Originally Posted by
Wet Coast Rider
I've always wanted a bike with a Sturmey Archer 3 speed (or similar) hub. Obviously there are lots around still but I really want a "club" style racer and I've never found one in my size. Not being in Britain, I may have to build one up myself one day. I blame Sheldon Brown for this strange desire.
Me too - mostly influenced by Sheldon and the folks in the love for English 3 speeds thread. I found a '51 Sun Wasp frame with butted Reynolds 531 tubing for sale by a member here, and made a wheelset out of a '53 Sturmey Archer 4-speed and a Maillard 700 front hub, and spent some months collecting a few era-appropriate British parts, and built it up. Its a lot of fun and when I'm out on the bike with a sandwich, some cheese, and an apple in the saddlebag all is well in the world. There are plenty of '50s era Reynolds 531 UK-made frames out there of varying pedigree. This is a long term rider-project, so I'm not put off by the condition of the paint. I gave it several coats of renaissance wax to protect it for now. One day I am going to send it to Mercian for a full strip and restore.
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For my part, I've always wanted to appreciate a Rene Herse up close or a Jack Taylor Tour of Britain. Such machines are few and far between here in Ottawa. A member owns this bicycle:
