For the love of English 3 speeds...
Palmer
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 8,798
Bikes: Mike Melton custom, Alex Moulton AM, Dahon Curl
Liked 1,978 Times
in
1,138 Posts
Likes For tcs:
Senior Member
Senior Member
Thanks for this drawing. There were enough responses that I completely missed this. It shows my parts, and confirms that I got it right during reassembly. I'm untrained and often take a heuristic approach with new tasks, that is, trail and error.
Junior Member
'Caged' bearings were introduced simply to aid manufacturers assembly time.
To be found in wheel hubs, steering stems and bottom brackets.
Packing such bearings with loose balls (as previously done) means there are more to take and distribute the loads.
To be found in wheel hubs, steering stems and bottom brackets.
Packing such bearings with loose balls (as previously done) means there are more to take and distribute the loads.
Likes For Cyclespanner:
Senior Member
This was my first 3-speed though, which had me a little discombobulated, and when I disassembled it all the bearings fell into the hub. Instead of remembering that was normal, I initially thought the cage was required. Wrong conclusion. In fact, I rely on that when I leave the fixed cup in a bottom bracket and remove those bearings from the non-driveside.
Last edited by sunburst; 05-19-24 at 10:50 AM.
Likes For sunburst:
Junior Member
Newly Built Three Speeder
Newly built and getting ridden, three speed Path Racer:
Senior Member
Wow!
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Saratoga calif.
Posts: 1,074
Bikes: Miyata 610(66cm), GT Vantara Hybrid (64cm), Nishiki International (64cm), Peugeot rat rod (62 cm), Trek 800 Burning Man helicopter bike, Bob Jackson frame (to be restored?) plus a never ending stream of neglected waifs from the Bike exchange.
Likes: 0
Liked 679 Times
in
246 Posts
I just brought a few more bikes home from the Bike Exchange and I have questions reguarding this english 3 speed
It has a Sturmy Archer 3 speed hub with a coaster brake , a top tube mounted shifter, very odd steel side pull brakes front and rear with a unique cable which has a drum shaped end at the levers and a pear shaped end at the brake with an adjuster in the cable.
Further wierdness includes steel brake levers with 2 positions in the lever for attaching the cable.
The front fender comes to a very sharp point , definately not a Raleigh fender.
The matress sadle says Hercules on it.
The bike is black with a head badge decal which is mostly unreadavle except for (made in?) Chadwell heath at the bottom.
the black out shifter might mean ww2 vintage.
the front wheel is a place setter froom another bike
the rear wheel looks too good to be original , maybe a replacement (coaster brake???)
Any of you 3 speed freeks know what this beast might be???
It has a Sturmy Archer 3 speed hub with a coaster brake , a top tube mounted shifter, very odd steel side pull brakes front and rear with a unique cable which has a drum shaped end at the levers and a pear shaped end at the brake with an adjuster in the cable.
Further wierdness includes steel brake levers with 2 positions in the lever for attaching the cable.
The front fender comes to a very sharp point , definately not a Raleigh fender.
The matress sadle says Hercules on it.
The bike is black with a head badge decal which is mostly unreadavle except for (made in?) Chadwell heath at the bottom.
the black out shifter might mean ww2 vintage.
the front wheel is a place setter froom another bike
the rear wheel looks too good to be original , maybe a replacement (coaster brake???)
Any of you 3 speed freeks know what this beast might be???
Last edited by capnjonny; 05-27-24 at 08:16 AM.
Likes For capnjonny:
Junior Member
WOW!
You have a wonderful bicycle there in splendid original condition.
The seat hints it is a Hercules (pre-war)?
Calipers, levers and 'Harpoon' front fender definitely 1930's.
3 speed S/A, rear brake caliper. Even retains much of the frame lining.
A careful clean and lube job/service should have you on your way.
Ruin the patina and you loose the intrinsic value of such a machine.
You have a wonderful bicycle there in splendid original condition.
The seat hints it is a Hercules (pre-war)?
Calipers, levers and 'Harpoon' front fender definitely 1930's.
3 speed S/A, rear brake caliper. Even retains much of the frame lining.
A careful clean and lube job/service should have you on your way.
Ruin the patina and you loose the intrinsic value of such a machine.
Last edited by Cyclespanner; 05-27-24 at 01:22 PM. Reason: further comments
Senior Member
remarkably free of rust! Is that a keeper, or a restoration for bikex?
Phyllo-buster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 8,884
Bikes: roadsters, club bikes, fixed and classic
Liked 2,090 Times
in
1,275 Posts
Love this bike. Steep angles, cool calipers, likely 30's. Modern replacement hub. Sweet.
The slotted crown cap is unusual. Maybe a pre-Raleigh Rudge rebrand?
The slotted crown cap is unusual. Maybe a pre-Raleigh Rudge rebrand?
FreedomRider
Join Date: Sep 2023
Location: Gloucester, MA, USA
Posts: 96
Bikes: 1971 Raleigh Sports, 2008 Specialized Sequoia, 2016 Trek Verve 2, 2023 Cannondale Adventure Neo Allroad ebike
Liked 325 Times
in
75 Posts
Last week I saved a 1969 (as dated on the SA AW hub) Phillips / Nottingham in very rough shape from the trash. It was complete except for a missing front wheel. Plenty of rust. However, it was otherwise complete and original.It deserved a refresh.
I scraped most of the rust off, but decided to sand and repaint the mudguards since they were just terrible. I chose Rustoleum's Colonial Red Glossy, and Glossy White for the white patch / dovetail. Kept the "FairyLite" Red reflector. I like the black frame / red mudguard contrast. Didn't remove all the chrome rust, but buffed what I could do easily.
Purchased a new 26" front wheel / hub from Wheel Master (Front Bicycle Wheel 26 x 1 3/8 36H, Steel, Bolt On, Silver (ISO 590) ). New brake cables, new shift cable, new pedals (I like to ride with toe clips), 2 new Kendra K40 tires / tubes / rim strips. Since the frame is only a 19.5" , I needed a longer seat post (I used a new 25.4 x 350 mm), and fitted a period correct Brooks mattress saddle from another bike since the original was busted. New chain and a 22T cog (to replace the 19T that was previously fitted). The front crank is a 46T.
Soon I'll add a simple rear rack and panniers, a bell, and an odometer.
Lubricated all moving parts, but no need to overhaul the AW or the bottom bracket (just added some oil down the seat tube).
It rides well. Way better than a landfill or metal recycling future.
Here's one photo, and a link to others.
I scraped most of the rust off, but decided to sand and repaint the mudguards since they were just terrible. I chose Rustoleum's Colonial Red Glossy, and Glossy White for the white patch / dovetail. Kept the "FairyLite" Red reflector. I like the black frame / red mudguard contrast. Didn't remove all the chrome rust, but buffed what I could do easily.
Purchased a new 26" front wheel / hub from Wheel Master (Front Bicycle Wheel 26 x 1 3/8 36H, Steel, Bolt On, Silver (ISO 590) ). New brake cables, new shift cable, new pedals (I like to ride with toe clips), 2 new Kendra K40 tires / tubes / rim strips. Since the frame is only a 19.5" , I needed a longer seat post (I used a new 25.4 x 350 mm), and fitted a period correct Brooks mattress saddle from another bike since the original was busted. New chain and a 22T cog (to replace the 19T that was previously fitted). The front crank is a 46T.
Soon I'll add a simple rear rack and panniers, a bell, and an odometer.
Lubricated all moving parts, but no need to overhaul the AW or the bottom bracket (just added some oil down the seat tube).
It rides well. Way better than a landfill or metal recycling future.
Here's one photo, and a link to others.
Likes For bharrisonb:
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: St. Paul, MN
Posts: 1,622
Bikes: Too many 3-speeds, Jones Plus LWB
Liked 300 Times
in
137 Posts
I just brought a few more bikes home from the Bike Exchange and I have questions reguarding this english 3 speed
It has a Sturmy Archer 3 speed hub with a coaster brake , a top tube mounted shifter, very odd steel side pull brakes front and rear with a unique cable which has a drum shaped end at the levers and a pear shaped end at the brake with an adjuster in the cable.
Further wierdness includes steel brake levers with 2 positions in the lever for attaching the cable.
The front fender comes to a very sharp point , definately not a Raleigh fender.
The matress sadle says Hercules on it.
The bike is black with a head badge decal which is mostly unreadavle except for (made in?) Chadwell heath at the bottom.
the black out shifter might mean ww2 vintage.
the front wheel is a place setter froom another bike
the rear wheel looks too good to be original , maybe a replacement (coaster brake???)
Any of you 3 speed freeks know what this beast might be???
It has a Sturmy Archer 3 speed hub with a coaster brake , a top tube mounted shifter, very odd steel side pull brakes front and rear with a unique cable which has a drum shaped end at the levers and a pear shaped end at the brake with an adjuster in the cable.
Further wierdness includes steel brake levers with 2 positions in the lever for attaching the cable.
The front fender comes to a very sharp point , definately not a Raleigh fender.
The matress sadle says Hercules on it.
The bike is black with a head badge decal which is mostly unreadavle except for (made in?) Chadwell heath at the bottom.
the black out shifter might mean ww2 vintage.
the front wheel is a place setter froom another bike
the rear wheel looks too good to be original , maybe a replacement (coaster brake???)
Any of you 3 speed freeks know what this beast might be???
Hercules was made in Birmingham weren't they? I have a prewar Royal Enfield that came with a Hercules saddle.
Likes For Salubrious:
Junior Member
The bike appears to be 1930s. The wheels and pedals obviously replaced (SA AW 'lined' hubs first appeared in 1972). The front hub has no oiler. Black hardware, like the SA shift pulley, were done in a durable black finish before the war and was considered stylish. I suspect the handlebars and stem to be later; black handlebars were more likely. The front fender in particular is quite charming. Nice touch on the brake calipers to have the stress release mechanism to prevent cable failure.
Hercules was made in Birmingham weren't they? I have a prewar Royal Enfield that came with a Hercules saddle.
Hercules was made in Birmingham weren't they? I have a prewar Royal Enfield that came with a Hercules saddle.
Hercules was indeed a Birmingham company.
Between the wars it was common to fit front mudguards without a front 'peak'. The pointed peak became a popular separate accessory, eventually adopted as part of the full blade.
See post 27968 for a similar but not the same brake caliper.
US convention left lever front brake.
It would seem a little 'belt & braces' to have both a rear caliper AND a coaster brake, but it was done occasionally.
Last edited by Cyclespanner; 05-28-24 at 01:27 PM. Reason: adition
Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2023
Location: Wessex UK
Posts: 124
Bikes: Vintage Raleigh and more modern Roberts
Liked 181 Times
in
68 Posts
Can any of our resident SA 3 speed experts confirm that low gear pawl HSA111 is a direct replacement for K512 and HSA119 is a replacement for K513 please?
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 604
Bikes: 1950 Sun Wasp, 1953 Armstrong Consort, 1975 Raleigh Competition, 1981 Nishiki International, 1988 Schwinn Voyageur, Mystery MTB
Liked 522 Times
in
207 Posts
Anyone here commute on their three-speed? I'm thinking of stripping and respraying my 1959 Raleigh Sports/Canadian using Spray Bike's Hercules dark green, and turning it into a commuter. I've also got a chaincase I would paint, and some decals for late 50s Raleighs.
Nothing better it seems to me than running one of these for the daily run to and from work. I've got a '56 FG hub, stainless steel wheels, Fibrax "rain" brake blocks, and a Sturmey lampset that would look the business.
It would be good to see examples of three-speed commuters or city errand bikes.
Nothing better it seems to me than running one of these for the daily run to and from work. I've got a '56 FG hub, stainless steel wheels, Fibrax "rain" brake blocks, and a Sturmey lampset that would look the business.
It would be good to see examples of three-speed commuters or city errand bikes.
Senior Member
I hope this post is allowed. This is just a link to my post in the For Sale section. This is for the owners of the of the 3x7 Fichtel Sachs or SRAM hubs who are looking for a shifter/indicator chain. These are the rare hubs with the internal 3 gear hub and the 7 speed cassette. These were not as common in the US as they were in Germany back in the 90s. But some bike brands in the US used them as well such as Bike Friday, BikeE, Rans, Linear and a few others. But these shifter chains are no longer made. I lucked out myself a few years back but now found a way to make new shifter chains. I put a post in the For Sale Section. I just wanted to link it here since there maybe some folks who have these older Sachs or SRAM hubs and have been looking for one of these.
__________________
Not driving a stick but riding one.
Not driving a stick but riding one.
Senior Member
Anyone here commute on their three-speed? I'm thinking of stripping and respraying my 1959 Raleigh Sports/Canadian using Spray Bike's Hercules dark green, and turning it into a commuter. I've also got a chaincase I would paint, and some decals for late 50s Raleighs.
Nothing better it seems to me than running one of these for the daily run to and from work. I've got a '56 FG hub, stainless steel wheels, Fibrax "rain" brake blocks, and a Sturmey lampset that would look the business.
It would be good to see examples of three-speed commuters or city errand bikes.
Nothing better it seems to me than running one of these for the daily run to and from work. I've got a '56 FG hub, stainless steel wheels, Fibrax "rain" brake blocks, and a Sturmey lampset that would look the business.
It would be good to see examples of three-speed commuters or city errand bikes.
Likes For nlerner:
Senior Member
Likes For adventurepdx:
Palmer
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 8,798
Bikes: Mike Melton custom, Alex Moulton AM, Dahon Curl
Liked 1,978 Times
in
1,138 Posts
Low Gear Pawl K513 ☞ HSA111
Gear Ring Pawl K512 ☞ HSA119 (still a current part in the AW-NIG)
*I think Sturmey's part number switch was in 1961.
Count Orlok Member
Count Orlok Member
Anyone here commute on their three-speed? I'm thinking of stripping and respraying my 1959 Raleigh Sports/Canadian using Spray Bike's Hercules dark green, and turning it into a commuter. I've also got a chaincase I would paint, and some decals for late 50s Raleighs.
Nothing better it seems to me than running one of these for the daily run to and from work. I've got a '56 FG hub, stainless steel wheels, Fibrax "rain" brake blocks, and a Sturmey lampset that would look the business.
It would be good to see examples of three-speed commuters or city errand bikes.
Nothing better it seems to me than running one of these for the daily run to and from work. I've got a '56 FG hub, stainless steel wheels, Fibrax "rain" brake blocks, and a Sturmey lampset that would look the business.
It would be good to see examples of three-speed commuters or city errand bikes.
I've been riding my touring bike the last few months, but I'll probably switch back to the Sports here soon.
I ride my Twenty sometimes, too.
Last edited by gna; 05-31-24 at 01:16 PM.
Count Orlok Member
On the road
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: New England
Posts: 2,309
Bikes: Old Schwinns and old Raleighs
Liked 1,135 Times
in
423 Posts
The other option is to start with a sporting bike and configure it to be more utilitarian. I have a '51 New Hudson, '53 Lenton, and '49 Clubman set up as utility/touring bikes with North Road style bars similar to a conventional Raleigh Sports. Being based on lighter sporting/road bikes, they are all under 40 pounds. You can definitely go lighter with three speeds if you want to do that.
__________________
Classic American and British Roadsters, Utility Bikes, and Sporting Bikes (1935-1979):
https://bikeshedva.blogspot.com/
Classic American and British Roadsters, Utility Bikes, and Sporting Bikes (1935-1979):
https://bikeshedva.blogspot.com/