Velognome 

So many nice English 3 speeds represented here! Great work everyone!

Youre correct, the later Hercules (50's on ) and S/A hubs were all date stamped. This one is not. The entire bike is a mystery, I haven't found the "Renoun" model in any adverts post 1938. The elderly gentle man who I bought it from he believed the bike to be a pre-war example. I begining to think it's a late 20's-30's machine.

Road Master

Hi! Thanks for the tip - I just happen to have a tub beside the sink. Robert

kingfish254

Nice to ear of another use of Goop. It is one of the best hand cleaners out there to me, plus if you get your clothes a bit greasy from chainrings and such, just rub a little Goop on there before you toss it in the hamper. Works wonders.

gbalke

I have several Hercules catalog scans; 1937, 1949, 1951 and 1953. There's no mention of a Renoun in any of those scans. I sent your photos to a friend in Ireland who is pretty knowledgeable on Hercules and other vintage English bikes. Maybe he can shed some light on the Renoun.

mickey85

MIght not be, but it is conducive to riding them! Especially the English 3's - they're my primary steeds during the dark times...

noglider 

Hmm, I'm going to pay attention to that this winter. Do my derailleur bikes need tinkering in the winter? If so, I should get my three speed road ready! It's a total wreck now.

mickey85

Tom, I'm not very sold on the argument that IGH's keep your bike shifting well in the winter. I'll agree that there's less to gunk up, but the only time I've ever had autoshifting due to snow was after 10 miles in 6" of snow and slush. The slush packed in the freewheel and iced, then just turned it to one large, spiny ice-cube. Except for the gear I was primarily using, there wasn't enough tooth for the chain to get a grip on. Derailers have never been a problem in my winter commuting.

But, the 3 speed has a chainguard and full, steel fenders (everything else has full plastic), no fiddlybits to be knocked around if I slide around and biff it, and a good, solid upright ride with tires that can go down to 40 PSI for maximum grip. IMO, the only way it could be better is if I could find those Panaracer Col de la Vie Passhunting tires - they look like CX tires for the 590 size!

noglider 

Thanks, mickey85.

Yeah, I discovered the wisdom of the chainguard when I got my Hercules about two years ago. I don't even have to bind up my trousers! Just jump on and go. What freedom!

And in case you haven't heard me say it, wool dress trousers look good and are very well suited to winter cycling. I get them for $40 at Costco and sometimes for nearly as little as that at Macy's. Nowadays, I'm checking church rummage sales and the like. They make me look older than I am, but I'm quirky that way.

wahoonc

Hey any chance of checking the 50's catalogs for a Hercules Skyliner? It is a step through frame 26" Westwood wheels, rod brakes, single speed freewheel. My best guess in 1954. The one we have is red, it came with the brown vinyl Hercules mattress saddle.

Aaron

Velognome 

Thanks gbalk, Renoun has been a great mystery, keep me posted.

Sixty Fiver

Mickey - It is not an argument... it is a fact.

But then... you live in the tropics.



It is supposed to warm up to freezing in the next few days and hope we can look at more seasonal temperatures after that little cold snap... had to deal with a number of folks who experienced freewheel and cassette seizures at those low temps.

Velognome 

That's just not right!

michael k

Has anyone upgraded or replaced their brake calipers on their Sport?

Having 60 yr old cables and bits it's about due and looking at Tektro's sidepulls I've noticed the cable mount positions are reversed.

noglider 

I did on one bike. I put a BMX sidepull on the front and a Weinmann centerpull on the rear. On this bike, I also replaced the rims with Sun CR18's.

It was a women's bike, so the brake cable swung down and up to the brake. I attached the cable stop on the yoke! It even had a barrel adjuster. And it all worked well enough. I don't know if I ever took pictures of that bike. It was an interesting project. It had a Brampton hub, an AW clone. Overhauling it was a witch (with a capital 'B'), because the lubricant had turned to shellac.

At some point, bike component makers noticed that Italian sidepull brakes had their pull arms on the left, while everyone else's were on the right. They switched over to the left to follow the look of prestige. I feel it looks better but it's harder to adjust for us right-handed people. I like to squeeze the caliper with my left hand and tighten the pinch bolt with my right hand. I either have to switch or cross my hands or do it from behind the caliper.

sekaijin

Love this thread. Been lurking for a while, while I'm doing my first English 3-speed resto.

Now that I'm rebuilding the brakes, I am wondering about brake pads.

1. Keep 'em or replace 'em? Will new ones brake a lot better than the old ones?

2. If replace ... where do I find the right replacement pads?

Thanks!

Sixty Fiver

Kool Stop Continentals.

These will greatly improve the braking.

sekaijin

OK, but they don't look like a match for the original brake shoes. Any idea what replacement pads might fit these?

wahoonc

The old style campy refills sort of work, they are shorter in length. I use the Continentals.

Aaron

sekaijin

Yes, I saw those and wondered if they would fit.

So, IIRC my options are:

1. stick with original brake pads and shoes

2. get new pads and shoes - i.e. Kool Stop Continentals and find brake shoes to match

3. get Kool Stop campy replacement pads which will "sort of work" with original shoes

#3 makes me uneasy and #2 would send me on a hunt for vintage brake shoes, so I am leaning toward #1 at this point.

Am I missing something? What would you do?


===========


BTW here is the bike - a 1969 Hercules.

Resto in progress, just needs its brake handles, pads, shifter and cables.

noglider 

I would absolutely do #2, without hesitation.

gna

Nice looking bike.
#2. I would get the Salmon Continentals if you plan on riding the bike. You don't need shoes with the Continentals. They look a bit funny, but they're worth it.

wahoonc

I go with #2 all the time. If I am going to show the bike I will put the original pads and holders back on. But I ride much more than I show so Continentals it is.

Aaron

sekaijin

OK, it's settled - with four experts in agreement, Kool Stop Continentals it is! Thank you Sixty Fiver, Aaron, Tom and gna! (and gna thank you for clarifying they don't require brake shoes)

mkeller234

FWIW, I have used the Kool Stop replacement pads in old Weinmann center pull hardware. It worked pretty well but took a bit of work. I like the Continentals best.

noglider 

Eagle 2's are even a bit nicer.