Oliver is no more....

Been a long time, I know....

Oliver is no longer with us, he is now with another owner.

See, I took him into a bicycle shop in Clearwater where a lot of the work is taught and hands-on, the owner and I looked him over and after he stopped laughing at what Iwanted to do, we started to look at the details.

Basically, Oliver needs a chiropractor. His rear stay is bent to the left. He is OK to ride around, putter and the like, but not for a tourer like I wanted him to be. We could bend the frame back, however, not advisable for the added stress that will come under load. So we introduced Oliver to Craig....craiglist that is.

Two days later and cash in hand he was loaded up and is with a new owner in St. Petersburg. Good luck!

No more updates on Oliver.

Meet Oliver

Please let me introduce to you, Oliver.

He is a 1972 Raleigh Twenty Folder. 3 speed Sturmey Archer hub that has one working speed.

Other oddities include an awful attempt to match the factory white paint by one of the previous owners, original brakes and one tire. Not original saddle (darn) and well used fenders.

I'll start to add some blogs/websites I am following as I assemble a parts list. A rehab on this one will probably break the budget, but Oliver will be unique as he will be purposeful. Some initial thoughts:

• Powdercoat the frame and fork
• Possibly new fork
• Shock seat stem
• Dyno-hub to generate power/lights; add in aluminum wheels
• 8-9 speed Sturmey Archer internal hub (prevents spreading of the rear stays)
• New brakes/pads
• New seat
• New racks
• New handle bar, bar stem
• Something with the bottom bracket. Either rebuild or do the UN72 route
• Probable expense will be around $1200, but will be working on the Cannondale until then

Please provide me with any other suggestions you may have regarding the rebuild. As obscene as it may be to spend that kind of money on a bicycle ( a possible single purpose bicycle), it will be unique and practical for someone of my size (6'4"/over 220 lbs).

Thanks for checking in!

Oliver, the doctor will see you now.

Welcome to this online blog/progress check on the rehab of my new to me 1972 Raleigh Twenty Folder, aptly named 'Oliver'. This is one of those projects that will be expensive. It will also be challenging as just about everything will need to be either replaced, retrofitted or fabricated.

There are plenty of online websites that have provided me with enough confidence to believe this will be a worthwhile project. The ultimate goal is to make a tourer out of Oliver to be used on paved/crushed stone trails. The goal is the ride the C & O canal path one summer. From Pittsburgh to Washington D.C.

Stay tuned as pictures and narratives are posted.