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-   -   For the love of English 3 speeds... (https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=623699)

BigChief 11-08-16 07:45 PM


Originally Posted by browngw (Post 19178878)
Good day in the parts drawers at the LBS. I found a new 21 tooth cog and a used 20 tooth cog. One of them will replace the 18T on my '71 Robin Hood. Any ideas on how many links i need to add to the chain going from 18T to 21T? I find the current 18T way too high for the type of riding I do with this bike.

That's such a pretty bike. I never get tired of seeing it. My Sports bikes all have 48T chainwheels and 22T cogs, so I can't say how many links you'll end up with. I always fit a brand new chain with this mod. They're not expensive and I like how smooth and quiet they run.

SirMike1983 11-08-16 07:59 PM

The first iteration of the S5 is a good hub. The shifting is a little odd, but it's not hard to get used to it. I have a tall frame Sprite that I like, though I will admit I prefer the FW with a single 4-speed shifter to the S5 slightly. I have an FG hub I need to go over this winter.

Slash5 11-08-16 08:03 PM


Originally Posted by browngw (Post 19178878)
Any ideas on how many links i need to add to the chain going from 18T to 21T

3 teeth different so 1 1/2 short links smaller. Since you have to add 2 links at a time, you'll have to see if you have enough play in the dropouts to work with the present length or to add the 2 links.

BigChief 11-08-16 10:30 PM


Originally Posted by SirMike1983 (Post 19179097)
The first iteration of the S5 is a good hub. The shifting is a little odd, but it's not hard to get used to it. I have a tall frame Sprite that I like, though I will admit I prefer the FW with a single 4-speed shifter to the S5 slightly. I have an FG hub I need to go over this winter.

I'd love to find a 23" S5 Sprite. Even with the stem on my 21" maxed, my weight is a bit more forward than I like. Still, I put a lot of mileage on it. 99% of it in medium ratio mode. Very rarely I'll shift the bell crank into wide mode. In hilly places it can be handy to have that granny with the big jump to normal, but overdrive in wide mode is way too tall to be useful to me.

jorglueke 11-09-16 12:15 PM

I picked this Humber Sports up yesterday. The bike belonged to the seller's mother and she had moved to a warmer climate and left this behind. It does have the rather infamous TCW rear coaster hub. Everything looks original it's just missing the light.

http://i.imgur.com/J0LhcJ7.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/hgdP971.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/CO9MzYg.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/u2NLggJ.jpg

Salubrious 11-09-16 02:11 PM

^^ the most curious thing about the Humber is of course the Duplex fork.

It was designed in the 1880s for the Humber Beeston tricycle- during that 20 year period between the PennyFarthing and the safety bike when tricycles ruled the world of human powered transportation. The tricycles started to die out (although there are descendants to this day in the UK) about 1900 but Humber continued to use the Duplex fork for their bicycles. Raleigh retained the design after taking over Humber in 1932.

3speedslow 11-09-16 03:56 PM

From the looks of the saddle, she got some good use out of the bike.

Jorglueka, what are your plans for this steed? Just noticed the size, 23" good.

jorglueke 11-09-16 04:28 PM


Originally Posted by 3speedslow (Post 19181056)
From the looks of the saddle, she got some good use out of the bike.

Jorglueka, what are your plans for this steed? Just noticed the size, 23" good.


Originally Posted by 3speedslow (Post 19181056)
From the looks of the saddle, she got some good use out of the bike.

Jorglueka, what are your plans for this steed? Just noticed the size, 23" good.

It looks pretty good. I will clean it up, do the standard maintenance, new tubes and eventually find another home for it I think.

dweenk 11-09-16 04:38 PM


Originally Posted by Salubrious (Post 19180794)
^^ the most curious thing about the Humber is of course the Duplex fork..

I like the creepy humanoids that form the chainring

clubman 11-09-16 05:29 PM

Surprised to not see a fork lock...the twin fork models usually had them.

Salubrious 11-10-16 11:32 AM

^^ I know of several Humbers locally and not seen that. I have two and neither has the fork lock.

Darren69 11-10-16 12:51 PM

My bike
 
Hi guys, new to the forums, here's my garage find, needs a good clean up, it's 1987 Raleigh from the serial number.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B00...w?usp=drivesdk

gster 11-10-16 05:32 PM

Price List 1954
 
1 Attachment(s)
Sturmey Archer Price List 1954

gster 11-10-16 05:54 PM


Originally Posted by gster (Post 19183474)
Sturmey Archer Price List 1954

As best as I can figure, 40 shillings and 9 pence works out to about $63.00 US today.

gster 11-11-16 06:19 AM

Mad Magazine Circa 1968
 
1 Attachment(s)
From the Christmas Hate article.
I think this sums up how a lot of us felt back then.
If 3 speeds were OK then 10 speeds were better!

look566 rider 11-11-16 02:39 PM

Tweed Ride 11-19-16 Columbus Ohio

https://www.facebook.com/search/top/...20tweed%20ride

About 10 miles. Was a good ride last year. Even had a Penny Farthing or two.

agmetal 11-13-16 04:45 PM

I'm curious - has anyone else here had the chance to rideboth a DL-1, and an earlier roadster? My friend/coworker, inspired by how much I like my 1937 Tourist, picked up a 1980 step-through DL-1, primarily for his girlfriend (although he'll probably ride it a lot more than she will). He brought it to the shop yesterday, and we compared both bikes side-by-side, and took them both out for a short ride near the shop, switching bikes partway through. It was a really interesting experience, and left both of us somewhat confused as to how they could feel as different as they do, and I'd be interested to hear from other people if they've had similar experiences.

My friend's bike feels lighter and quicker than mine, but I didn't have the saddlebag particularly heavily loaded. The gearing is near identical, so that's not a factor. Also, the handling on the DL-1 felt somewhat more immediate, and the bike was more trackstand-able (which I haven't quite been able to nail on my own roadster yet, while it was quite easy on his bike). His brakes, unsurprisingly, are smoother and more responsive than mine, but there's a 43 year age gap between the bikes, and his looks practically brand new, while my wheels are a bit lumpy and it doesn't have a matched set of brake pads.

The only thing I can think of as a possible explanation for the difference in handling is that my bike's fork may have become increasingly raked over the years, but we didn't take any detailed measurements or anything.


Anyway, here are some pictures of the two bikes together:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...112_185208.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...112_185222.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...112_185238.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...112_185250.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...112_185302.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...112_185328.jpg

thumpism 11-13-16 06:13 PM

3 Attachment(s)
Swung by the co-op again this afternoon for a closer look at the European 3-speed I noticed there previously. After clambering over more junk than can be found in my own garage, I saw the headbadge and turns out it's a Condor, made in Switzerland by the same company that builds the Swiss army bikes. Photo below is not the same bicycle but looks very close, and those of you with Puch/A-D mixtes will probably recognize the bend of the handlebars, missing on the bike I found. Darn.

https://blidalbikes.files.wordpress....12/06/0022.jpg

Attachment 543112

While there I also got a pic of a very crusty ladies' Raleigh Sports frame missing its wheels, rear fender and seat. Looks like it spent some time underwater.

Attachment 543113

And I also got a pic of a somewhat sad-looking men's DL1 frame missing wheels, some brake parts, seat and post, and the bolt-on seat stays peculiar to these bikes.

Attachment 543114

BigChief 11-13-16 06:28 PM

Bicycles are a bit like musical instruments in that your contact with them is very close and personal. Even the smallest detail feels huge.

agmetal 11-13-16 07:05 PM


Originally Posted by BigChief (Post 19189394)
Bicycles are a bit like musical instruments in that your contact with them is very close and personal. Even the smallest detail feels huge.

So true. At one point, I had two similar Charvel guitars with what should have been pretty much identical neck profiles, and they felt decidedly different

BigChief 11-13-16 08:28 PM

Years ago, I would just clean and reuse ball bearings in my 3 speeds. They looked fine, but I've found that even the slightest bit of roughness makes a difference in the "feel" of the bike. These days, when I do a new project I replace every bearing, and races if they're worn plus, add a brand new chain. Even though this isn't a practical necessity, It can make an old 3 speed feel smooth like a new bike. Totally different from guitar strings. They sound too bright and buzzy when they're new. Then, they go through a period of perfection just before the intonation goes sour and you have to replace them again.

tmac100 11-14-16 12:32 AM


Originally Posted by BigChief (Post 19189655)
Years ago, I would just clean and reuse ball bearings in my 3 speeds. They looked fine, but I've found that even the slightest bit of roughness makes a difference in the "feel" of the bike. These days, when I do a new project I replace every bearing, and races if they're worn plus, add a brand new chain. Even though this isn't a practical necessity, It can make an old 3 speed feel smooth like a new bike. Totally different from guitar strings. They sound too bright and buzzy when they're new. Then, they go through a period of perfection just before the intonation goes sour and you have to replace them again.

I agree.

However, I wonder if the last 2 sentences give just another reason why some folks keep getting married several times ;)

BigChief 11-15-16 09:10 AM


Originally Posted by agmetal (Post 19189210)
I'm curious - has anyone else here had the chance to rideboth a DL-1, and an earlier roadster? My friend/coworker, inspired by how much I like my 1937 Tourist, picked up a 1980 step-through DL-1, primarily for his girlfriend (although he'll probably ride it a lot more than she will). He brought it to the shop yesterday, and we compared both bikes side-by-side, and took them both out for a short ride near the shop, switching bikes partway through. It was a really interesting experience, and left both of us somewhat confused as to how they could feel as different as they do, and I'd be interested to hear from other people if they've had similar experiences.

My friend's bike feels lighter and quicker than mine, but I didn't have the saddlebag particularly heavily loaded. The gearing is near identical, so that's not a factor. Also, the handling on the DL-1 felt somewhat more immediate, and the bike was more trackstand-able (which I haven't quite been able to nail on my own roadster yet, while it was quite easy on his bike). His brakes, unsurprisingly, are smoother and more responsive than mine, but there's a 43 year age gap between the bikes, and his looks practically brand new, while my wheels are a bit lumpy and it doesn't have a matched set of brake pads.

The only thing I can think of as a possible explanation for the difference in handling is that my bike's fork may have become increasingly raked over the years, but we didn't take any detailed measurements or anything.


Anyway, here are some pictures of the two bikes together:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...112_185208.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...112_185222.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...112_185238.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...112_185250.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...112_185302.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...112_185328.jpg

I forgot one important thing. Besides the bearings, you could check the rear frame alignment. Roadsters are pretty rugged in this department, but the next time you have it apart, it might be good to check. My roadsters are both good, but I have had to adjust some of the Sports bikes I've had. I just use two 4" threaded rods with nuts and washers. I bolt them to the dropouts, in this case, rear forks and see how they line up. I also tie a string on one rod, around the steering tube and back to the other rod and measure the distance of the string to the seat tube.

agmetal 11-15-16 10:29 AM


Originally Posted by BigChief (Post 19193003)
I forgot one important thing. Besides the bearings, you could check the rear frame alignment. Roadsters are pretty rugged in this department, but the next time you have it apart, it might be good to check. My roadsters are both good, but I have had to adjust some of the Sports bikes I've had. I just use two 4" threaded rods with nuts and washers. I bolt them to the dropouts, in this case, rear forks and see how they line up. I also tie a string on one rod, around the steering tube and back to the other rod and measure the distance of the string to the seat tube.

I don't think this would explain any of the differences I experienced between these two bikes, but thanks for the suggestion. If you're referring in part to my "trackstandable" comment - I can come close to it on my bike, but my friend's bike did it much more naturally, like I'm able to do with most other bikes. It actually has me wondering if the difference in handlebar width could have anything to do with it. I don't have any difficulty riding my bike no-hands, though.

BigChief 11-15-16 04:39 PM

Me either. Those frames are exceptionally strong. It is true though, that the tiny difference all new bearings and chain make, I feel a difference. Makes the bike feel smoother and faster to me. Also, I like the feel of the Continental tires I used on the '72 better than the usual roadster tires on my '73. I bought them because they claim to be puncture resistant. An important feature on a roadster! I think they ride smoother on pavement.

wahoonc 11-15-16 06:35 PM


Originally Posted by agmetal (Post 19189210)
I'm curious - has anyone else here had the chance to rideboth a DL-1, and an earlier roadster? My friend/coworker, inspired by how much I like my 1937 Tourist, picked up a 1980 step-through DL-1, primarily for his girlfriend (although he'll probably ride it a lot more than she will). He brought it to the shop yesterday, and we compared both bikes side-by-side, and took them both out for a short ride near the shop, switching bikes partway through. It was a really interesting experience, and left both of us somewhat confused as to how they could feel as different as they do, and I'd be interested to hear from other people if they've had similar experiences.

My friend's bike feels lighter and quicker than mine, but I didn't have the saddlebag particularly heavily loaded. The gearing is near identical, so that's not a factor. Also, the handling on the DL-1 felt somewhat more immediate, and the bike was more trackstand-able (which I haven't quite been able to nail on my own roadster yet, while it was quite easy on his bike). His brakes, unsurprisingly, are smoother and more responsive than mine, but there's a 43 year age gap between the bikes, and his looks practically brand new, while my wheels are a bit lumpy and it doesn't have a matched set of brake pads.

The only thing I can think of as a possible explanation for the difference in handling is that my bike's fork may have become increasingly raked over the years, but we didn't take any detailed measurements or anything.


Could it be the difference between a step through and the regular diamond frame?

Aaron:)

agmetal 11-16-16 08:53 AM


Originally Posted by BigChief (Post 19194010)
Me either. Those frames are exceptionally strong. It is true though, that the tiny difference all new bearings and chain make, I feel a difference. Makes the bike feel smoother and faster to me. Also, I like the feel of the Continental tires I used on the '72 better than the usual roadster tires on my '73. I bought them because they claim to be puncture resistant. An important feature on a roadster! I think they ride smoother on pavement.

The chain definitely made a big difference when I did that a few months ago...the 79-year-old original chain was quite stretched and noisy! I've kept the Kenda roadster tires on my bike because I feel like most of the other options out there just wouldn't look quite right for a bike this old, and I don't have any real complaints about them in terms of the ride (but I haven't spent any time with other 635 tires, either).

agmetal 11-19-16 03:47 PM

So on my way to work earlier this week, the left side of the BB spindle on my 1952 Sports snapped off. I've had mixed feelings on this bike since I got it...I think it looks really cool with the rust and general patina, and my goal with it has been to keep it looking the way it does for lock-up-all-day theft resistance, but having it as close as achievable to mechanical perfection. On the other hand, it's been kind of a slog to ride, even after overhauling the BB and pedals, and swapping out the 18-tooth cog for a 19-tooth one, and I find the crank arms to be a bit short, especially compared to the ones on my Tourist.

So after breaking the BB spindle and getting a replacement, I did a somewhat more thorough overhaul (I actually removed the fixed cup this time!), and then also decided to take a shot at overhauling the DynoHub, which was making an occasional tink-clunk sound, but otherwise functional. I also spent some time straightening out the cranks (the right side was actually twisted a little bit), and changed the saddle angle a bit, and put new tires on. The whole thing is feeling a lot smoother now, although I'm thinking about putting a 170mm cottered crank on it, and I also have a color-mismatched-but-similar-condition chaincase that I'm planning to install at some point.

In the meantime, though, I've finally taken some decent pictures of it!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...119_140818.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...119_140824.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...119_140839.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...119_140849.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...119_140903.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...119_140913.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...119_140925.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...119_140933.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...119_140945.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...119_140953.jpg

agmetal 11-19-16 03:48 PM

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...119_140959.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...119_141021.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...119_141033.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...119_141059.jpg

RobbieTunes 11-19-16 04:22 PM


Originally Posted by agmetal (Post 19201772)
So on my way to work earlier this week, the left side of the BB spindle on my 1952 Sports snapped off. I've had mixed feelings on this bike since I got it...I think it looks really cool with the rust and general patina, and my goal with it has been to keep it looking the way it does for lock-up-all-day theft resistance, but having it as close as achievable to mechanical perfection. On the other hand, it's been kind of a slog to ride, even after overhauling the BB and pedals, and swapping out the 18-tooth cog for a 19-tooth one, and I find the crank arms to be a bit short, especially compared to the ones on my Tourist.

So after breaking the BB spindle and getting a replacement, I did a somewhat more thorough overhaul (I actually removed the fixed cup this time!), and then also decided to take a shot at overhauling the DynoHub, which was making an occasional tink-clunk sound, but otherwise functional. I also spent some time straightening out the cranks (the right side was actually twisted a little bit), and changed the saddle angle a bit, and put new tires on. The whole thing is feeling a lot smoother now, although I'm thinking about putting a 170mm cottered crank on it, and I also have a color-mismatched-but-similar-condition chaincase that I'm planning to install at some point.

In the meantime, though, I've finally taken some decent pictures of it!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...119_140818.jpg

Very cool.

Today is Day 1 of my '59 Sports restoration (full dyno, B66). I went out in the garage and looked at it.

Most of the cleaning is basic stuff, elbow grease and magic chemicals.

I found plenty of grips on line if I need some, and will likely get the saddle re-done.

I'll be using the dyno with regular bulbs until I find a regulated LED setup where I can hide the regulators somewhere.

Still looking for a front basket/dog carrier that won't cost more than the bike. 7-lb dog.

Were the racks all black or color-matched?

Suggestions on tires?
They're in great shape, all black, but I think I'm going to go gumwall or sidewall on this one.

Suggestions on brake pads?

Suggestions on cleaning the galvanized spokes? (or just leave them alone, as galvanizing intended?)

My go-to thread for the next 3-4 months.


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