"Ireland" folding bike.

Nekarsulm

Hi everyone,
Bit off topic from most of the threads but has anyone ever come across one of these folding bikes with these "Ireland" decals?
Thought it might have been one of the last of the badge engineered "Twenty" models sold by Raleigh but chain wheel etc are not typical.

smacl

I had a Triumph (Raleigh) 20 as a kid in the late 70s early 80s which looked like the picture below. Frame seems quite different. From memory, my bike was 3 speed hub geared with twist shifters.

Nekarsulm

Thanjs, smacl. Your picture is of the classic Twenty, built in their own factories. After their collaspe,these U frame bikes were also sold as "Twenty's".

beauf

Nekarsulm I don't think your bike is a Raleigh.

Looks a bit like these

http://picclick.co.uk/Ladies-vintage-folding-bike-152219181185.html

https://www.gumtree.com/p/bicycles/folding-bike/1187941502

https://www.google.ie/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fthumbs2.picclick.com%2Fd%2Fl400%2Fpict%2F222247245853_%2FVintage-Folding-Pink-Shopper-Bike-3-Speed-Sturmer.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fpicclick.co.uk%2FRaleigh-Compact-vintage-folding-shopper-bike-162161950211.html&docid=y1ke5nus7cJC0M&tbnid=Gfz0IVy0G3erHM%3A&w=400&h=300&safe=off&bih=1070&biw=1920&ved=0ahUKEwi3rtCKgqTPAhVlJMAKHYzCBEwQMwhxKEowSg&iact=mrc&uact=8

The 1970's saw a proliferation of folding bike models coming from France (Astra, Peugeot, Motobécane, Motoconfort), Italy (Bianchi, Carnielli, Cinzia, Formicone, Rizzato), Austria (Dusika, Puch), West Germany (Heidemann Werke, Hercules, Jobafa, Kalkhoff, Kettler, Kynast, Panther, Rixe, Schauff, Staiger), East Germany (MIFA), Netherlands (Batavus, Gazelle), Poland (Romet, ZZR), Japan (Bridgestone), Spain (Beistegui Hermanos, G.A.C., Torrot), Argentina (Aurora, Bergamasco), Brazil (Caloi, Monark), U.K. (Raleigh, Dawes, Elswick Hopper), USA (Schwinn), USSR (Салют - "Salute" in Russian), Yugoslavia (Rog), etc. In fact, most bicycle companies had a folding bike offering during this decade leading some to call it the "Golden Age of folding bikes". There were also a flood of cheap Eastern European so-called "U-frame" folding bikes (so named because the frame was shaped like the letter U) during the 70's, many sold via mail order or at department stores and service stations. Most of them carried contrived brand names that gave little indication of their true origin of manufacture. Many of these U-frame folders were based on the design of the Puch Pic-Nic folding bike shown below. Johan Puch actually pioneered the single tube U-frame (non-folding) in the late 1800's while working at the Syria Bicycle Company in Austria. The Puch Pic-Nic was significant not only because its design was widely copied (Graziella, etc.) but also because its flaws were what inspired Harry Bickerton, among others, to design what they considered better folding bikes.

http://www.foldingcyclist.com/folding-bike-history.html

I suspect its something to do with the bit I underlined....

beauf

https://www.google.ie/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FjBBy5ZHo9Is%2Fmaxresdefault.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DjBBy5ZHo9Is&docid=3GrL0uOPRxuyLM&tbnid=g4SiBi-LsOi_4M%3A&w=1895&h=1479&safe=off&bih=1070&biw=1920&ved=0ahUKEwjs_K7Ph6TPAhWqB8AKHeH4BoEQMwgnKAowCg&iact=mrc&uact=8

https://www.google.ie/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fi13.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fa261%2Fcatskillscooby%2FIMG_4615.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bikeforums.net%2Fclassic-vintage%2F302590-chiorda-folding-bike.html&docid=lyqbEgwq6wDqEM&tbnid=B_LR0m0xyl1wTM%3A&w=800&h=600&safe=off&bih=1070&biw=1920&ved=0ahUKEwic0d_6h6TPAhWICsAKHWX2B7kQMwgjKAYwBg&iact=mrc&uact=8

http://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/451592-help-restoring-chiorda-folding-bike.html

Nekarsulm

Thanks Beauf, that looks to be spot on. Chain ring is very similar to some of those Italian bikes.

Here is a little Vindec I picked up at a boot sale recently.



Vindec were once the largest supplier of components to the bicycle manufacturing trade in Britain, as well as having their own factories producing bikes.