By the time I got into town Sunday (was riding the Raleighs on Madeline Island) it was gone.

Most of the time my 10 year old daughter rides her Raleigh 3 speed but at times she likes to bust out her 24 inch wheeled mtb... she looks so small on the bike but has excellent bike handling skills and it is a good fit.

My oldest daughter struggled with 24 inch wheels even though she was tall enough to ride a bike this size and will probably never look past her 20 inch Raleigh which will carry her through adulthood... she is already five foot two (with eyes of brown).

Riding my own 2o has inspired a few other folks to try them and they have found they enjoy riding them for the same reasons I do as they are quick and nimble and very comfortable bikes to ride.

What's everyone's technique for removing a stubborn cotter pin?

I beat on one for a hour, took it to my LBS asking to use their cotter press? He produced a larger hammer and a punch, two hits and it was out, smiled and said "use a bigger hammer".

Back in the day, we used this:
http://www.os2.dhs.org/~john/VAR_no7.JPG

Now, I use this:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_m2_YJYFcr3...otterPress.jpg

I love it! So much better than a hammer & Punch and a 1/10 of the size and wt. of the presses I've seen! We did you get it?

I have a Park cotter pin press that has been serving me well for quite a long time... when it dies I will make one of my own.

The standard way is hammering. You MUST, MUST, MUST support the axle when you do this. Otherwise, your hammering force goes into the bearings, and you will brinell your races and cups. Hammer hard, and if it doesn't budge, hit it with a bigger hammer.

The worst cotter I had was fairly recent. I had to drill a hole down the middle of it. That alone took a lot of elbow grease. Then I hammered and hammered again, and it finally came out.

If a cotter cannot be pressed out cut it off flush with the crank and then drive it out... support things well and don't be gentle when you hit it..

Bikesmith Design sells them: http://www.bikesmithdesign.com/CotterPress/index.html

So now that we're on the subject of stubborn things...

How the hell does one unscrew the internals of a Sturmey Archer AW from it's shell?

Everywhere I looked it said, "use a punch," but that doesn't work. I tried on several hubs.

Using a punch requires a little skill and technique... you want to direct the punch so that it is as parallel to the hub as possible without skipping off.

Cool. I'll try using a little more finesse and a little less force. Any other tips? I just want to overhaul the thing before I start putting lots of miles on it.

I only overhaul SA three speeds when they don't work properly... most just need a little drink of oil and a few laps around the block to make them purr like a kitten.

I do have a few that need to be overhauled now but it has been a long time since I had to tear one down because it was not working properly... I know that one probably has broken low pawl springs as it only runs in 2nd and 3rd and 1st will not engage.

If any moisture gets inside an SA hub and is left to percolate those pawl springs will be the first thing and usually the only thing that turns to dust.

Figure the other needs new pawls as it has seen a bazillion hard miles and although it shifts well it does not run as smoothly as it should.

This my take on it too. I currently have about 15 SA hubs mounted in bikes and none have needed a tear down. I did pull down one that has somewhere past 30,000 miles on it to replace the pawl springs just because. In my 40 years of messing with IGH hubs I have had only one that would not work just by adding oil. Turns out it had laid out in the weather for a while and had pretty well rusted together.

Aaron :)
Aaron

I do not own a 3 sp, my old bikes are just old, neither classic nor vintage, but have greatly enjoyed this thread Fir, your post of 6/11 was very nearly a coffee-on-the-monitor moment.

Sixty Fiver, you mean tangential, not parallel, right? ;)

Yeah, these hubs need overhauls so rarely, it boggles my mind. I wonder how the new crop of IGH's will be in the long run.

I had one customer who was too strong for his hub, and he'd go through pawls. But that's extremely rare.

Tom

You can try an old screwdriver. Might fit better. Is it built into a wheel?

A vise, a punch, and a hammer have always worked for me. Be sure to unscrew counter clockwise. Sometimes the beveled, notched edge that you put the punch against gets worn, but that's why there are two of those notches on the ring!

Neal

I decided not to mess with the BB. It turns smooth so I'll save hammering or pressing that cotter till a later date. Overhauled the front hub and head set.

It rolls so smoothly...tick...tick...tick..tick....you get the idea. And as far as it being heavy and cumbersome, I'm not getting that vibe at all. I was able to cruise at probably around 12 mph in 2nd with little effort. It's obviously not a road bike, but it moves. Super clean, super smooth. I do not think I could be happier with the purchase.

Thanks to everyone for all the advice. It was extremely helpful. I'm sure I'll be posting more questions and pics as the days go on. Man is this a dream bike to ride!

Wow, I'm glad you're as happy as you are.

You can just drop oil into the BB. It will be fine. Stick it in where the spindle meets the cups.

Thanks Tom...and I will try dropping some oil into the BB. Didn't know of that. Thanks!

Or just feed it in via the seat tube...

Tomorrow I will probably be saying goodbye to one of the girls... riding this any more than a few km is impossible as it really aggravates my back and she needs to go to a home where she will be appreciated.

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikep...ntinental1.JPG

65er, I just started a thread about CCM's.

Jedge76-Sixtyfiver- two very nice rides! :thumb:

My latest find just got lubed and sent to school, still needs a bath! It's a little Pre-Raliegh Norman that has got an oiler on the BB as well as the hubs. At 19" it's the perfect commuter for my son's 1.5 mile ride to school. It really stands out in a sea of BMX bikes.



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My son's been loving riding his 24" Raleigh to school as well, very similar clubman look with the flipped bars. I have a restoration thread on it here:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...gh-Space-Rider
He initially didn't want to ride to school, but I persuaded him that it was meant to be ridden, and he might as well get some miles on it before it gets too small. It's a perfect commuter/neighborhood cruiser.
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Andrew, that is a very cool looking bike! I've been collecting all the Norman serial numbers I can get my hands on, so if you please... Is there a serial number? Where? I've usually seen them on the right side of the lower head lug. Drive side photos (chain ring, especially?) please!

Why do you think it's pre-Raleigh? The lugs definitely look pre-Raleigh, but the fork does not. I know that head badge style was used in the 60's and early 70's, but don't know when it was introduced.

From the look of it, you have the rear wheel from a Raleigh Sports; in which case, the hub date may not be relevant to the rest of the bike.

By the way, there is a pair of Norman mudguards on ebay right now, in any color you want (as long as it's black).

Me thinks it's pre-Raleigh becasue the Headbadge reads "Ashford", the local township licenses still on the bike begin in 1959 ( Raliegh took over in 1960 correct?) and the serial number ( on the left Drop-out ) reads C59029. The bike has been repaired several times. The rear rim and hub is from a '72 Raligh Sport ( parts bike donation) There was no rear wheel when I aquired it. Oddly, the front rim has a brass capped oiler, 40's vintage, the frame as a ball and spring 50-60 vintage. I'm assuming either an earlier parts bike donation or using up old parts at the factory.

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Thanks for the Mudguard tip!

Fantastic picture of your son, XLR99!

Tom