I've got a pair of 1" Continental City Slickers waiting for high performance 650A rims to happen along. Not of great use for now.

I've been happy with the Schwalbe Delta Cruisers on my Robin Hood Sports.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...de820d5c0c.jpg

I got a set of Col de la vies from the seller "bikewagon" on Ebay a few months back, Currently, they don't seem to have any.

Ebay seller "bellsbikeshop" has some listed as "Panaracer Randonnee Tire 26x1-3/8" (ISO Size 590) 650A". The listing says they have more than 10 available.

I would post a link, but the forum won't let me.

Good sleuthing, thanks! I've purchased from both sellers before and didn't think to check. I had those on a Sports that I passed along and I thought they were great tires. They were wide and I had to massage the fenders now and then to keep them inside, especially the front.

Two votes for the Schwalbes...Perennial has them. I'll go with the wisdom of the community. I'm tempted to stash a pair of Col de la Vies but I really don't need them, so let someone else enjoy them while they last.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...d32812ac54.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...548b7489ae.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...413f8e80ac.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...baf3536b8f.jpg

Alright, finally 10 posts! Here is my 1976 Sports resto-mod. I've owned the bike for 11 years or so, and it was unmodified until around 2020. The hub, frame and few bolts are the only original things left. I was only able to pull this project off thanks to the things I learned on this forum (and Sheldon Brown!).

Top pics are from last year, bottom pics are show a different bar and seat (which I much prefer).

Look on ebay.co.uk. I've found new alloy 650A rims there. The 40 hole version has gotten hard to find.

Excellent work. Do you have any write up of the changes you made and the parts used?. I also have a Sports in same color in nice condition and would like to make some similar upgrades.
Thanks, James

Thanks! I couldn't figure out what format would be best, so hopefully this screenshot will do.

Small things that come to mind: I'm not aware of another nice 25.4 seatpost. Also, the Soma fork has almost identical geometry to the original, and it's so nice in person...

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b4d035764a.png
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c78353ef19.png

Buyer Beware!
A friend of mine brought this P.O.S over yesterday to see if I could help.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...daca4ad33e.jpg
His room mate had bought it from a guy who "fixes bikes".....
A sad collection of mis matched and bent parts.
It arrived with neither front or rear wheels properly tightened.
Originally a Murray built Brentwood (Woolco brand) 3 speed (Shimano)
Probably late 70's.
it arrived with a single speed free wheel.
Mis matched wheel sizes
A twisted stem (odd size at 21.1
Ugly/stupid pedals that I would swap out but these are 1/2" and all my stuff is 9/16"
The only good part was a new chain
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f0748d6737.jpg
As it originally appeared.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...567bea9e85.png
I'd like to know how much he paid.

Thanks for this. It will be useful if I make some updates to mine. You did a fantastic job on yours.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7f59ac3ab.jpeg
Does this count as an English 3-speed?
Posted here before with an AW hub. Now it has an ASC from 1948 and a Harden front hub from 1949.

I think it would mostly depend on the make of the frame, but could certainly be considered a hybrid of sorts due to having English parts?

That's a Franglais 3 speed. With very nice hubs.

By the way, the hubs are laced to Weinmann 27" hookless alloy rims. What should the spoke tension be with the old alloy shell ASC or the Harden? The front wheel requires replacement of the spokes due to them being galvanized and dulled.
I'm afraid of cracking especially the rear hub shell.

Wait until the spokes break before worrying about replacing them. 9 times out of 10 the rim will buckle before you crack a hub flange by tensioning a wheel. Are the rims worth relacing? Check brake surface wear with a straight edge, it will be concave if they're alloy, but it's​ how deep that wear is that can tell you if they have significant life left.

Asking about spoke tension begs the question: do you already have a way to measure spoke tension?
Advice from a number of manufacturers is to never exceed a spoke tension of 110kg force. It sounds like a lot, but it's easy to get up there with greased eyelets and spoke threads. I tend to aim for 95-100kgs force when I build. As each wheel will be supporting roughly ½ the bike+ rider weight, 110 kgs force gets you up to 220 kgs of total weight (480 lbs in freedom units).

There is a nice looking 60+ year old AMF (Hercules) 3 Speed on the bay (pickup only, not shipping) in Springlakes Michigan for $45
https://www.ebay.com/itm/224508492493

There is a beautiful "Deep Blue" colored Sears FREE SPIRIT "Sheffield" model in Worcester, Mass ("Woo-star", MA )
These were beautifully done as far as the original paint quality and matching painted fenders, and a quality durable heavy steel frame with Ashtabula One Piece Crank.
A really attractive blue color on these 3 speed "Sheffield" models, though they aren't that ancient, my guess is probably circa 1979 to 1983. You can find out exactly by viewing that wishbook site that has begun to upload old Sears & Montgomery Wards, JC Penneys catalogs into individual pdf files. Just Google SEARS Spring Catalog (or alternately Google Sears Fall & Winter, or whatever... Sears Christmas catalog, or Sears Summer Catalog, or Sears Christmas Wishbook............by adding the year, it should bring you the year, if it has been uploaded already into their archives there...................try to then find the INDEX page to find where the bikes or whatever items you are searching are located in that catalog, so you don't have to flip through all 800 pages of each Sears catalog.
--Worcester MA, very nice FREE SPIRIT Sheffield 3 speed on the bay
https://www.ebay.com/itm/304118227252

The Austrian JC HIGGINS in Garnet Valley, PA (Wilmington Delaware metro area) for 29.99 on the bay, also pickup only, not shipping(mentioned in earlier post)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/195236381423


There is a very nice 60+ year old ROYCE UNION 3 speed (currently on Charlotte NC craigslist) for $80 (it is actually located 35 miles east of Charlotte, in Oakboro NC)
The seller of this very nice old ROYCE UNION is a familiar fixture on the Charlotte craigslist, as someone who as a hobby, minimally refurbishes old bikes, and sells them on Charlotte craigs..... that.guy outta Oakboro probably sells about 40 bikes annually there on charlotte craigs.

Made a short trip down the road on my 1950 Schwinn Superior three speed tonight. We had a classic, humid, late summer evening.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.co...824_180943.jpg

Thanks! Glad it was helpful, can't wait to see how yours turns out.

Finished up the rehab of this ‘70 Sports the other day. Paint is nicely preserved; chrome generally good except for the bars, which must have gone through the inferior chroming tank. Those are new Kenda tires. Otherwise, cables, housing, and chain were all in good re-usable shape.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...285e89044.jpeg

It turns out he paid $300 for this sad collection of parts.
The wheels were loose and the front wheel barely clears the top of the fork..
Even with a short caliper up front, the pads are making minimal contact on the rim.
I know the guy who sold it to him amd may send him a note.
He's a well known "Bike Guy" here in Toronto

Beautiful bike!

nice job! Bars are readily available if you get OCD about them. I rehabbed a very similar bike - probably in worse shape - and bought a Robin Hood step-thru for $25 which yielded many replacement shiny bits for the ones that were badly rusted.

Mystery 3 speed
 

I acquired this bike yesterday. I let my son buy it because I wanted the saddle.

I would say the frame says mid 50’s Birmingham, but there is no oil port for the bottom bracket, and the odd attachment of the seat stays(It appears as though they were riveted and then brazed).

it has a 71/11 AW and 36 hole rigida rims, the cable stop for the shifter is on the chain stay. The brand is Imperial, and it has a 5 digit serial number.

My thinking is it is all original 1972 by a short lived manufacturer.

Any thoughts

I’ll send photos seperately

Mystery 3 speed
 

I am having trouble uploading the photos let me try again.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b8473b885.jpeg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...deff41cd6.jpeg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...28bb24f57.jpeg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...32dad9a45.jpeg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e7da1ea2a.jpeg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...504cc8c5f.jpeg

Imperial
 

I didn’t intend to scare everyone off with my questions.

3 Spds Parked on the Curb, Dublin
 

Interesting photo in a Wikipedia article; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulysse...r_191-0870.jpg

There is an X frame something down the line.

I suspect your estimate of date and manufacturer are correct. All the signs of an early 70s English 3-speed; not sure if the brand was a smaller English maker or if this was a bike made for a local store (hardware store, chain store, department store). The pinned stays are unusual to me - ironically they do show up on the CCM Imperial II, but that bike did not have the fender stays mounted to the dropout. The rear fender stay mounts on yours are not in the normal Raleigh position so I doubt it was make by Raleigh.

That's unlikely. You seem to have hit a gap in our collective knowledge.

I did a basic search and found this entry at the CABE. It's not your bike but it is your brand.
The saddle is very dry. I would not expect to use it for anything other than very light use if your goal is to preserve it. Maybe rhm could offer additional tips on conditioning the leather so it does not rip but also so it does not sag.

^^^^^^ I agree that the saddle is toast - maybe OK for an occaisional ride. It looks like it will rip up the middle on the drive side.