Originally Posted by
JohnDThompson
No, many British 3-speeds used cups with the 5/8" raised ridge on both cups. Raleigh Sports and Superbe 3-speeds often have the fixed cup painted:
Nearly every British bike I have has this arrangement. Sunbeam, Rudge, Triumph, Hercules, Humber, Holdsworth, Claud Butler, Bates, Raleigh, Robin Hood and some.. That goes from 1903 to the 1980s when it all went pear-shaped. For what it's worth it was a terrible PITA if you were a mechanic. I'm assuming the idea was to keep the BB as narrow a possible - if I'm being kind. Having said that the ridiculously hideous width of modern plastic bike BBs suggests they may have been smarter than I give them credit for.