robertob

If it's too late I have a couple of Kenda (cheap) tires you can have for free, just pay the shipping.

hbok@mac.com

Wow, thanks. But I already ordered Schwalbe, alas, along with new brake pads and inner tubes. I'm still in the cleaning phase (work intervened; how annoying of it.)

wahoonc

Here is a better picture ...Tires, or Fat Tire...don't make me choose!

Aaron

Velognome 

I don't think it's incorrect. I've aquired bikes with 28" tubless tires from the 20's both all black tires and natural cream tires. Look at the Vintage Bicycle Sold section of this English bike shop, you'll see a lot of all black tires, some gumwalls and creams.
https://www.theoldbicycleshowroom.co.uk/index.asp

auchencrow

Then the Advertising illustrations are likely intended merely to show the tread, and not to show a contrast with the side wall.
I know they have added lampblack to improve the strength of real rubber for a long time - so I guess black tires are the ticket after all. Thanks Velognome.

Here is a photo of a 1908 Rudge from that site - with black tires that are touted to be "The New John Bull Service tyres".
Probably bought new by one of our C&V members who has been to cheap to buy new ones!

AL NZ

Auchen that is a monster bike, Absolutely huge. I've seen it before on the same web site.

Noglider, thanks for the compliment - it is my elderly mother-in-law's bike which I imported from the UK to NZ late last year. I have posted it before, but it is a good original example. I am 108kg (237 lb) and, whilst rusty, it copes well with my weight. Despite the rust I think it has had little use - the gears are perfect, the wheels spot-on true although the spokes are very rusty. The SA hub is AW 9 from memory, so 1939, and that makes sense - the 3 speed hub is a mix of black and chrome, as expected during wartime when they had no spare chrome and were using up the 'parts bin'.
All it needed to be back on the road was a new saddle, tyres, tubes, brake pads, and several hours with steelo and linseed (no bronze wool available in Surrey that weekend).
It is off the road at the moment while I plan a repair of a hairline crack in the front forks where the wheel bolts on, and while I figure out how to extract the stem from the top of the forks... I undid the bolt in the stem in the UK to turn the bars sideways for packing, heard a 'clunk' so the bottom of the stem had dropped off, but the stem would barely turn 90' let alone come out. So it might be a job for WD40 or CRC when time allows.

As I have got older and tried 26 x 1 3/8, 26" mountain bike tyres, and 28 x 1 1/2, I have become completely convinced that the 100 yr old 28 x 1 1/2 is the perfect tyre size. It is chunky and absorbent yet fast and rolls well. By comparison, the 26 x 1 3/8 is a bit mean and slow, and mountain bike 26" is fine in mud but inferior as an all-round daily tyre (to me)

And yes, I regularly ride both 26" sizes .
Then when I get back on the 28", I know it is King

ftwelder

That is one sweet bike.

Sixty Fiver

Makes a person want to build one from scratch...

Velognome 

Yes it does

cazoo

Any tips on replacing a Sturmey-Archer FULCRUM SLEEVE? Mine just cracked and now my Raleigh is stuck in gear. I see that Harris Cyclery has them in stock but is this something I can find at my local bike shop or is it kind of a rare English 3-Speeds only kind of thing that's best to order online?

rookgirl

What is a Fulcrum Sleeve? Would it be easier to try and poach one off another bike?

I thought I had my SA AW adjusted correctly, but this morning it slipped to 2nd while in 1st a couple of times. Suggestions?

cazoo

Apparently they keep the gear cable from slipping. From another site someone mentions they used to be made from steel and then later were made out of plastic. Now the plastic sleeves on older bikes are crumbling from age.

Six jours

The folks behind the Lake Pepin tour offer newly-made stainless fulcrum sleeves. https://www.3speedtour.com/, click on the "parts" link on the left. I suppose it's a bit pricey at $10, but you'll never need to replace it.

w1gfh

If you don;t need the metal one...

https://www.google.com/search?q=Sturm...=1822&bih=1068

....or ask around your local bike shop, they may just hand you one free.

cazoo

Thanks for the info guys! The steel one will give me better piece of mind.

wahoonc

I swapped ALL of mine out for steel...and I have 8 bikes that use them

Aaron

Amesja

Sure, the steel fulcrum sleeves are indestructible but the plastic ones are good for 15-20 years at the very least. The new ones just don't fail until many years and heavy use. It wasn't a problem with the bikes until they got old. The only stories of failure of these sleeves are on bikes that are 30+ years old. Not a big deal to replace them with a nice new plastic one.

If one is paranoid then just replace it when one replaces a cable housing each time . They are very cheap. I bought 10 the last time I had an order through Harris. I make it a point to replace them with a new plastic one on every bike I restore -especially if it has a steel one which goes in my personal stash -muhahahahahaha!

michael k

Today we added a basket to my daughters Sport.

Twine and wicker purchased from goodwill and coated with amber shellac.

sparkey

Just thought I'd put a picture of my 1955 Hercules Pullman. Never seen another one anywhere, so there's an image from the catalogue too. I've acquired some of the bits missing in this picture, bar the saddle, saddlebag, tan rubber grips and chrome pump. Bike needs a repaint, but I'm holding off until I can get decals made up.

It runs Hercules' own brand 3-speed hub, but a SA GH6 Dynohub in the front (which is how I dated it)


Cheers,
Alyn.

nlerner

^ Very nice! Now, you just have to find that chaincase!

Neal

JohnDThompson 

The problem is that the plastic sleeves tend to fail at inconvenient times -- e.g. downshifting under pressure on a hill. When they fail, the hub stays in high gear until the sleeve is replaced. Not the most convenient gear for going up hill!

I prophylacticly replace plastic sleeves with steel ones for that reason.

JohnDThompson 

Scroll down about 2/3 of the way for chain cases:

https://www.yellowjersey.org/eastbits.html

Sixty Fiver

Just wrapping up the work on this 1975 Raleigh Sports... fitted with NOS Mavic 650 A rims and new Delta Cruisers.

The ride is suhweet.

AL NZ

Ah, 65er (aka Bicycle Repairman) - the thread that never dies - you are immortal!

I want to crash this thread to ask a 3-speed-related question...

In short, has anyone ever found a new mudguard/fender set that fits 28" wheels? I think 700c just might stretch enough, but I'm not sure.

I am planning a double-project which has been gestating for 2 yrs or so, so far.

I have my BSA pathracer 'recreation' (apologies Picchio - I know..) which will shortly get a retrograde make-over back to a roadster.
I have a set of 70s Sturmey hub-brakes (110mm tandem front, 3 speed rear) which are, from memory, both 36 hole. A Christchurch (earthquake) cycle dealer sells the Guv'nor rims (36 hole) for NZD$115 each - so wheels sorted.
I have a spare, newish B66 Brooks. I have nice Williams crankset, although I'll probably stick with the BSA one. Until now, I have just needed a frame, and a set of mudguards (the ones on the BSA originally were not a matching set, and are pretty rough)

Now I have bought this frame (to be delivered) :-



it is old BSA, very lazy angles, 55cm seat tube - a bit small, but OK

that will be my new Pathracer, with a Major Taylor stem and some old Lauterwasser-style bars (but probably older) that need nickel plating, plus a Flyer Special which is 1 yr old.

All very confusing, I know, but when it's done, I will post pics.


Anyway, anyone know of a good source of suitable guards?

Also, I probably won't bother with a chaincase, as I have a complete-original 4-speed 1955 26" green Raleigh roadster, and 1939 28" Raleigh loopframe, so I don't feel the need to be historically accurate - I am suiting myself with a clear conscience, knowing I have preserved 2 old bikes 'as original', and knowing I am doing nothing irreversible to my 'bitzer' projects.

sparkey

I've actually got a chaincase in bits hung up and primered already. Also got the DBU and a proper Her-Cu-matic shifter instead of the plastic SA one in the shot.