelation, but cannot fault the Dawes Kingpin.

[@alderby8476]

Rowan, Thank you for the lovely comments, you are a true gentleman and friend, Best wishes Alan/Andrea

[@Bikeops2021]

I restore retro mountain bikes from the 80's/90's maybe 1 or 2 bikes a year if that due to time constraints of course. I find your videos of the vintage variety interesting & also somewhat relaxing and enjoyable to watch. Hope you soon get to grips with the new editing equipment. Commiserations on the loss of your pooch also, very sad. 98 subscribers now, keep up the good work!

[@damopope4664]

Lovely little 20, being over 6 ft 5 i look daft on these but still have great fun riding them lol. Sorry for your loss, thoughts with you buddy. Having seen previous vids on the Dawn the buyer got a bargain.

[@1961kickboxer]

I just got hold of a 1950s Raleigh mans bike pumped tyres up unstuck the rusty chain and I’m riding her to work all week ,bliss.

[@unbalancedcrank]

That's what I love about them. Frank Bowden will be smiling from beyond at that.

[@FrancoDX]

Nice looking Twenty, the closest thing I have is a 70’s Trusty Delta Folder. It’s fun to ride. Sorry for your loss mate.

[@hazzalandy]

Trusty Spacemaster Delta is a surprisingly different ride to a Twenty. Much shorter reach, twitcher and far more bendy

[@FrancoDX]

I’ve since owned a few Twenty’s and a Stowaway, I find them all a bit twitchy to begin with but after a few days I get used to them. Not used the Trusty for a good while, I should pull it out to compare.

[@physiocrat7143]

They are like riding in an old four wheeled guard's brake van. Or a Pacer train. Up-down, up-down. They are not sluggish if you pump the tyres up hard.

[@jeffmitchell7071]

Agreed - easy unedited content works for me 😊

[@razzorbladz]

tyres for 1 but I hear a bearing asking for grease if you lube her up she will roll better I would suggest new bearings and a good lube

[@andrewharris7439]

I`ve just rebuilt my Stowaway and put on Michelin City J tyres, They roll much better and take higher psi,

[@marcuspotter6919]

Love my raighly wayfarer :)

[@jondo12]

Thanks for posting. Im working on an "Eighteen" which I hope to complete this century XD

[@beaterbikechannel2538]

I think you'll beat my time on recommission of a Raleigh RSW16 mk3

[@unbalancedcrank]

I have an RSW111 in kit form, less a few parts. Yours if you want it

[@Walk81]

i just brought a twenty for £26 on ebay and intend to make it my new project, its gold and in pretty good condition i intend to make it look very cool.

[@razzorbladz]

update?