Winter storage for a Sturmey Archer 3 speed
12-13-20, 11:21 AM
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Winter storage for a Sturmey Archer 3 speed
Hi, we live in Chicagoland so it's getting pretty cold out and I am storing my vintage Sears Freestyle with a Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub. Is there anything I should do to it and is it okay to store it in the garage or should I put it in the basement, Thanks, Mike
12-13-20, 11:45 AM
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Whichever place it will stay the driest and cause the least spousal issues.
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12-13-20, 04:51 PM
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12-13-20, 05:03 PM
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I'm up in Wisconsin. I've got three old Sturmey Archers on bikes in the family fleet, including my dedicated winter bike. The hubs need no special treatment. If I did anything, I'd apply a drop of motor oil to the thumb shifter, since those sometimes get gummed up over time. Come spring, oil, and go.
One hub was my mom's, and spent every winter outside in the shed for decades. One was on a severely rusted bike, so it probably spent winters outdoors. Both were in fine shape when I lubed them and put them back in service.
People will talk about what kind of oil to use -- any light mineral oil will be fine, including motor oil. The only oil I've ever heard not to use is 3-in-1, which contains vegetable oil, and can polymerize over time. The oil filler cap can get a little bit delicate with age, and you don't want to lose it. One of my hubs has no filler cap, and I just glued a thin patch of sheet metal over the filler hole with JB Weld. You can easily oil the hub by drizzling the oil down the hollow axle.
One hub was my mom's, and spent every winter outside in the shed for decades. One was on a severely rusted bike, so it probably spent winters outdoors. Both were in fine shape when I lubed them and put them back in service.
People will talk about what kind of oil to use -- any light mineral oil will be fine, including motor oil. The only oil I've ever heard not to use is 3-in-1, which contains vegetable oil, and can polymerize over time. The oil filler cap can get a little bit delicate with age, and you don't want to lose it. One of my hubs has no filler cap, and I just glued a thin patch of sheet metal over the filler hole with JB Weld. You can easily oil the hub by drizzling the oil down the hollow axle.
12-13-20, 05:56 PM
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Thanks everyone, we love this bike, I just wish it had bigger tires. We rode it about 600+ miles last aug-sept-oct after I refurbished it and got it shifting . Thanks again, Mike
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