Dougbloch 

Hello bike forums community,

I'm a newbie member here and new to the vintage bike kick. After years of riding a cruiser bike, I bought a Public V1 which is a perfectly nice ride for most of what I do (I live in a flat, very bike-friendly island community in the SF Bay Area) but soon decided a few gears would be nice. Research led me to the old Raleighs, and I've spent a lot of time reading this forum, drooling over the pictures, and scouring Craigslist.

I finally scored a nice 1970 Robin Hood for $40. The shifter wasn't working but after my bike shop hit it with some WD-40 and lubed it that problem was solved. It's there right now getting new cables and a basic tune-up. I'm pretty excited. The only thing I can tell that isn't original is the kickstand. Otherwise the bike is in really good shape.

I plan to hit it with some scratch remover and polish and then I will share a picture. I might also customize it a little, remove the fenders (we are in a drought here) and put some new Schwalbe cream-colored tires or Panaracers on it. And swap out the original saddle for a Brooks B17.

However, part of me is toying with putting a 90-degree quill stem on it and some Velo Orange handlebars. So my question is, what stem to buy? If I understand it right, I need a stem that is 7/8" (22.2mm)? Can someone point to some examples online? Should I be looking for a Nitto 22.2? And would swapping this be easy for me to do, including the brakes, shifter, and grips? I've never done bike work.

Or maybe I will keep it original

Thanks for any advice you can give me.

Narhay

Hello and welcome.

I would start by getting it ready to ride as is. It will probably need more work than a basic bike shop tuneup so you may want to start learning. I would repack the bottom bracket with new grease and ball bearings, same with the headset and front hub. Rear hub should take a sip of oil. New cables and housing, maybe new chain if yours is gritty or worn and a general cleanup.

Once you decide you like it or not is when you should put money into it. These are heavy bikes and not great platforms to upgrade so to speak. Alloy rims are nice as is a nicer saddle if you want to make it a bit nicer. If you want a lighter road bike with a 3 speed hub try searching for a clubman style bike. You may be able to find a nice frame locally and build it from that.

okane

First things first! See Narhay's comments

The old grease is probably close to being petrified (not scared, hardened) and you can do some damage if you ride much. Tear it down and build it back up with fresh grease and you'll be surprised how nice it rides. Plenty of on line info (See Sheldon Brown to start) or ask here. Your investment of mainly sweat equity will pay big dividends. Pads and cables are cheap and you can get usable tires from Niagara Cycle for about $10 each + shipping. Wash and wax and you are ready to go, but be real careful around and pin striping.

Get a couple of hundred miles under you belt and you will have a good idea of what you want to replace or change. I'd be careful about losing the fenders. They can come in handy and as a classic, I think they make the bike look "better." And as for saving weight, if that's a main concern, you should look at another bike.

I'm intrigued by the frame size.....looks to be 58 cm (center of crank to top of seat tube). That's my size and is sometimes difficult to find in anything other than a road bike. If it fits you, hang on to it cause it maybe sometime before you find another.

Good luck with your new bike!

USAZorro

I suggest doing the basic maintenance and what the others have suggested. After doing those things, try riding it with the existing stem and bars and get a feel for whether you like it that way. Those bikes are tanks, and if you want something that handles like a ten speed, I think you'll be disappointed with the result.

bikemig 

Nice bike. Like the others said, I'd overhaul it but I would not be in a hurry to change anything out. Ride it first and see what you think. Old 3 speeds are great bikes but you may find that your bike will lose much of its charm if you modernize it. Here is my 1969 Robin Hood and it's pretty much all original (except the saddle):

arex

You should keep it mostly original...you'll learn more that way. Get a better saddle, though. If you have questions as you're working on it, go to the For the Love of English 3-Speeds thread...matter of fact, you'd do well to read that whole thread all the way through and take notes, it's an amazing resource.

Dougbloch 

I really appreciate all of the quick and thoughtful responses! You've convinced me to keep it original but throw a nicer Brooks saddle on it.

I've thoroughly enjoyed riding my heavy, single speed Public V1 around my home town. We have a bike trail that rings the island, plenty of bike lanes, and other trails and paths. Very bike friendly!

That being said, I just moved into a new office that is a little more than 5 miles one-way from my house, and there have been times where I thought having a few gears for the ride would be nice.

I'll see what the bike store did in terms of the tune up besides lubing it, trueing the wheels, and replacing the cables. Then I may do more.

I will dig into that giant thread and report back to you guys!

sarahbruce

Nice score! I really like the simplicity and looks of those Robin Hoods. Everyone else has given you the advice you need, the only thing I have to add is- Keep whatever you take off... If you decide to sell it in the future then you can swap back on the original stuff and keep your newer upgrades for your next project. It works out better for everyone.
Bruce

sailorbenjamin

On my Phillips (really similar bike) I found a stem with longer reach. The handlebar diameter is smaller than what's standard these days so it had to be an older English stem. I think I found it on Ebay, it was cheap. It looks right on the bike and gives me just the right reach. Ride that thing a bit and see how it fits you. Then start monkeying.

Dougbloch 

Well I got it back from the shop today. New brake cables. Everything cleaned and lubed, including the bottom bracket.

I adjusted the seat a little higher, cleaned it up a little with a rag, and took it for a spin.

What a fun bike! The 3 speed hub is great. Compared to my single speed Public V1, I was really cruising in 3rd gear.

I'm going to throw my Brooks saddle on it and enjoy it more. Everything seems to be original on it except for the tires and kick stand. How do I know if the rims are original? Thanks

Unfortunately I can't seem to post another pic from my phone.

USAZorro

Cool. Glad to hear you're enjoying it.

As for the rims - they will be almost certainly chromed steel, made in England, and laced to a rear hub that's dated 69 or 70.

JohnDThompson 

If you might ride in wet conditions, aluminum rims are a welcome upgrade, just to be able to stop safely. The 590mm Sun CR-18 rim is a drop-in replacement for the original steel rims, and is available in 32, 36, and 40 hole drillings (your bike looks to have traditional British 32h front, 40h rear wheels).

USAZorro

I just got the aforementioned 40/32 hole rims from Niagara Cycle for about $50.00 delivered. Have spokes on order and eager to build them up. Hoping Eroica will let those rims pass.

exmechanic89

Super cool bike for $40..

Dougbloch 

I've been reading up on the CR-18s and just might do this. Also thinking about those sweet Schwalbe cream colored Delta Cruisers! I am little intimidated at the idea of building the wheels though...

USAZorro

Youtube (or a friendly, local C&Ver) can get you through it.

Dougbloch 

Well I've been playing around with this bike and enjoying it immensely. I flipped the handlebars, threw my B-67 on it, added a bell and lights to it, and I've been slowly polishing it up with scratch remover. I also flushed the SA hub with WD-40 then added some 3-in-One SAE 20 engine oil. The bike is running smooth. Next step is definitely new tires and new brake pads from Harris. It has the original John Bulls. And although I am in drought-stricken California and rain is not an issue, they don't have the best stopping power. I might break down and do new rims, too.

here are a few pics.

Fahrenheit531 

...Wish I had a B-67 just lying around when I started this vintage bike thing.

Good job keeping it original but still making it yours. As others have said, keep those fenders around. And for a first shot at working on your own bike, I'd suggest shortening the cables and housing; they're waaay too long for the current setup. Looks like spaghetti. Going shorter and getting a nice, graceful curve will do wonders for the overall look.

But most of all, enjoy it!

Salamandrine 

Looks great! thanks for posting. Robin Hoods were to my eyes one of the prettier British 3 speeds. I had one once, though IIRC I flipped it pretty quickly.

Fenders! LOL. I almost put mine back last weekend, but I'd guess that little damp spell is about it for the season. Without fenders I'd be tempted to go for the white Schwalbe tires too. It would be pretty stylin' IMO.

I would probably do the rims. It won't change the appearance noticeably if you get polished aluminum rims, and it will ride quicker and brake better. That said, the old stock steel rims are perfectly usable.

browngw 

My 71 Robin Hood, 23" frame. All original save tires and saddle (new B67 Honey) My vote would be to keep the bike as original as possible with the fenders, they just don't make them like that anymore.

Dougbloch 

Hadn't thought about shortening the cables, but I think that's good advice. I know nothing about bikes so I will have to look into it. Thanks!

I think I will put the fenders and chain guard back on after I get them polished up. Much easier to do after they are off.

jetboy 

fenders are pretty much a non-issue for the foreseeable cali future, but they don't take up much space hanging on a wall. heck of a bike for $40! very nice find

1989Pre 

I can't comment about the stem, but I'm happy for you. It's good to see people getting excited about these old, British 3-speeds. They just give an amazing ride like no other bike. Riding them is a great experience.
Why do you want a quill stem? You want to push the bars forward? Or lower them?
If you do, get a nice old British stem Like GB or Reynolds.

sailorbenjamin

Don't know about that 3 in 1 oil. Some of their oils are made for open systems where it's expected to leak and get replaced. they can congeal in a closed system. I just use straight motor oil.
Bike looks great, though.

Dougbloch 

I read on here and other web sites that the 3-in-One Motor Oil is okay -- the one in the blue and white tin. Also read the standard in the black and white tin is bad for the exact same reason you listed.