Bicycle Mechanics - Pennys 3-speed

:) I just nabed a Pennys 3-speed bike off the street. They were throwing it away. I got it mostly for parts but the 3-speed sparks my interest. It has drop handelbars (turned around though :rolleyes: ), 26in wheels, Shimano 3-speed hub (333 F). The decals say BMA/6 certified and Slight Weight. Couldn't find a cereal number or any stampings on the frame. (only looked under the crank) Has a rear rack that has the flip up hold down. :D Not rusty and seems to be in good shape. Tires are flat and the front brake is always on so I have not ridden it yet.

From my research so far the shimano hub dates to 1960-70s. It has a thumb shifter, friction I believe. So any information on this would be appreciated. Is this worth fixing up? How would I clean the 3-speed hub? Thanks.

Couldn't find a cereal number...
Did you look in the Cheerios box? Sorry, I couldn't pass up the opportunity. :)

3-speed hubs are great, but the bikes that they came on suck. Maybe build it into a 700C wheel and convert a decent old road bike? I built such a bike for my dad (who commutes), and he loves it.

IMO any 3-speed is worth fixing up, unless it is a total rust job or crashed. In today's retro market. anything that's even remotely vintage or nostalgic is sellable. Flip a coin on disassembly and repair - you have to get in there to assess condition, and replacement parts can be HARD to come by.

I'm agreeing with Bikemeister.
Three speeds are usually rewarding to mess with, and there's a good variety of them. If you didn't want to fool with the Penney's bike for any reason, it'd still be worthwhile to save the hub, cable and shifter for another project. That's what I do with hopeless cases, while the good bikes get repaired with the scavenged parts.

If I remember correctly (always a toss-up) those frames were made by AMF and are roughly equivalent to a Huffy; plumbing-grade tubing and stamped drop-outs & BB shell.

As previously noted, the hub and shifter are probably worth salvaging.