Wax will help a little bit, but linseed oil works far better atmo. There are lots of other folks here on the forum that are advocates of the linseed oil approach too. I was a naysayer but then I tried it and am now a true believer.

No, not really, to freakin' cold out! :o and theres not to much adjusting I can do unless I bend the mounting bracket thing. Photogravity is jealous, he's hiding it behind his envy! ;0) BTW Photogravity and I are just kidding around everyone, so go on home, nothing to see here! ;0)

+1 on linseed oil. It soaks into the rust and dries into like a varnish, after which you can add more. It works on painted areas as well as chromed. I've also used Tung oil, which seems to dry a little better. Shinier.

Does it darken in time? I've got a darkened clear coat on an old English frame that I can't seem to remove.

Found some linseed oil and applied it. I'm guessing the more coats the better.

Whew, is the oil supposed to smell bad though? I hope it doesn't linger, smells like something that I pulled from the trash.

Yes, I imagine linseed oil would darken over time. I doubt that's what your clearcoat is, though. More likely a lacquer or varnish of some kind, both of which could/would darken as well.

Smell bad? I suppose so. But I've done a lot of woodwork and some oil painting over the years, and I've come to love the smell. If it really smells like something that died, maybe there's something wrong with the oil.

Can any of you guys comment on 3 speed gearing? I'm running an AW with (I think) 48 front to a 20 tooth sprocket and find the cruising ratios awkward. I'm generally looking for something in between middle and top. That probably makes sense since I gravitate to a 75" gear on my ten speeds (in the flat with no wind) and the AW works out to about 86" for top and 65" for 2nd.

Any experiences with 4 speeds (FM and FW)?

David

I have always liked the hedonic tone of linseed oil.

48/20 is a pretty high gear, depending on wheel size. Most of the older 3sp's have a 46T chain ring and an 18T cog, and most of us replace the latter with a 22T (which is readily available) or something bigger if we can find it. That doesn't do anything for the steps between the gears, but lowering them all helps a lot.

The steps between the gears of an FW are slightly smaller, which is definitely better though the difference is pretty subtle. The steps between the higher three gears of an FM are so small I often can't decide whether the hub shifted correctly or not. I had an FM hub for a while, didn't really like it, and traded it to a friend. But several months later I changed my mind and got it back... and haven't ridden it much yet.

If you are generally looking for something between 2 and 3, I'd say change the cog --this is really easy to do-- to either 18 or 22 and see how that feels. I'd recommend the 22. If you can pick up an FW or S5 hub it is pretty easy to switch out the guts of the AW for the guts of the other; you'll probably need a different trigger shifter as well. The guts of an FM hub do not fit the AW shell.

One needs to know the wheel size you are running to determine gear ratios... 86 gear inches is pretty steep for 3rd and think that unless you are riding a much older Raleigh that the front chain wheel is a 46 tooth.

With 26 by 1 3/8 inch wheels a 46/20 gives you a gearing of 47/62/83 and a 22 tooth cog would give you 43/57/75.

With 3 speeds I like to set the 3 gear as flat gear and then have two steps down rather than having my 2nd as my primary drive gear... my 20's are set up with 46/18 to give me a 36/48/64 which is great for urban assaults where quicker acceleration and a lower 1st makes hauling cargo a lot easier.

Same way I set mine up :thumb:

Aaron :)

Our little mule...

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikep...R20bridge1.JPG

I recently bought a dozen 24t cogs from an eBay seller in Germany, so I have enough to put 24t cogs on most of my IGH bikes. So with a 46/24 setup and 26x1-3/8 wheels I'm at 37/50/66. I have a Raleigh 44t chainring I bought a while back but haven't yet installed which will put my gearing at 36/48/63. Around these parts, I'm more concerned with climbing hills than I am with going fast so if I'm geared low on the flats, so be it.

That 37/50/66 is a practical set up... I don't mind and actually prefer to spin at a much higher cadence and can cruise along at 30 kmh with a 65 inch gearing and spinning a lower gear makes the 1.5 legged pedaling much easier.

[QUOTE][Yes, I imagine linseed oil would darken over time. I doubt that's what your clearcoat is, though. More likely a lacquer or varnish of some kind, both of which could/would darken as well.
/QUOTE]

If it is darkened lacquer or varnish, any ideas on how to lighten or remove it without removing paint and decals?

Thanks for the answers, guys.

This is actually on my Dad's Schwinn Suburban. I rechecked the crank and it is 46, rear sprocket is 20, wheels are 27". By my calcs thats 83/62/46.6. A 22 sprocket would give about 75 top and 56 2nd, so I would have my cruising gear but I wonder if 2nd wouldn't be a little low?

With limited choices I ideally want a gear pitched for in-the-flats with 5 mile tailwind as top, and in-the-flats with 5 mile headwind as second gear and a third that gets me up the easy hills (I'll walk the steep ones).

An FW with top set about 78-80 sounds about right. I'm thinking about a Clubman type path racer made from an old Raleigh Record, in all this.

David

This thread should just be its own forum : )

David, it sounds like you know what you like, so why not? I, personally, prefer to gear them a little lower. A week ago I rode about 105 miles on my Lambert, which has an AW hub, 700c wheels, and it is geared 48/19. I wasn't entirely thrilled with the gearing, but probably won't change it (unless I convert to a 5 speed). I could use a little more at the high end, and a lot more at the bottom end; but I'm pretty sure I spent more time in 1st than 3rd.

Maybe I should spin a little faster, but I can spend most rides in a 75" gear. Being lazy I'll even do short hills in that gear rather than shift. (fixie candidate?)

I realized this after noticing that on most my ten speeds that I was almost always on the big chain wheel and middle sprocket. For most of them that worked out to about a 75" gear and a speed of 15-17mph, more or less.

David

[QUOTE=Velognome;13655253]If it is lacquer try denatured alcohol, varnish is a crap shoot depending on the type, I would try mineral spirits first. Also try both of these in an out of the way place to see what they do to the lacquer/varnish finish.

Aaron :)

one down, that softened the paint along with the clear coat

Didn't try that yet, I'll give that a shot.

Thanx

Anyone ever fix a dry accumulator/filter switch unit (with 3 small terminals and one large central terminal? I've tried the original wiring configuration and another posted online and I believe the rectifier circuit may not be functional.

Edit: The battery function now works, dynamo connection through the unit doesn't appear to work as far as I can tell thusfar.

I'm sure this is common knowlege to most, but linseed oil soaked rags are very flammable. They can sponateously combust. I either allow them to dry flat or store them in an air tight metal container with a tight fitting lid.

Working on another English three speed here... my friend's '53 Rudge... and it looks so much better now than it does here.

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikep...rudgepath1.JPG

Opted for the Path racer as he already has an upright 3 speed which I helped with last January when I was here.

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikep...1wayfarer1.JPG

Forcing an alloy post into a steel tube is asking for trouble.
There is some variation in post diameters but if it's the correct nominal size you should be able to fit it - and removing material from the post is better than reaming the bike.
The excess length only increases the potential of a stuck post down the line: Cut it to length and chamfer it just as you suggested.

Thank you Auchen. I shall proceed that way.

I just wanted to say that I have been watching this thread and you lords and ladies really have something going. I've been kind of shy to get to interested because these old beauties make me miss my old Raleigh so much. And today I came across my S.A. hub cone spanner.
Underlining mine. Yes! I loved my '58 Reg Harris Lenton Sports, but I cursed that hub. I am virtually certain that I sustained a permanent injury to to its slipping into free-fall when I was standing. I was in my early teens.

In Canada I have a Miyata double butted HiTen frame tucked away in a friend's garage. I'm thinking of turning it into a sit-up 3 speed, lighting, cargo basket, chain guard and Shimano 3 speed hub on 27 inch rims.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=232827
This is the Sports I purchased last weekend. I swapped out the brown saddle I had purchased for the Sprite along with the rack and trunk bag. Basket is a new purchase. New tires have arrived and will be replaced as soon as I get a lesson on wheel removal.