Moulton Mini for distance riding, Advice Required.

[Greystoke]

That's ace

[home]

By contrast the 'correct' 451 size rims and tyres for a Raleigh twenty are less easy to obtain, and may in time go extinct.

Nearly 5 years on & I'm pleased to report that 451 still exists, & the size thrives. Good heavens that we have to submit to the Americans and their awful 406s. It's just not 'British' (nor, thankfully, Japanese as the Mini Velo craze in the Orient has kept it alive & well).

Anyone tried a 305 ETRTO rim and wheel on a Moulton Mini? (16" x 1.75 instead of the standard 14" 298 ETRTO).

Friend looking for a replacement, and it seems more current and with more tyre choices.

Ta.

PS, ah, someone's tried it and it works.

[cycle tramp]

Here's the Google translation, landsurfer. Not perfect, it never is, but enough to understand it si vous ne parlez pas français.

https://translate.google.co.uk/translat ... t=&act=url

Nice - thanks for that. Dare I say it, but if someone brought back the raleigh twenty frame, but up dated it with rack, disc brake mounts, modern fork spacings and for 406 size BMX wheels (more tyre and rim choice) (and perhaps mounts on the steerer tube for a brompton case in the front or moulton pannier racks on the side) I reckon it could be a winner.

[Winders]

Something like the Orbea Katu (now out of production) or the recently announced Tern Short Haul?https://www.ternbicycles.com/nz/bikes/471/short-haul

[home]

Nice - thanks for that. Dare I say it, but if someone brought back the raleigh twenty frame, but up dated it ... I reckon it could be a winner.

Funnily enough, someone did ... Raleigh ... but that got it all wrong and precisely because of that, it sadly flopped. And I mean that genuinely and frustratedly.

What happened is they commission aging Camden hipsters "Red or Dead", who no doubt put some newly qualified art student born after it was stopped selling, and they turned into a pop tart complete with stars, sparkles and tassels like it was some kind of Jimmy Saville 70s special. It was around 2015.

What they should have done was a timeless classic in British racing green, (or even that metallic Ford Grenada sh*t brown colour), Brookes saddle, racing tyres. Even Barbour-ised it panniers instead. Turned it into an upmarket, Brompton beater. They even missed the anniversary of "The Bike That Saved Raleigh".

But what we got was this ... (below). They COMPLETELY missed the point. They were apparently COMPLETELY unaware of its cult appeal as a micro sports touring bike. The potential is almost still there, under all the "Glam" (if you gave it a paint job), but even the over weight, retro, cupcake girls they were targetting didn't get it. Or buy it. Mommies didn't want to relive their teenages on them. It died & ended up in the remnants department.

They lost the elegance of a few of the lines and angles, e.g the double tubes to the bottom bracket under the main one. I'll put a bet on they've not internally brace the main tube to the head tube in the same secure way, hence having to increase both's size. But why didn't they just do a Google and see what people who bought them, men mostly and dedicated cyclists, were doing with them?

It could have been a revival of a British Mini Velo scene.

"Goodness gracious! How's about that, then ... Guys and gals?"

[hoogerbooger]

Hopefully the moderator will remove that obscene image !! .......what were they thinking

( I've had to pop blinkers on my 'au natural' BSA 20 ..... to make sure it didn't scare and bolt)

Mine potters around the village.......can't imagine doing any distance on it.

[home]

It's bad, isn't it? They got it so wrong and, therefore, won't try again. Didn't sell at all.

However, Bankrupt Bicycke Parts on eBay currently (as of July 2022) have a new, unused set of wheel off one for £99 which isn't a bad price for a pair of 451 wheels with alloy rims and a new 3 speed hub all in. Only caveat, they have galvanised spokes instead of stainless which was unnecessarily cheap of them.

Will bring someone's spare frame back to life quickly.

[rjb]

The braking on those Raleigh 20's and Dawes Kingpins isn't great. One could have cantilever bosses brazed on so V brakes could be used. But the cost of doing this is probably not justified as it would also involve a frame respray.
If doing this I would have the bosses put on the back of the front fork.

The Raleigh 20 came back as the Wisp. Clearly enjoyed by Twiggy.

[cycle tramp]

Nice - thanks for that. Dare I say it, but if someone brought back the raleigh twenty frame, but up dated it ... I reckon it could be a winner.

Funnily enough, someone did ... Raleigh ... but that got it all wrong and precisely because of that, it sadly flopped. And I mean that genuinely and frustratedly.

What happened is they commission aging Camden hipsters "Red or Dead", who no doubt put some newly qualified art student born after it was stopped selling, and they turned into a pop tart complete with stars, sparkles and tassels like it was some kind of Jimmy Saville 70s special. It was around 2015.

What they should have done was a timeless classic in British racing green, (or even that metallic Ford Grenada sh*t brown colour), Brookes saddle, racing tyres. Even Barbour-ised it panniers instead. Turned it into an upmarket, Brompton beater. They even missed the anniversary of "The Bike That Saved Raleigh".

But what we got was this ... (below). They COMPLETELY missed the point. They were apparently COMPLETELY unaware of its cult appeal as a micro sports touring bike. The potential is almost still there, under all the "Glam" (if you gave it a paint job), but even the over weight, retro, cupcake girls they were targetting didn't get it.

They lost the elegance of a few of the lines and angles, e.g the double tubes to the bottom bracket under the main one. I'll put a bet on they've not internally brace the main tube to the head tube in the same secure way, hence having to increase both's size. But why didn't they just do a Google and see what people who bought them, men mostly and dedicated cyclists, were doing with them?

It could have been a revival of a British Mini Velo scene.


817nioj6LtL._AC_SL1500_.jpg

"Goodness gracious! How's about that, then ... Guys and gals?"

That's just criminal.. hangings too good for 'em