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For the love of English 3 speeds...

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For the love of English 3 speeds...

Old 06-08-20, 12:11 PM
  #22726  
ironchefchris
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Originally Posted by Iron Horse
I'm afraid I would be extremely leary of putting any weight on that rear rack. Your fender stay shifts, and there might be a mess.
nah, it can handle me pressing down on it hard so its fine with a full cooler or whatever. There's not enough play for it to sag to the tire
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Old 06-08-20, 07:57 PM
  #22727  
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54 Norman

Originally Posted by 56ford
Saw this on my local Craigslist. It’s a Norman. No price but has the goodies on it and the paint looks pretty good. Any possibility it’s from the 50’s based on paint style. https://stlouis.craigslist.org/bik/d...122987524.html

Here are some photos of my 54 Norman.

The decals are the same. Mine has knights stamped on the chainring. Also the rear wheel is built with 40 spokes 3 cross.


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Old 06-09-20, 07:08 AM
  #22728  
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Originally Posted by BigChief
Wow! This is a pre-Raleigh Rudge. Late 30s I figure. I'll poke through some catalogs and post what I can find. Great find!!!
Oh my gosh! Female frame or not that’s a cool pick up. Very rare, very unusual. Try your best to keep it all original.
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Old 06-09-20, 07:16 AM
  #22729  
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Originally Posted by capnjonny
How about a Rudge Fast Sport?

I was dropping off a couple bikes at the Bike Exchange today after doing at home Covid resto and was snooping around to see if there was anything interesting in the pile that I hadn't worked on.

There in the front was this ladies model Rudge Fast Sport that someone had just donated to us. I have never seen one of these before and can't wait to tear into it. The most unusual feature is the brake set up. They are a type of cantilever design with a difference. When you squeeze the brake lever instead of pulling up on a straddle cable forcing the shoes into the rim, on this design the brake cable forces the rigid v shaped straddle to push down on the canti arm and push the pad into the rim. while this is interesting it seems totally unable to create much stopping power. another interesting item is the seat , which is made by a company named Mesinger in Bethel Connecticut. It has a solid steel seat pan with springs in back. I have never seen that either.

The number stamped on the bottom bracket is A44 2050 so if anyone is rudge knowledgable what year is that? Also, the bike hes wing nuts on the axles. Don't know if that is original. They look new.

I am going to clean everything and probably do a repaint , masking of the decals. I don't know what to do about the brakes though. The shoes are not something I have seen before and the bike won't stop without something being done about that. hopefully I can get kool stops to work .










Oh, Almost forgot, I just finished a rather large Ladies Raleigh sport. This one was in silver metalic and sported Weinman side pull brakes. Nothing else special about it. I clear coated the fenders and chain guard and replaced the brake cables and covers and re greased the front axle. Everything else was in good condition including the steel wheels. I had a set of Cool Stop brake pads in my stash so I gave the lady a new pair of shoes. Girls usually like that. added new reflectors and she is ready for her debut. All you tall ladies out there, this bike is for you.
Don’t repaint it! Get a can of gloss parade black shoe polish and rub it down real good. Then buff it. It’ll surprise you and keep the finish original. It’s too rare a bike to molest.
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Old 06-09-20, 02:06 PM
  #22730  
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Originally Posted by bikerosity57
Don’t repaint it! Get a can of gloss parade black shoe polish and rub it down real good. Then buff it. It’ll surprise you and keep the finish original. It’s too rare a bike to molest.
Repaint??? That would be terrible. This is one of the most original pre war roadsters I've seen in a long time and the finish is in excellent original condition for it's age. Even the painted rim centers are still intact. All the transfers look good even the one on the rear mudguard. The original cloth covered cable housings survive too. Only the seat and handlebar grips are later additions. I don't think this bike had a chainguard originally so it's almost complete. A rare bike and a wonderful find. And...a Rudge!
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Old 06-09-20, 02:10 PM
  #22731  
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Wow, this is special. And look, a 2 bolt detachable stem plate. What's old is new again.

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Old 06-12-20, 01:45 PM
  #22732  
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Hi all,

I was planning to order a set of decals for my 1953 Raleigh Sports that I am restoring, but I have this little question:
All decals like “The All Steel Bicycle" ans “Raleigh Sports" are the golden ones, but on the forks it has the small silver heron decals.
Shhouldn' t all the decals be either gold or silver? Maybe mine has got a replacement front fork?

Below at left the silver version, at right a golden one from another bike


Peter

Last edited by oldveloman; 06-13-20 at 03:44 AM.
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Old 06-13-20, 08:50 AM
  #22733  
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For sale here in Toronto

Seller is asking $1700.00.....
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Old 06-13-20, 08:58 AM
  #22734  
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Originally Posted by gster
For sale here in Toronto

Seller is asking $1700.00.....
With the fenders even! $1500?

EDIT/// I didn't see your text below the pic, my guess was a bit low!
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Old 06-13-20, 07:00 PM
  #22735  
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Missing the shifter knob!
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Old 06-14-20, 06:37 AM
  #22736  
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Whole lotta springin' goin' on...

Evidently, this is available on eBay UK right now.

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Old 06-14-20, 09:27 AM
  #22737  
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That bike has "death trap" written all over it. Roger
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Old 06-14-20, 12:33 PM
  #22738  
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Originally Posted by thumpism
Whole lotta springin' goin' on...

Evidently, this is available on eBay UK right now.

OMG
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Old 06-14-20, 06:55 PM
  #22739  
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Originally Posted by thumpism
Whole lotta springin' goin' on...

Evidently, this is available on eBay UK right now.
I admire the builder's ambition, and would be keen to ride it if the opportunity presented itself. It must be bouncy. The shift cable runs unhoused to hub, so I bet that it shifts itself if you go over a big bump. Also, check out the the lower head bearing, there are two cups.

-Carl
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Old 06-14-20, 07:23 PM
  #22740  
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Originally Posted by cszipper
The shift cable runs unhoused to hub, so I bet that it shifts itself if you go over a big bump.
Most 3-speeds have no cable housing after the pulley on the seat tube. If the arc of the rear axle's swing is concentric then the cable tension won't change and those shifts won't happen. Maybe.
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Old 06-14-20, 09:01 PM
  #22741  
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Originally Posted by thumpism
Whole lotta springin' goin' on...

Evidently, this is available on eBay UK right now.

I like the saddle...
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Old 06-15-20, 01:51 AM
  #22742  
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Well, something blew up in the 3 speed hub on my 3 speed coaster brake road bike on a ride today, lost 1st and 3rd, was able to finish the ride in just 2nd though at least. Autopsy tomorrow...

This bike the hub was NOS, I've only put ~300 miles on it, I did clean out the old grease and reassemble it, I'm guessing I reassembled it incorrectly, but what would it ride fine for 300 miles then quit?

This bike,

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Old 06-15-20, 05:43 AM
  #22743  
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Originally Posted by jackbombay
Well, something blew up in the 3 speed hub on my 3 speed coaster brake road bike on a ride today, lost 1st and 3rd, was able to finish the ride in just 2nd though at least. Autopsy tomorrow...

This bike the hub was NOS, I've only put ~300 miles on it, I did clean out the old grease and reassemble it, I'm guessing I reassembled it incorrectly, but what would it ride fine for 300 miles then quit?

This bike,

Odd that it would fail.....
My only thought is your reference to "grease".
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Old 06-15-20, 08:42 AM
  #22744  
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Originally Posted by gster
Odd that it would fail.....
My only thought is your reference to "grease".
Grease only for the bearings, oil for the gearbox.

I own several non coaster brake sturmey archer hubs and have thousands of miles on them with no issues with any of them, so to be the reason the ride had to be cut short yesterday was annoying, the worst part about it was that I was joking with my buddies that their "french geared bikes" had drivetrains that were unreliable unproven technology being first produced in 1905 where the first variant of my hub was produced is 1902...

What was odd was that when crunching sounds started coming out of the hub I wasn't even pedalling all that hard, slight downhill in 3rd gear....
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Old 06-15-20, 10:48 AM
  #22745  
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Originally Posted by jackbombay
Well, something blew up in the 3 speed hub on my 3 speed coaster brake road bike on a ride today, lost 1st and 3rd, was able to finish the ride in just 2nd though at least. Autopsy tomorrow...

This bike the hub was NOS, I've only put ~300 miles on it, I did clean out the old grease and reassemble it, I'm guessing I reassembled it incorrectly, but what would it ride fine for 300 miles then quit?

This bike,
<---image--->
That sucks! Knowing very little about three speed hubs, my comment would be to what a pretty color. Reminds me of Mopar Plumb Crazy.
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Old 06-15-20, 11:01 AM
  #22746  
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Originally Posted by Ballenxj
my comment would be to what a pretty color. Reminds me of Mopar Plumb Crazy.
I've had several guys familiar with older american cars make the same comment!
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Old 06-15-20, 01:48 PM
  #22747  
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Originally Posted by jackbombay
I own several non coaster brake sturmey archer hubs and have thousands of miles on them with no issues with any of them, so to be the reason the ride had to be cut short yesterday was annoying, the worst part about it was that I was joking with my buddies that their "french geared bikes" had drivetrains that were unreliable unproven technology being first produced in 1905 where the first variant of my hub was produced is 1902...
IIRC the coaster brake hubs are known to be problematic. Also IIRC the Sachs Tornado (coaster brake 3-speed) hub holds together.
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Old 06-15-20, 02:08 PM
  #22748  
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Originally Posted by Salubrious
IIRC the coaster brake hubs are known to be problematic. Also IIRC the Sachs Tornado (coaster brake 3-speed) hub holds together.
Hmmm, I did braze on double gang cable stops when I built this bike so I could easily go to a Sturmey AW hub and throw som erim brakes on the bike, that certainly changes the character of the ride a whole lot, but I know AW's are super tough...

Still have not disassembled...
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Old 06-15-20, 03:09 PM
  #22749  
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Originally Posted by jackbombay
Grease only for the bearings, oil for the gearbox.

I own several non coaster brake sturmey archer hubs and have thousands of miles on them with no issues with any of them, so to be the reason the ride had to be cut short yesterday was annoying, the worst part about it was that I was joking with my buddies that their "french geared bikes" had drivetrains that were unreliable unproven technology being first produced in 1905 where the first variant of my hub was produced is 1902...

What was odd was that when crunching sounds started coming out of the hub I wasn't even pedalling all that hard, slight downhill in 3rd gear....
I guess you'll have to look at the coroners report.
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Old 06-15-20, 06:58 PM
  #22750  
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Looks like improper hardening of the sun gear led to failure? Or????

I have been putting some serious smash on the cranks on this bike lately, but I've done that will all my sturmey products for some time, not sure why this sun gear just decided to quit.

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