Whatever Happened to the 20” Wheeled Shopper Bike?
Danny1962
Posts: 58
Whatever Happened to the 20” Wheeled Shopper Bike?
For much of the 1970s the Raleigh Twenty was Raleigh’s best selling model in the UK, according to Wikipedia. Those bikes and their variants are often defined more generally as “shoppers” characterised by a step thru frame, strong 20” wheels, a simple 3 speed hub gear, low centre of gravity, kickstand, and lots of carrying ability. If they were cars they would be a Ford Ka – small, ideal for errands, aimed at Women but actually very unisex.
You don’t even see modern direct equivalents of shopper bikes on sale now. 20” wheel bikes are still much used and abused by teenage boys in the truly impractical form of a BMX bike. Some 700c wheeled urban bikes are marketed as shoppers. But you never see the 20” wheel and the practicality of a shopper all combined in one package nowadays.
I wonder why nobody has developed the toughness and low step height of the modern BMX bike with its standard, easily obtainable parts, then made it more civilised by raising the seat and handlebars, and adding mudguards, proper road tyres and other fittings.
Or have our expectations, our society and our lifestyles changed so much since the 1970s that the old 20” shopper bike has now just become an irrelevant curiosity?
For much of the 1970s the Raleigh Twenty was Raleigh’s best selling model in the UK, according to Wikipedia. Those bikes and their variants are often defined more generally as “shoppers” characterised by a step thru frame, strong 20” wheels, a simple 3 speed hub gear, low centre of gravity, kickstand, and lots of carrying ability. If they were cars they would be a Ford Ka – small, ideal for errands, aimed at Women but actually very unisex.
You don’t even see modern direct equivalents of shopper bikes on sale now. 20” wheel bikes are still much used and abused by teenage boys in the truly impractical form of a BMX bike. Some 700c wheeled urban bikes are marketed as shoppers. But you never see the 20” wheel and the practicality of a shopper all combined in one package nowadays.
I wonder why nobody has developed the toughness and low step height of the modern BMX bike with its standard, easily obtainable parts, then made it more civilised by raising the seat and handlebars, and adding mudguards, proper road tyres and other fittings.
Or have our expectations, our society and our lifestyles changed so much since the 1970s that the old 20” shopper bike has now just become an irrelevant curiosity?
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Comments
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I see the older ones around town, raleigh 20s and Dawes Kingpins. The used ones seem to fetch quite a high price. Their position in the bicycle ecosystem has been overtaken by 20" Dahon-a-like folders. Mostly these never get folded and I think there is a good case for making a non-folding 20" shopper.
Ideally it would have an aluminium frame, single stay rear compatible with belt drive, 3 speed, dynamo hub and v-brakes. You can get bars which flip sideways to take make a thinner package for hallway storage.
Aldi often make exceptionally good cycling stuff and a bike like this, heavily branded would be a great advert, esp locked up in the Tesco racks.0 -
Danny1962 wrote:
I wonder why nobody has developed the toughness and low step height of the modern BMX bike with its standard, easily obtainable parts, then made it more civilised by raising the seat and handlebars, and adding mudguards, proper road tyres and other fittings.
You've just described my Birdy and many other folders, I think these have filled the gap to some extent.0 -
Moulton Bicycle Company have revisited the design that started it all off with this special edition...
http://www.moultonbicycles.co.uk/models/Moulton60.html
and Bridgestone manufacture a version in Japan (where 20" wheeled bikes seem more popular - known as 'mini velo'.
http://www.moultonbicycles.co.uk/models ... stone.html
None of these fit the price point you would expect for a humble shopper though.0 -
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