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Pix. NOW!!!
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This last weekend was the St. Paul Classic.
My girlfriend didn't want to do the 30 mile loop so we did the 15 mile instead. But that meant climbing the Ramsey Hill. I was on my 1951 Humber Sports, which is equipped with the FW 4-speed hub. The bike is otherwise stock gears- 46 in front, 19 in back. For those not in the Twin Cities, this hill is notoriously steep! But its only three blocks, so I put it in low and rode the bike up without stopping, which felt pretty good. The Humber is a roadster and not particularly light :) Considering that the majority of people on the Classic had to push their bikes up this hill, it was nice to find out that the Humber was geared well enough that I could ride it all the way up (and pass others on the way). I really do feel like this bike is well set up for touring. Next year we should have a British roll-out. All British Cycle Event this weekend. |
Originally Posted by Salubrious
(Post 20566373)
I was on my 1951 Humber Sports, which is equipped with the FW 4-speed hub. The bike is otherwise stock gears- 46 in front, 19 in back.
Did you have to stand, or dare to stand, ever? |
Originally Posted by Salubrious
(Post 20566373)
This last weekend was the St. Paul Classic.
My girlfriend didn't want to do the 30 mile loop so we did the 15 mile instead. But that meant climbing the Ramsey Hill. I was on my 1951 Humber Sports, which is equipped with the FW 4-speed hub. The bike is otherwise stock gears- 46 in front, 19 in back. For those not in the Twin Cities, this hill is notoriously steep! But its only three blocks, so I put it in low and rode the bike up without stopping, which felt pretty good. The Humber is a roadster and not particularly light :) Considering that the majority of people on the Classic had to push their bikes up this hill, it was nice to find out that the Humber was geared well enough that I could ride it all the way up (and pass others on the way). I really do feel like this bike is well set up for touring. Next year we should have a British roll-out. All British Cycle Event this weekend. This just makes me more excited for the project. Do you have any pictures of the humber? |
Finally! Lots of rules! Didn't know you couldn't post more than 5 times in 24 hours. Well, I'll post better pics tomorrow, but here are my black 72 and green 74 sports.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a468e79ead.jpg Recently acquired 74. Needs period pedals. I know I need a better pic here. It's in fantastic shape. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...14ec79998c.jpg 72 Malaysian Sports. i've added a large green canvas saddlebag that is not in this picture. |
More pics of the 72. It was in great shape when I found it. $80 garage buy, but I love it because while I'd been riding bikes, I hadn't done much mechanical work. I flipped the bars, changed the tires to these delta cruisers, changed the front axle (I broke the original because I didn't know about the cones!) swapped to a 22T rear cog, found the rack at the coop, purchased the b17 narrow with chrome rails off ebay for $30 and added the bell. I still need to do more cleaning, but I'm more of a good enough type of guy.https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c39b5cd4eb.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c0da31dc8f.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8b0a8338c9.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6c88d84352.jpg |
Originally Posted by Salubrious
(Post 20566373)
This last weekend was the St. Paul Classic.
My girlfriend didn't want to do the 30 mile loop so we did the 15 mile instead. But that meant climbing the Ramsey Hill. I was on my 1951 Humber Sports, which is equipped with the FW 4-speed hub. The bike is otherwise stock gears- 46 in front, 19 in back. For those not in the Twin Cities, this hill is notoriously steep! But its only three blocks, so I put it in low and rode the bike up without stopping, which felt pretty good. The Humber is a roadster and not particularly light :) Considering that the majority of people on the Classic had to push their bikes up this hill, it was nice to find out that the Humber was geared well enough that I could ride it all the way up (and pass others on the way). I really do feel like this bike is well set up for touring. Next year we should have a British roll-out. All British Cycle Event this weekend. |
Originally Posted by clengman
(Post 20541069)
My wife has been looking for a good bike path cruiser for a while. I came across this Raleigh sport step through at a garage sale today. For $20 I decided to go for it. It has a shimano 333 hub which doesn't seem to be working, but I should be able to get a used sturmey archer hub and shifter at my favorite bike shop (plug for Bicycle Heaven in Pittsburgh, PA!). Everything else seems to be in really good shape! My wife is very happy. She looks good on it, too.https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b38cc315af.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...de50627c39.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...9a0cf1a4dd.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...fb2ce91636.jpg |
That looks great. The tires look good with this color. Nice job and at 100, you're still under the bike's value by quite a bit.
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Another interesting CL ad in Boston. Great looking his (23") her (S5 Sprite) 69-70? pair in bronze green. Nice! Wish the photos were better.
https://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/bi...687006642.html |
What a Find!
Money well spent. |
Went back to the coop today to look for period pedals for the 74 Sports. Went ahead and picked up this 19" Sports and will give it to my son when he's old enough to ride in a few years. I also picked up a black 23" Sports, probaby 60's but I haven't checked the hub yet. Looked to be in decent shape. I planned to use for spare parts for my black 72, but it looks to be in too good a shape to part. Not sure what I'm going to do yet. Ha, I slso grabbed the pedals from a ladies Robin Hood for my 74. Went looking for pedals and got two more bikes...
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1167c5ac55.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...9baa74fd5e.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...3e04f2e477.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...dc2a084da2.jpg |
Well, I survived the local ABCE (All British Cycle Event) and had a great time! The 30 mile ride should have been really pleasant, but the temp was around 90 and the humidity was in the 70% range. I’m convinced that it was the deep-fried chicken tenders and the two beers at lunch that slowed me down. The great thing about an event like this is meeting so many other nutters who really enjoy their bikes as well as the camaraderie that is built into an event like this. I’m definitely looking forward to doing this again next year! Here’s a pic of my buddy and his ‘64 Robin Hood and me with my ‘63 Sports. If any of you have any qualms about doing a group ride, forget about the fears - it’s A blast! |
I tend to wimp out in the heat, but I would have loved to do that ride with you. I may have to load up my bike and travel to one of these events someday. I only ever ride alone and not a soul I know has any interest in my hobby. That must be fun. Beautiful bikes! Love your Sports.
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Originally Posted by ddeand
(Post 20570082)
Well, I survived the local ABCE (All British Cycle Event) and had a great time! The 30 mile ride should have been really pleasant, but the temp was around 90 and the humidity was in the 70% range. I’m convinced that it was the deep-fried chicken tenders and the two beers at lunch that slowed me down. The great thing about an event like this is meeting so many other nutters who really enjoy their bikes as well as the camaraderie that is built into an event like this. I’m definitely looking forward to doing this again next year! Here’s a pic of my buddy and his ‘64 Robin Hood and me with my ‘63 Sports. If any of you have any qualms about doing a group ride, forget about the fears - it’ts A blast! Questions, did you by chance take note of what tire most were running in that event? Did anybody have a flat? How many in the group? |
ABCE Highlights
This will only be a teaser, because I'm at work right now and haven't processed all my photos from the weekend yet.
I rode my Super Course light-roadster conversion for this event, and I must admit, we did rather well together. https://i.imgur.com/rIsYzXg.png She performed flawlessly on the 30-mile ride around the Twin Cities on Saturday. Then on Sunday we had bike show judging at the Cycle Jumble in Barley John's parking lot, and a 5-mile Gentleman's Tour with a "Gravity Race (...and Day-Old Pastry Joust)" in the middle of it. Let me `splain that second one… First they give you a weapon – a small wooden skewer – and you start at the top of a hill. There is no pedaling allowed, and you coast down to the flat section, where you take a left turn. Suspended on a string from a pole over the road is a day-old pastry, which you are supposed to impale with your skewer, and then you roll as far as you can until the bike tips to one side and you have to put your foot down. There they make your mark in the center of your front contact patch, and write your name and competition class (either hub or derailleur gear) on the pavement. My Super Course won the hub class with her Soma 700c wheelset (Oriental Treachery!), and a rear Sturmey-Archer hub lubricated with chain-and-cable lube from a spray can. I flushed the thing out on Saturday night and refilled with the lightweight lube especially for this event. Then I did the top-tube-straddle descending technique that I learned from watching Chris Froome in the Tour de France earlier this year, and I am convinced that really made a difference. My mark was about half a block distant from second place. But you do suffer a bit over the bumps! https://i.imgur.com/dayq28g.png Along with this neat certificate, I was awarded a wooden clothespin and the Joker from a deck of cards. These I will be required to attach to my seatstay for next year’s event, so the friction of the card snapping against the spokes will act as a sort of Index of Performance Handicap. Of course, the incredible Mercian tandem blew right past my mark another half-block to win the derailleur class. Gravity loves all that extra weight, punching the same size hole through the air. That bike also won "Best in Show". With your permission, I will be posting a photo of that magnificent machine here sometime this evening. Speaking of bike show judging, Super Course also won this award for "Best English Custom": https://i.imgur.com/HgjuoOh.png I believe the proper English way to say this is that I was well-chuffed with our results. Now the challenge ahead of me is to build an even better bike for next year's event. At this point, that looks like a tall order indeed. But we shall see what I can come up with. . |
Originally Posted by BigChief
(Post 20570253)
I tend to wimp out in the heat, but I would have loved to do that ride with you. I may have to load up my bike and travel to one of these events someday. I only ever ride alone and not a soul I know has any interest in my hobby. That must be fun. Beautiful bikes! Love your Sports.
Very nice. I'm sure it was a lot of fun. https://www.bikeforums.net/images/smilies/thumb.gif Questions, did you by chance take note of what tire most were running in that event? Did anybody have a flat? How many in the group? Check the posts by DQrider for some better pics. Here are a few random shots from the ride and the swap meet the next day. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...ed92c0f3ac.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e43e0cef26.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...5a508fc2a9.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...cda54052e3.jpg |
Originally Posted by clubman
(Post 20566473)
Sheldons calculator says that's 41.8 gear inches, not too shabby at all! I'll bet there was more than a few sheepish looks behind your back. Nice work.
Did you have to stand, or dare to stand, ever? IMO/IME the proper way to set the cable tension is to put it in low and make sure the toggle chain is all the way extended but not under excess tension- Just enough to that there is no play. Set up this way I've not had the hub fail me. So far though not much experience with FM hubs- the only one I had mounted on a wheel failed before I could get any time on it- the hub shell cracked and the spokes pulled the crack wide open. I suspect that hub may have been cracked before it came to my possession. At any rate the FM is known for dropping out in low, which can't be good if you are standing on the cranks. As one gentleman at the ABCD said this weekend- 'if that happens, you're knickered' :injured: |
@tigervw78, I approve of those improvements! Not that you asked me.
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I wish we had a group of 3 speed enthusiasts in the Memphis area. Visited Lake Itasca, Marcel and Duluth last year and would love to do the Lake Pepin. We have a couple non-profits that have started casual group rides which is nice. From what I can tell it's mainly cyclists and mountain bikers here.
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Thanks @noglider. I've definitely got the bug now. Spent about 4 hours yesterday clearing out the garage to make space for the extra bikes I brought home. Now both my daughter and son want multiple bikes.
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ABCE Continued...
Okay, home at last, and photos processed.
I'm going to split these between this thread - all the 3 speed / internal hub stuff - and "Where Did You Ride Today" for all the rest. Saturday began in front of Merlin's Rest pub on Lake Street in Minneapolis. They weren't open when we gathered at 9 a.m., but it was a good central location for everyone to meet. https://i.imgur.com/PZtEj1c.png Right away I knew we were going to see some very special vintage bicycles, as this old WW2 paratrooper bike illustrates: https://i.imgur.com/58VjsSf.png Now, I think this is a BSA, but don't quote me on that... This old Raleigh Sports belongs to a chap named Julio, originally from Costa Rica, who was very keen on the whole English 3-speed scene. https://i.imgur.com/x2n71iA.png Apparently, they had a Raleigh dealership in his town where he grew up, and he always lusted after one. Anyway, once everyone was milling around sufficiently, the signal to start our 30 mile sojourn came in the form of handlebar bells ringing. Soon everyone was off and riding... https://i.imgur.com/4lAqHpp.png We had a wide variety of riders participating as, unlike the Lake Pepin 3-Speed Tour, this event allows any type of bicycle, as long as it is British-built. So the lycra folk mingled with the tweedy set, and everyone got along just fine. Of course, with such a diverse group, the pace by necessity was quite leisurely. There were plenty of stops, and the social aspect of the event came to the fore. I became so engaged in conversation and all the distractions of group riding that I soon forgot I had a camera hanging from my neck, so my photographs from Saturday's long, HOT ride are woefully inadequate. We ate brunch at a place called the Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, and proceeded from there to Minnehaha Falls. The light was wrong for any decent photography, so I secured my camera in my saddlebag for the rest of Saturday's ride. On Sunday we had the 5-mile Gentleman's Tour, as I mentioned earlier, with the Gravity Race and Day-Old Pastry Joust. For this we gathered at Barley John's in New Brighton, and enjoyed a bit of Cycle Jumble before setting off. There were many wares on display, and my Leica was much more active in this venue: https://i.imgur.com/PL46AG8.png https://i.imgur.com/SILBihS.png https://i.imgur.com/ykTQPLI.png https://i.imgur.com/KfgEm9c.png There were some truly magnificent machines on display. This Claude Butler Roadster showed what the English 3-Speed could be at it's best. https://i.imgur.com/mYRjCQE.png But eventually the bells sounded once again, and we were off on the Gentleman's Tour. https://i.imgur.com/laKD3A5.png Now, I was so keen on participating at my best that I didn't take any photographs during the Gravity Race either. In retrospect, I wish I had, as you really had to see that Pastry Joust setup to appreciate the lengths these fellows go to for a good time. I've already exercised my bragging rights (Bad Form!), so I won't bore you by telling the story again. And I believe I have bumped up against my 10 photo limit for one post. So please forgive me, but I will have to tell the rest of the tale over at "Where Did You Ride Today"... . |
At it's best, the three speed could be a track bike with fat tyres?
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Thanks for sharing those photos. Now I can prove to my wife that there's others out there just like me. Looks like a lot of fun.
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Wow! What a cool event! Those bikes are flawless and make me feel like I really need to polish up my sports. Haha
Over here in the Pacific Northwest it's getting rainy again. Frankly I missed it. We had another long dry spell this year and all this rain makes it feel like home again. I'm finding that fall feels more like what summer used to be. The only sad thing about the rain is that I cant enjoy riding around my sports given it's old steel rims. Between the grey rainy days we still get some cool sunny ones and this was one of them. I decided to take advantage of the dry weather and take my sports out for a ride. I got this great little handlebar bag for $15. I really like the way it looks on my commuter and hanging on the rack of the sport its not half bad eithier. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...596a6e4cc8.jpg I just love this bike. I really missed riding with no hands. My daily commuter just doesnt feel the same. I still need to get the cranks reset with some new cotter pins but other than that everything is just so smooth. It wasnt a long ride, just down to the hardware store and grabbing some to-go food for me and my partner. I'm trying to keep it stabled untill I get the cotter pins redone, but I just couldnt resist taking it out for a short spin. The weather and the bike made it a really wonderful jaunt though. |
The ABCE ride in the Twin Cities really got me fired up on a couple levels. First, I figured out what my next build willl be (after I finish the Miyata Pro project). I’d like to do a drop-bar Carlton 3-speed. The other thing that got me going was the enthusiasm and camaraderie that I’ve seen in the people who dig these old bikes. The ABCE group is one nitty, but there is also a Cycle Museum of Minnesota that is also working on making a dent in the scene. https://www.cmm.bike/. I think we’re pretty fortunate to have a vast array of trails and paths here as well as some organizations that promote these great links to the past. On a different note, DQRider mentioned a fellow named Julio in his post and showed a pic of Julio’s Sports. That bike was given to Julio by the wife of a deceased buddy, and he was riding it in memories of his friend. It was a nice gesture. Here’s his bike and mine. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8c5d13e44.jpeg |
New ad by a regular dealer-type in the Chesapeake area has showed up in the local CL featuring 3-speeds. He's never shown bikes like this before and it looks like he might have some of our kind of iron. Worth a call to find out. Good luck!
https://richmond.craigslist.org/bik/...700627527.html Do You Need A Bike Today???? (Chesapeake Great Bridge)https://images.craigslist.org/00E0E_...F6_600x450.jpg https://images.craigslist.org/01313_...85_600x450.jpg bicycle type: other frame size: other wheel size: other/unknown Need or want a bike today? We have tons of bikes for sale everyday available any time Vintage steel road bikes, hybrids, commuters, cruisers, BMX, MTB, Old School Quality brand adult bikes in all sizes, all working. $75 and up Tandems Muscle Bikes Cruisers Tank Bikes Worksmans Folding Bikes hybrids |
Originally Posted by Buellster
(Post 20572043)
Wow! What a cool event! Those bikes are flawless and make me feel like I really need to polish up my sports. Haha
Over here in the Pacific Northwest it's getting rainy again. Frankly I missed it. We had another long dry spell this year and all this rain makes it feel like home again. I'm finding that fall feels more like what summer used to be. The only sad thing about the rain is that I cant enjoy riding around my sports given it's old steel rims. Between the grey rainy days we still get some cool sunny ones and this was one of them. I decided to take advantage of the dry weather and take my sports out for a ride. I got this great little handlebar bag for $15. I really like the way it looks on my commuter and hanging on the rack of the sport its not half bad eithier. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...596a6e4cc8.jpg I just love this bike. I really missed riding with no hands. My daily commuter just doesnt feel the same. I still need to get the cranks reset with some new cotter pins but other than that everything is just so smooth. It wasnt a long ride, just down to the hardware store and grabbing some to-go food for me and my partner. I'm trying to keep it stabled untill I get the cotter pins redone, but I just couldnt resist taking it out for a short spin. The weather and the bike made it a really wonderful jaunt though. https://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-ESGE-PL...wAAOxy4jxSJdu~ |
Originally Posted by thumpism
(Post 20572265)
New ad by a regular dealer-type in the Chesapeake area has showed up in the local CL featuring 3-speeds. He's never shown bikes like this before and it looks like he might have some of our kind of iron. Worth a call to find out. Good luck!
https://richmond.craigslist.org/bik/...700627527.html Do You Need A Bike Today???? (Chesapeake Great Bridge)https://images.craigslist.org/00E0E_...F6_600x450.jpg bicycle type: other frame size: other wheel size: other/unknown Need or want a bike today? We have tons of bikes for sale everyday available any time Vintage steel road bikes, hybrids, commuters, cruisers, BMX, MTB, Old School Quality brand adult bikes in all sizes, all working. $75 and up Tandems Muscle Bikes Cruisers Tank Bikes Worksmans Folding Bikes hybrids |
Originally Posted by dweenk
(Post 20572758)
I wish I were closer. That Rudge in the middle is speaking to me.
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