Oops! What was I thinking?

Am I really so out of control that I'll buy any project that'll come my way?!

Just acquired a Raleigh Twenty Special which was much worse than it looked in the picture my sister sent me. Anyway something in me said it could be an interesting project so I got her to hand over a bag of peanuts and she brought it round to me earlier.

Solid frame and gold alloy araya rims are the pros everything else are the cons!

I was going to pimp it as a street "racer" type thing until my wife said that she wouldn't mind it. So its gonna be a modernisation job instead although research tells me that it will be no easy ride (pun intended)

Only thing I am sure of at the moment is that I will fit one of those 26 tpi cotterless bb kits on eBay and fit a better alloy crank. Think the stem and brakes will give me some grief.

Bars on those are a pain in the ar$e But just maybe this might help

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HANDLEBAR-100 ... 5ae876704c

As for brakes what about something like these

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ALLOY-BMX-BIK ... 3f19df2aa7

The brakes maybe a goer, thanks.

Mine is a later Twenty model (I think) and appears to have standard diameter 22.2 stem so I should be able to slip a regular quill stem in there. VeloSolo have a stem with 165mm rise which should do it.

I'll get some pictures up later I'm sure you're all keen to see it

Ok, ok! Here they are:

As received (little girls bike):



Up we go - adults bike:


Won't be re-using these:





Arya Alloy gold rims!


Special - I wanted to ditch the chainguard for a bashguard but my missus likes it:


Takes a standard quill Won't be using this one mind!

What about one of these stems

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Oxford-HS572- ... 53ebc5d3f0

And one of these shifters

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sturmey-Arche ... 5d3141f77d

Oh yes! To the shifter that's exactly what I had in mind!

Stem is going to be this one http://velosolo.co.uk/kalloyswan.html

I want some 20 x 2.0'ish white wall tyres for reasonable money alternatively I may just get some new Raleigh ones as currently fitted. Also need some very high rise bars similar to stock but alloy.

Thanks for your interest and help kermit, thought I was going it alone on this one....

That stem looks the Biz

Bars what do you reckon to something like these

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NORTH-ROAD-HA ... 27c9dc949c

Tyres

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-of-COLOURED ... 416336f007

I love these weird and wonderful builds doing something pimpy to a bike with potential and giving it a new lease of life, but I think some of the road boys are a tad prudish when it comes to builds like these

Well I'm not exactly adventurous myself, quite reserved normally but these twenty's have a good following with some great mods.

The tyres are perfect I saw them yesterday and couldn't find them again today so big thanks for that.

Those north road bars are a very good bargain but I'm looking for something with less rearward sweep....

Thanks again fella. This is going to be our build at this rate.

I am quite adept at spending other peoples money for them

But I do like having a challenge and a good look around the bay every now and then

I did spot these bars as well but wasn't sure they were deep enough

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Handsome-Dog- ... 27c9aeb3e8

I saw these as well and loads of different colours

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/J-L-Vintage-H ... 43b176548a