noglider 

I have hardly posted pictures of this trusty old bike.

I got it a year or two ago at an estate sale.

Today was the first day I spent any time polishing it. I wasn't going to do it, but it's a warm sunny day, and I was sitting with it on my porch, so I got started. I'm less than halfway through, and I have no idea when, if ever, I'll finish polishing it. It's just my daily rider, not anything fancy.

It came with this B72 saddle, all cracked but not looking as if it's going to rip soon.

I thought it was a 1961, but the hub says 1962, so I'll call it that. So we're not twins. He's my little brother. I was made in 1961.






















I've changed or added:

the seat binder bolt
the brake shoes
a spoke
a spoke nipple or two
an axle nut
bolts for attaching fender and chainguard
water bottle holder
seat bag
sprocket to a 22T
chain
headlight mount
bell
pedals
tires

All in all, nothing major, and I'm not aiming for perfect period correctness, but I'm trying to change or add as little as possible.

Cables and grips are original!

I have not overhauled any bearings yet. I oiled the BB today, and it spins better.

noglider 

noglider 

Oh, I changed the kickstand, too. The original is mysteriously too short. I recently had another three speed with the same kickstand, and that didn't work, either. What's up with that?

markk900

Tom: love it....what a cool ride (and this is your beater?) You definitely need a reflector on the back though.

Does your crank have the Raleigh Industries logo on it? I seem to have the same one on my glider....

Mark

lostarchitect 

I love these old 3-speeds. Great bike.

noglider 

I don't see a logo on the crank. I'll look.

Mark, yes, this is my beater, and heck, I know it's special. I've been looking for a good men's Rudge for 30 years, to be honest. Maybe one day, I'll retrofit a crank with the hand-logo on it.

The fork crown is one of my favorites of any bike. It's just so handsome!

The lower gears make it possible to climb the steep hills we have here.

I towed a heck of a lot of stuff home from Costco a few weeks ago. OK, that was hard. But I managed.

And it doesn't seem to be theft-bait. I hope shining doesn't change that!

auchencrow

Well it's about time for the reveal Tom - We have been hearing about your Rudge for some time now. . .

- Great bike, and Verrrry Rudgey IMHO!

I love the red hand head badge - there is some symbolism behind it I think but it escapes me at the moment.
+ 1 on the rear reflector though. Seems these always get knocked off somewhere.

duceditor

What memories! I had one oh, so similar. Got it in about 1960, 2nd hand, so it was a bit older. But Brit bikes rarely changed and it is just as I remember. (sigh...)

Ran flawlessly until I reached driving age in `64 then when my folks retired to Florida in 73 it went with them. Never say die! That was an old Rudge!

-don

-don

noglider 

Here is the "before" picture. It was missing the seat binder bolt, a chainguard bolt, a spoke, and I don't remember what else. It had a Warner dial speedometer on it, incomplete.



I got this bike and a ladies 3-speed of the same vintage at an estate sale. I offered the woman $30 for the two bikes, and she accepted. The ladies bike came with double baskets on the rear.

auchencrow

Follow-up: Here is some detail I found in my Google search:

What is known as the Red hand of ulster in the middle of the Rudge head badge, is said to have had some connection with the family who originally started building Rudge Bicycles in England. Purportedly, they hailed from Northern Ireland.

Chris_in_Miami

That's a great looking bike Tom! I've got a lady's version in blue in my garage at the moment, but it's low on the priority scale.

noglider 

I know that shade of blue, and it makes my heart pound, literally. And normally, I am unusually insensitive to color, but that color drives me crazy. Oh, I guess should say colour.

sailorbenjamin

Wow, its that the greasy pile of parts I saw in your basement last year?

ftwelder

Tom, that is one sweet bike! Just like mine!

My guess on the stand would be that it was originally a 26 X 1-1/4" bike. I feel like cutting my stands short so the bike won't fall over when the tires lose air.

pastorbobnlnh 

What can beat a view from a NJ porch in the summer time? Especially one through the triangles of a classic English 3 speed!

noglider 

Uh, no. I wish I could say yes. I have some bikes in greasy parts piles, but this one just sat unused for a year or two.

Thanks, Frank. And shorter tires never occurred to me. Very clever. They use the same rims? I'm not sure, but I think the tires were original.

Aw, shucks. Thanks!

The porch is one of the sweetest features of our house, which was built in 1888.

rookgirl

Great bike! So jealous!!

noglider 

rookgirl, where are you? I have more English 3-speeds I haven't finished restoring. One is even prettier than this one, and it's all original except for the tires. It's a 1967 AMF Hercules in red. The seat and seat bag are red and white. Fenders are chrome.

The other is a Royal, also red, and it's a 19" frame or so. It has two caliper brakes and a 3-speed coaster brake hub, so it has three speeds and three brakes! It's a 1963, and I bought it from the original owner a couple of months ago.

rookgirl

So tempting, but I'm in London, Ontario - not too close to NJ! And there is too much green in our garage (2 green 3-speeds, 1 green hybrid)!!

ETA: If only there was the other sort of green in there!

noglider 

My daughter might pass through Detroit this summer. That does that pique your interest?

rookgirl

PM me, but I don't know how my husband would feel about another 3 speed!

noglider 

I'd like to stay out of private messages. My email address is below!

Chris_in_Miami

Shoot me an email if you're interested in it, it's just taking up space...

FlatTop

Congratulations on a very nice example, Tom. My '60 was a curb find some years back, came to me with a hopeless Brooks and no fenders. I've been using it regularly, and nothing rides quite like it.
I'm curious as to the gearing of your '62 Sports. Did it by chance have 48-16 originally? I seem to remember that mine was that combo before I swapped on an 18-tooth cog. It was a bear in high gear, much better now.

noglider 

Chris, I don't know what I'd do with it, and shipping would surely be prohibitive. But please post pictures! I'll get my fix just looking at it.

FlatTop, it had whatever was regular. I think it was 48-18. That's really bad enough, and having a 22T in the rear is effectively shifting every gear one gear down, so I now have 0, 1, and 2, instead of having 1, 2, and 3. I'm thinking of gearing it even lower. What were they thinking back in those days? I don't need to add speed to the crazy downhills! I can coast! I just want to get up the hills without killing my knees.