Experiences of *old* folding bikes?

406 is the 'standard' BMX size rim, so much, much better for tyre choice! For a 20" wheel shopper biek, I reckon any double-wall alloy rim - in a size that suits your choice of tyre width - will be fine.

I have Sun Ringle CR18 rims with the most basic cut-to-size spokes from SJS cycles. But there are bound to be cheaper rims that are just as good or better.

If you find building wheels too much of a faff (and in my experience it is a faff, even though I keep doing it!), you could always lace them yourself and then take them to a bike shop to be trued?

I can't help with spoke length though, I'm afraid. All my wheels are 451.

You've seen these?
https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/209116/
https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/128239/
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/raleigh-twenty.html

This:
https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/hubs-internal-hub-gear-brake/ventura-single-speed-rear-coaster-hub-165-mm-axle-110-mm-oln-chrome-shell-36h/
is from the 'shabby shopper' thread - accepts SA sprockets, so you could go as low as 13T,but I don't know what shipping to Berlin would cost.

With the caveat that I am a total novice at this stuff...I can't say these are the best guides, but they are the ones I could follow with very little prior knowledge. I have built 2 wheelsets, both with hub gears and coaster brakes. (I know what I like!)

This is the main guide I use:
https://patricktaylor.com/building-a-bicycle-wheel

Sheldon is good to explain the parts and concepts, but I found Patrick Taylor's actual instructions clearer. So I referred to a mixture of both: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/wheelbuild.html

And spoke calculator: https://leonard.io/edd/

Nice thing about a hub gear wheel is you don't have to worry about dishing. So I can't give you any good refs for it because I've never had to do it

http://www.gsportbmx.co.uk/custom/wheel_build/wheels.html

Wheel build guide I used to build my first few wheels.

It's a pretty basic, straightforward guide so it really only scratches the surface and doesn't cover the fancier stuff like symmetrical v asymmetrical lacing, aligning hub logos with valve holes etc but I ended up with perfectly usable wheels from following it and then learnt about that stuff later.

Thanks everybody for your feedback!
: ]

@MrE - seen those threads, yes, am reading through them when I have time.
The hub you linked to is single-speed & coaster brake if my english doesn't fail me?
This is what I currently have on the bike, what I want to have is gears & coaster brake.

@brokenbetty & @M_V - thanks for the very helpful links!
: ]

I have pretty much decided that what I want is a 2-speed / Duomatic hub with coaster brake.
The tricky part now is to find one that costs less than what I have paid for the whole bike.

My mistake - and your English is significantly better than my German.

seen a fair bit of live for kingpins here. don't have one though they my gf has an awesome 1964 folding gazelle. but parked next to this excellent build the other day

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Nice one!
: ]

What's with all the locks without bikes in that picture??

I think it is standard practice in lots of places here. I won't pinpoint where this bike is but when I have regular workplace I always leave extra spare lock around stand of choice and carry one with me. Means when locked up my bike has two locks on it.

though that is my Monoc in the background of this shot and only at this place one day a week so just one lock.

standard practice in lots of places here (...) Means bike has two locks on it

..ha, haven't thought of that.
I guess it's far worse with bike thieves in London; you don't see two locks on a bike that often here in Berlin.

Seeing that photo I was thinking maybe they are so hardcore they're just stealing bike after bike by cutting the fucking frames.

leave extra spare lock around stand of choice

..just have to be lucky enough nobody else takes your spot, huh? Does this really work on a day today basis??

I don't really have a day to day basis at the moment but it worked well when I did. if someone has taken the stand you just unlock and use another nearby. there would be the occasional time when movement was a little impaired but never to the point of failing. I will do it again if and when I get a regular gig

Little bit of progress on the "Minirad".
Swapped old tyres for Black Jacks, and was quite surprised that the old (Eastern Germany, "Pneumant") tubes that hid inside are actually thicker than the sidewalls of the modern Schwalbe tyres.
Also surprised that the knobs of those nobbly tyres are quite cute, smaller than they appear in the picture, actually might have gone for something chunkier but whatever.

More importantly - and I guess that's quite a rookie mistake - I've found that the dynamo I have won't work with the Black Jacks.
You can see in the pics there's isn't much play; you can really only fit the thing a certain way / height, so while the new tyres also have some sort of rill (?) it's of no use.
What is my best option?

Ps: excuse the horrible cable routing, haha!

Time to make yourself a spacing bracket, with the additional locating hole to prevent the whole dynamo rotating.

You are a genius!
Thank you. Must use my brain more.
Unfortunately do not have any stuff / tools here; just been to LBS and they have been useless (well I did get a acorn nut I needed so not completely useless).

genius

A (n undeserved) status that is far easier to maintain via the anonymity of a bike forum than in real life.
No pal with a workbench in a garage?
Hardware store? Some stock triangular, thin steel corner reinforcing plates that normally have many holes pre-drilled/pressed.

I have a couple of shoppers that need newer quicker wheels, are BMX wheels a direct replacement?

Depends. Most UK Raleigh/Dawes shoppers have rims of different diameter (bigger etrto size 451, as opposed to 406 for most BMX rims - if you're unsure, check your tyres - it should say on them). This is not so much of a problem, as US Raleighs mostly came with 406 wheels. The issue is with brake drop, especially at the rear - it will lead to more flex under load and less effective braking. However, it is mostly not dangerous, as the new rims will almost certainly be better than old stock chromed ones.

Another couple of issues that are harder to escape are that most BMX hubs (certainly modern ones) are a different width from old shopper hubs + axle diameters are almost always bigger. You can cold set / persuade the frame and file out dropouts to accept them though. But they will need a fair bit of fettling.

You could be lucky, of course...

Tl:dr What have you got?

seen a fair bit of live for kingpins here.

Damn you Jonny! Just bought one of these (non folding though) on eBay! Same colour even, but older style decals... As if I needed anther bike / project I'll never have time to work on!

I know you will do an awesome job L.

I very rarely ride the small wheeled Gazelle in our house but when I do I think I enjoy it the most. Not a folder but another friend has picked up one of those awesome mini-Moultons. so tempted to get one of those too.

Sunday morning dredge - I'm in the market for a cheapish folder until I can afford something fancy...

Anyone got a Dawes Kingpin or similar they are willing to part with?

It's been ages since I bought that Kingpin, only started the refurb about a month ago, literally ten minutes at the time because work, kids, etc...
Finally got it to a rideable state this morning. Fresh grease throughout. Not much needed: loose ball bearing for the headset and one brake cable, new outer cables (I even reused original cables) for a total cost of £4/£5 which is good given I slightly overpaid for the bike. Original crankset was damaged, unfortunately all I had suitable in the parts bin is that out of place/era black one... Trying to make a front rack for it now.
I've got an old chain guard from eBay on the way for it too.

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nice!

As I'm hoping one day to do my own rack (for the full size bike) I practiced on the above Kingpin... Mix of an older attempt from when I bought the mapp torch, and a bit of adaptation. I struggled, really want to be shown how it's done before trying something else.

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