thumpism 

Hercules for sale in the area. Probably later than the advertised '50s and overpriced but it looks complete and in okay shape.

https://richmond.craigslist.org/bik/...920553860.html

1950's English bicycle - $125 (Ashland VA)

bicycle frame material: steel
bicycle type: road
brake type: disc (mechanical)
condition: fair
electric assist: none
frame size: unknown
handlebar type: cruiser
make / manufacturer: Hercules
serial number: none
suspension: none (rigid)
wheel size: 26 in

A diamond in the rough! Made in Nottingham England. In fair shape. Needs cleaning and adjusting. Sturmey Archer 3-speed gears. Brooks leather saddle. Dunlop tyres. Chain good. Dark green fenders. Price negotiable.

paulb_in_bkln

Yes, although sometimes I wish for a gear between 2 and 3. I just put a Cateye on my mixte AW conversion so I have a better idea now of its performance. (Not to mention my own.) I spin out in 2nd at 18 to 20 mph. It doesn't outweigh the AW's practicality, but the upshift to 3rd from there is a big jump.

paulb_in_bkln

This has the fluted crankset? Would like to see a closeup of that. Apart from the flutes, how is it different than the usual cottered set?

BigChief 

The R559s are a perfect fit. They even have enough clearance for mudguards. I have a pair on my Rudge scorcher, love em.

Murray Missile 

Those look to be the same length as the sets I have. I also have a set of nice older BMX caliper brakes that might work, I had used them when I swapped 26 inch wheels onto a 27" road bike frame. I also have some Shimano calipers with pretty long reach that might work. Thanks for the picture, that's a big help, I'll have to dig mine out and see which ones will work the best.

paulb_in_bkln

Better accuracy: 2nd gear tops out at around 15 mph and 3rd is good at 20 mph so that's the gap where a fill-in gear would be useful.

BigChief 

I think your answer is the S5. Especially if it's a more sporty build. The medium range mode works great for a scorcher/club bike plus you get a granny and a super tall top gear in wide range mode. I really like these hubs.

Velocivixen

Hi All, I’ve got 2 Sturmey Archer front dynamo hubs that I’ve overhauled & they work. Do you think if I posted them for sale in the classified section anyone here would be interested? I think 1 is from the 40’s and one from the ‘50’s.

3speedslow

@BigChief

Hope your knee is healing well! Bummer to have nice 3 speeds to ride and not being able to.

BigChief 

I do have to keep "adapting" to my aging body, but I'm going to keep riding even if that means shorter and easier rides. This summer marks my 60th year of bicycling. Can't complain. I figure anything after this is gravy.

paulb_in_bkln

I like the idea. I even know where one might be available. Mine is a small knock on a bike that so far I'm outrageously happy with. I used some vacation time this last week and the bike carried me to the beach every day, a 24 mile round trip. I like the variety between the sit up more straight Rudge with north road bars and the mixte set up motorcycle style.

About the knees, I sympathize. I've had no more than occasional twinges but it's alarming when they happen. It never occurred to me they are such a focus of a person's physical destiny.

SirMike1983 

The 33% jump from Normal/2 to High/3 is a big jump, but I just got used to it. I tend to just sit back a bit and spin in Normal/2 when the terrain falls between the gears.

Crank is below - Williams.

DQRider 

This is a topic that comes up a lot at meetings of the Gentlemen Cyclists, and the Lake Pepin 3-Speed Tour in particular.

The theory is that what we call "spinning" was considered undignified, unless you were racing. So the AW was geared to support a nice, slow cadence keeping reasonable speeds. Walking the bike up a hill was perfectly acceptable.

I belong to a small-but-growing group who like the 21 and 22t cogs, turning 3rd (or High) gear into our cruising gear. 2nd is for headwinds, and the robust low gear is for hills. That seems to work best for the `Tour. We are only missing out on the higher speeds going down hill, but everyone knows that that is when a gentleman rests, and lets gravity do the work.

Iron Horse

Hopefully not too silly a question. My wife stands 4'8" in her stocking'd feet. She wants an older english style 3 speed to ride with me on mine. So far in my searches I have found two. A couple years ago I found a Gazelle Piet Pelle laser. 24 x 1 3/8 tires, single speed. It fits her well, but weighs a figurative ton! Needless to say, she hasn't ridden it much. I also found a 5 speed something or other (I forget the name), but upon getting it, it weighs more than the Gazelle! What I am wanting to know is, are there any others out there that don't weigh 45 pounds empty? All of her bikes have the 24 inch wheels, so I know options are limited, but it's what she would like. She has tried small framed modern bikes, but doesn't like them much. She says they're out of proportion. Ha! Anyhoo, suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

3speedslow

Have you both considered the Raleigh Twenty models? They do weigh but can be lightened. Size would be perfect for both

SirMike1983 

I think the 22 rear and 48 front is a good combo. I coast down larger hills. We don't have much in the way of flat area here, so you need some time to rest for the next climb.

sykerocker 

I've been using a 23t on mine, mainly to make up for the additional wheel size on my Raleigh Tourist. Running that same cog on my Sprite has me using high gear (with the second lever in the regular/down position) regularly on the flats. Yes, I'm one of those guys who insists on riding an IGH bike like it's a Tour de France. I like my 85-90rpm cadence, and it just doesn't feel right to pedal slower. I've always figured that dropping from the factory 15-16t to the 22-23t cog turns third gear into second, second gear into first, and first gear into something that'll actually climb hills. Add the S5 overdrive/underdrive positioning of the second lever, and you can now consider climbing trees.

eatontkd

Found this little gem recently. It should accent my '53 Rudge Sport rather well. I guess no vintage english vehicle should be without something Lucas!

gna

My daughter had a Raleigh Space Rider, 24 x 1-3/8 tires, 16" frame. She rode it at Lake Pepin for a few years:



Her legs were too long once she got to about 5 feet tall, so she has a 19 1/2 Dunelt now. I was going to sell this bike, but the howling from my wife and daughter stopped me.

Not sure of the weight, but I can check. It's not exactly light, but it's not 45 pounds, either. One of these may work for your wife.

paulb_in_bkln

If you mean the roadster with rod brakes, I can't help. But a Sports style three speed with cable operated brakes, Raleigh made the Space Rider, with 24 inch wheels and smaller frame. It came with the coaster brake version of the three speed, so you might want to build a new rear wheel with a regular AW, but otherwise, it's a good Sports style Raleigh that you can use as is or modernize just like you can the bigger ones.

paulb_in_bkln

Oops I see see GNA got there before me.

Iron Horse

3speedslow,
thank you for that idea! After showing her several examples, she reminded me she already has a folding bike.... Oh well...

Gna,
She told me that bike exactly the style she is looking for. Which means for me, I now know a name to start my searches anew. Thank you for giving me another avenue to explore! Here's to being hopeful for fruition!

Thank you gentlemen!

Murray Missile 

Finally got to give the LTD-3 a better look and hosed the worst of the grime off it. Date on the AW is "77" so no more doubt about it's age. A little touch up and a coat or 2 of clear and the paint will look pretty good. I aired up the tires and with full pressure they don't look so great so new rubber is top on the list. I fiddled with the shifter and did get all 3 gears at one time or another just not in any particular order LOL but the hub felt good. Different stem and bars are a high priority as well along with a taller seat post. The original saddle is crumbling as I write, planned to replace it with a B-67 anyway. Rust on the rims is worse than I thought but I'll do what I can with them. Might be time to jump into the exciting world of home wheel building. Bottom line is that I like it and will be keeping it.

thumpism 

What is her leg length? Leg extension is the issue with frame size and on my wife's ladies' frame 19" Raleigh Sports (full size with 26 x 1 3/8 wheels) the minimum measurement from top of pedal to top of seat is about 29". You might "add some shortness" by using a thinner seat or flipping the seat clamp. Karen has decided that her health problems mean she won't be riding so we'll be selling off her fleetlet and this bike is the blue one in the center.

gna

Raleigh also had the Colt, which has 26" wheels, and the Mountie, as smaller bikes. You could try those, too. I found a Space Rider on eBay for a not-for-the-faint-of-heart price of $595: SPACE RIDER 60 s RALEIGH BICYCLE England GIRLS BIKE One Owner SUPER DUPER COND. | eBay https://ebay.us/fGVwiZ I think those are late '70s decals, though. My daughter's paint is rough, but still I think that price is ridiculous.

I found girl's Colt in Iowa on eBay with a more reasonable price: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Ral...-/123702274328

My friends at MMRB had a girl's Space Rider a few months ago; I could see if it's still there.


Where in KS are you?