Sorry if I've said this before, but it bears repeating: The one three speed I like even more than the Raleigh is the Rudge. There's something about it. I can't put my finger on it. Maybe it's the fork crown.

I should go shopping and find a spare set of hubs--an AW and a front one--and try this wheel building excerise sometime. I like my bike too much to stop riding it while I try this; plus, I have a fear it wouldn't be exactly an overnight thing either...

QUESTION:

Rear brakes: are they same as the fronts? On my men's 1969 Sprite, the rear calipers have the pads set all the way down--and it's not quite far enough down. I suspect my frame is a bit off--if I center the wheel relative to the chainstays, the wheel is not centered relative to the brakestays (and it tends to rub the brake pad as a result). I'm finding that I need to cock the wheel a little bit to get things lined up. Anyhow, I'm at a bit of a loss as to why the pads won't sit low enough to be properly situated; maybe it has the wrong calipers?

Sounds like the frame isn't straight, perhaps it was crashed or kicked while parked in a bike rack. Does the bike steer straight when ridden no-hands or do you have to sit cocked on the seat to have it track straight?

It's a wardrobe thing. Mixtes are for anyone who wears a dress, skirt, kilt, surplice, long coat, etc. Women, bagpipers, priests, and choirboys mostly. If you're riding to a toga party, take the mixte.

Niice... :-)

What kind of rims are they?

Just saw this today....its modern but definitely with a Classic Style.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Co...10/5360047080/

http://s.wiggle.co.uk/images/cooper-reims-zoom.jpg

8.6kg = 21 pounds. £895 = $1284. Very nice bike. And there might be room for fenders.

^^I don't need that, but would sure accept one as a gift! (the large size, please)

I'd be tempted to put real brake levers on it, though... and mudguards... hmm, maybe I'm better off with something vintage.

Nobody loves the English three speed as much as my 10 year old daughter...

Just added the leather saddle which is one of those notorious AGDA models that I found in remarkably good shape but it needed drilling and lacing and shellac to bring it up to useable shape... she likes it a great deal.

This is a 1973 Raleigh Fireball that started life as a muscle bike replete with ape hangars and a banana seat and when found it had been spray bombed a horrible shade of gold and was destined for a dumpster... it was a little labour of love to get the frame done and my friend did the best job of powder coating I have ever seen.

During the summer she rides in excess of 300 km a month as this is her commuter and we are a car free family as well... she told me that when she is too big to ride this bike anymore (and that will be a sad day) she wants me to hang it in my bike shop and will give it to her kids at which point the bike will be 70-80 years old.

It's a Raleigh 3 speed... it will be fine and she keeps it well polished and taken care of.

:)

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikep...eball2010a.JPG

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikep...eball2010b.JPG

I am presently looking for a Raleigh Saffron or Raleigh Twenty to replace this bike as it will be nice t have a bike that will grow with her into adulthood... her sister rides a Saffron and loves it.

I haven't noticed it steer like that, but come to think of it, I haven't tried no-hands riding it yet.

65er, that's beautiful!

I wish I could have found one of those when my daughter needed one; instead we made do with a POS Huffy, which you can see in this photo (behind the Norman, obviously). I s'pose that's just as well, though, since this bike goes to the beach regularly and is sure to rust out before long. It's been upgraded to aluminum rims, SA hub (see the trigger?) and baskets....

It's ugly, and it's a beater, but it rides well and gets ridden a lot, mostly around the neighborhood but occasionally on 40+ mile day rides and once on a 2 day tour.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2461/...15d92e34_o.jpg

rhm -

My oldest daughter (12)has been riding a 1980 Raleigh Saffron since she was 10 and will ride nothing else.. she plans on keeping this until she's 90.

The ride is wonderful and the handling is confidence inspiring... these appear to have been made in Italy for Raleigh as the BB and headset are Italian so it does not have any compatibility issues. I have new rims for this bike which are far better than what it has now and a Gipiemme 100 crank and 42 tooth chain ring to replace the cottered crank. At some point the bike will get a hub generator and better lighting although the stock lights do work rather well albeit with quite a bit of drag.

It is also likely the bike will get an 8 speed IGH at some point... :)

The bike has had a 20 tooth cog installed in the rear to bring down the stock gearing although the girl says she is ready for a taller gear and can spin it out at the top end which gets her up to just over 35 kmh.

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikep...ffron2010a.JPG

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikep...ffron2010b.JPG

PS - I paid $40.00 for the Saffron and all it needed was a lube job and fresh tyres (Marathons) and I also replaced the stock levers with some NOS Dia Compes as they have a better pull. The steel brakes on the Saffron work very well with the alloy front wheel... the new wheels are also alloy and double walled.

My daughters have always ridden with a right hand front brakes and like a Twenty... the geometry of the Saffron makes it almost impossible to go OTB.

Cool, an Italian Raleigh! And it doesn't fold, right?

I have been thinking that the Fireball could use some modern alloy wheels (for the future generation) and when that time comes my daughter will probably be able to build her own... at 8 she already had a really good understanding of how wheels were built and does most of her own bike work although she struggles with the floor pump as she can;'t get tyres over 40 psi. :lol:

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikep...rdaughter5.jpg

Her other bike is also a Raleigh... :)

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikepics/danirocks2.jpg

The Raleigh Compact is the folding version of this bike but the examples I have seen do not seem to have been as nicely finished as the Saffron is... the paint finish is quite exceptional and the bike is 30 years old.

Man if she can build a wheel so can I. Thats so awesome, My little daughter already tries to work on her tricycle.

I've been thinking about doing this myself, But am kinda afraid to attempt it.

Go for it, its easy.

At the very least you can lace it up with nothing more than a 4 dollar spoke wrench....if you aren't comfortable truing it your LBS can do that part for you.

Honestly though the whole thing is more intimidating than it is difficult and Its immensely useful and rewarding skill to have. The only stressful part is taking that first ride on your first set of wheels.

I learned last spring and have built 4-5 sets since...I can't begin to think of the money I would have spent to have someone do that work for me....plus I get a great deal of satisfaction from rolling around on wheels I built with my own hands.

Sixty Fiver, the picture of your 8 year old lacing a wheel is the PICTURE OF THE WEEK for me!

Really, lacing a wheel is less complex than a lot of needlework. There are, at most, 40 spokes, and there's only one pattern at a time.

I'm saddened that most kids' bikes aren't very sensible. You show some old sensible designs, but now, bikes have to be styled as if the riders will be in some extreme sport like BMX or mountain trail riding. Why not just a plain bike with a semi-upright position?

Someone gave me a nice mountain bike like this, with 20" aluminum wheels. It had cantilever brakes, one chainring, and a six speed freewheel. It was labeled GT or Pacific. I put street-tread tires on it (replacing the knobbies) and gave it to my friend's daughter. She was riding a 24"-wheel Huffy mountain bike, and it was so heavy, she could hardly ride it. I told the girl (who is a small 9 year old) that 20" wheels are not just for little kids. I showed her my Twenty. She listened and when she test rode this little bike, she smiled really big.

But where are these bikes, in general?

Like almost every three speed my girl's bikes are on the heavy side but they do have 3 speed hubs, fenders, and chain guards and with a high power to weight ratio, kids can handle a heavier bike better than an adult.

My youngest climbs hills on her Raleigh and usually sings the whole way up and often passes adults who are walking up the same grades with their bikes... there's a short 12% hill we climb regularly and she goes up this like it isn't even there.

The Saffron is really an adult bike and has the same adjust-ability as a Twenty and many modern folders could do the same thing and already come with modern parts and lighter alloy wheels.

I was pretty gobsmacked when my 8 year old daughter came over to watch me lace a wheel and with the wheel partially laced told me it was a thirty six spoke, three cross wheel.

Does Western Canuckistan have child labor laws?

Just kidding, that's really awesome. I'm a bit envious, I wish I knew how to build a wheel.

Sixty Fiver, that shot of your daughter in the smock is adorable! That makes me happy :)

Put some hammered Honjo fenders on it, a wider saddle, and a set of racks and rack bags (thinking specifically about the grid Rivendell bags), and I'd ride it like there's no tomorrow. What a gorgeous bike. I even like the color. I think that would be my go-to bike for most everything. The only flaw I see is with the track style (or at least, track looking) bars with the huge drops to the hoods. I like my bars to have square tops...

As it stands, I'm seriously considering the Mercier Kilo S3X that they've got over on BD. The wheels cost almost as much as that entire bike, and I've been thinking hard about getting one of those hubs.

See you guys have really got me considering trying to build a 27" wheel i have. I really need a front wheel for my schwinn.
what does one need i know nipples, spokes, and a spke wrench and what else?

I am also in love with that cream colored bike. If i had the money i would buy one. Its very clean and pretty.

65er,
That photo of your girl lacing the hub is most definitely the coolest photo I have seen on BF yet.

I think I was about 12-13 when I laced my first wheel. I bent the rim on my 68 Sears Screamer II muscle bike with 3 speed hub, so I bought a rim and some spare spokes and tackled it after talking with the LBS. I didn't have any manual (or internet). I just used the rim on my buddy's Sears Gremlin as a reference.

I also like that Saffron. After riding my Twenty, some older Dahons and a few different new Dahons, I much prefer smaller wheeled bikes for city riding. You just can't beat the manueverabilty of them. I posted some pics of my Twenty on the Dahon forum and they easily see how relevant it's geometry remains to this day. It not much of a folder, but it is a hell of a bike.

Or the chain ring...
http://www.bikecult.com/works/chainring/chrgrudge!.jpg

+1!

Aaron :)

Definitely the chainring
http://i914.photobucket.com/albums/a.../IMAGE_101.jpg

It actually lays rubber
 

65er you are an inspiration. Usually my son invites himself into the shop while I'm desperately up to elbows in obstreperous fiddly bits and he starts rearranging precious delicate machinery with grit precipitating from the folds of his tunic until I extricate myself long enough to invite him to the designated playing zone with both hands... ah, put 'em to work, good idea :thumb:

I managed to find "Kool Stop"s at LBS - most of them didn't realize they were there collecting dust on a far shelf. One style only, so I carved it with a sharp blade to fit under the fork on the front. Anything at all would fit the back. This is on my '84 Sports. The rear one appears misaligned in the photo, but under application the combination of forces [including the application pressure against tapered rim] forces it into alignment.

Wow, I never saw a Raleigh stop like that :lol: It actually lays rubber :eek:

Front:

http://saskatoontrail.org/linkableim...rum9000002.JPG

Rear:

http://saskatoontrail.org/linkableim...rum9000001.JPG

http://saskatoontrail.org/linkableim...um800-0001.JPG