My Raleigh Twenty, a Twenty Inch Bike, holds a special place in my cycling life. It all started when my friend Sheldon Brown, a notable figure in the cycling world with a deep interest in twenty inch bikes, found it at a flea market. He actually featured twenty inch bikes on his website, sheldonbrown.com, and knew I’d appreciate this particular find. For a mere $35, this vintage twenty inch bike became mine.
When I first got it, the bike was… unique. It had a comically extended seatpost, seemingly made from another bike’s seat tube, an incredibly high handlebar stem topped with an actual automotive steering wheel, and a coat of gold spray paint. I could only imagine the stories this twenty inch bike could tell about its previous life before Sheldon rescued it.
My first step was to remove those unusual components and start fresh. I brazed on brake bosses to accommodate Mafac centerpull brakes, had the frame sandblasted to remove the questionable gold paint, and then applied a coat of tough, if not particularly attractive, marine epoxy paint. To improve performance, I installed an aluminum crankset and aluminum rims, added drop handlebars for a more aerodynamic riding position, and fitted a comfortable leather saddle. I even went the extra mile and re-threaded the fork to replace the original nylon upper headset bearing with a standard Raleigh ball-bearing assembly, thanks to acquiring a 26 TPI die from a closing bike shop.
For city riding, I wanted versatility, so I geared a Sturmey-Archer 5-speed hub to provide a gear range from 36 to 81 inches (2.9 to 6.5 meters development). This internally-geared hub is a game-changer for urban environments, allowing for easy downshifting even when stopped at traffic lights – perfect for navigating stop-and-go traffic on a twenty inch bike.
I took the photo above not long after I finished assembling my twenty inch bike back in 1979. You can see it’s still missing a rear rack, and I hadn’t yet taped the handlebars as I was still fine-tuning the brake and shift lever positions. Even toe clips were yet to be installed.
What immediately struck me about riding this twenty inch bike was its handling. The low center of gravity, combined with the smaller wheels, makes it feel remarkably nimble, almost like a much lighter bicycle. Despite the wider tires, the rotational inertia is surprisingly low, comparable to a racing bike, resulting in quick and responsive steering. The compact twenty inch wheels also contribute to the bike’s overall shorter length – about 7 inches shorter than a conventional bike. This reduced length is a significant advantage when weaving through traffic congestion, making this twenty inch bike an excellent choice for urban commuting.
While my customized twenty inch bike, the Raleigh Twenty, is undeniably heavier than modern compact bicycles from brands like Bike Friday, Brompton, Dahon, and Moulton, it remains my preferred bicycle for short to medium-distance commutes and running errands. Year after year, I clock over a thousand miles on this trusty twenty inch bike. Equipped with a cardboard box bungeed to a rear rack and a soft backpack, I can effortlessly carry home up to 40 pounds of groceries. For security in the city, the twenty inch bike offers a practical solution: I can fold it (to a degree), lock it to a parking meter, and remove the saddle, seatpost, and hinge key, making it a far less appealing target for theft.
However, it’s important to acknowledge that the Twenty, as a twenty inch bike, is somewhat bulky and heavy for truly convenient folding and carrying onto commuter buses or urban trains. For that specific need, I would indeed recommend a Bike Friday, Brompton, or Dahon – bikes specifically designed for ultimate portability. That said, with the saddle lowered and handlebars folded over the frame, the Twenty can fit into a large duffel bag, making it suitable for intercity bus and rail travel.
My twenty inch bike has even accompanied me on numerous air travels, checked as airline baggage to various corners of the continental United States and Canada. However, its soft bag configuration does leave it vulnerable to damage from rough baggage handling. For dedicated air travel with a bike, the Bike Friday, with its hard suitcase/trailer option, is undoubtedly the superior choice. Although I’ve owned a Bike Friday New World Tourist since 2005, for everyday utility and local trips, I still consistently reach for my reliable and beloved twenty inch bike, the Raleigh Twenty.
