Utility Cycling - Bring back the English 3-speed

This thread is old-ish but it discussed a lot of handlebars. Some of the links may be dead:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/422506-Alternative-Handlebars!?highlight=swept+back+handlebars

That thread puts a smile on my face every time I visit it... Donna posted some of the nicest and most informative threads and have seen her help quite a few people understand what proper fit is and how to get that ideal set up on their bikes when they are struggling.

:)

This thread is old-ish but it discussed a lot of handlebars. Some of the links may be dead:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/422506-Alternative-Handlebars!?highlight=swept+back+handlebars

Hey thanks, I'll check it out. And I don't mind "old-ish" - I just hope BF is watching their pennies so that this great resource stays put!

Good stuff here; lot's of on-point info from knowledgeable people and minimal gibberish! 8^)

I've always just called the "Mary" bars Lady Northroads -probably because these are what comes on the Lady Sports. Since the regular Raleigh Sports bars are Northroads I just figured this is what they were called.

I guess I got schooled by that thread.

And oops, not enough coffee this morning and I intially posted this reply on that old thread. My bad...

Hate to be a dummy but I guess I'll have to ask someone...

How 'bout it silvercreek, how do I post pics?

That thread puts a smile on my face every time I visit it... Donna posted some of the nicest and most informative threads and have seen her help quite a few people understand what proper fit is and how to get that ideal set up on their bikes when they are struggling.

:)

Yes I remember her advice and I remember she let me into the "Women's Cycling (http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdisplay.php/forumdisplay.php/55-Women-s-Cycling)" forum.:):lol:

Yes I remember her advice and I remember she let me into the "Women's Cycling (http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdisplay.php/forumdisplay.php/55-Women-s-Cycling)" forum.:):lol:

Ah... the mysterious women's forum. I hear it is all lingerie and pillow fights. :)

On three speeds... I took my '72 Raleigh Twenty out for a pootle yesterday and it was a wedding gift from a friend which is a nearly identical match to the one I gave Donna a few years ago when we were courting.

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikepics/2012rtwenty1.JPG

Donna and her Twenty are still in Portland but we are hoping that soon all the immigration stuff is done and she and I, and our little green bicycles, will be able to ride together.

We plan to take them with us when we go to visit her parents and my in-laws in Michigan.

REALLY?? Did not know it is Donna yoy marryed. Great fun!!

Anyone subscribing to this thread know who made the AIR WING 3-speeds?

I picked up a pretty nice men's version in a metallic brown this past weekend.

Any info much appreciated. Can't find anything at all with a search on AIR WING BICYCLE[S]

REALLY?? Did not know it is Donna yoy marryed. Great fun!!

Really.

:D

I must say that I enjoyed reading this thread. The spirit of the English 3 speed was what the wife and I was going for when we bought our new bikes. I can remember how handy those bikes were. When we went looking for new bikes we looked for a modern take on the English 3 speed. This is as close as we could get in our price range. Except where we live there are just to many hills we had to go for a 21 speed.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8290/7517475524_6b67567275.jpg

Except the english 3 speed hubs all come from Asian companies now..
Sachs was closed down, SRAM now has all asian sources , S A was bought by Sun Race.
even Shimano has gone to the Lowest wage countrys, outside of Japan..

Except the english 3 speed hubs all come from Asian companies now..
Sachs was closed down, SRAM now has all asian sources , S A was bought by Sun Race.
even Shimano has gone to the Lowest wage countrys, outside of Japan..

They're very high quality. The new Sturmey Archer is even better than the old one, and their product line is now huge.

Check out Biria bikes. Very basic and well made. They're not cheap, but neither were the English bikes.

Despite finding this thread a few years ago, I've never posted to it. About time I shared my own 3 speed with you.

This is my 1978 Raleigh Transit. I've had it a couple of years, using it mainly as a winter commuting hack and for trips to the shops. The steel wheels probably aren't ideal in wet weather with it even in heavy traffic - just takes forward planning when its raining heavily! I do plan to replace the front with a new aluminium rimmed wheel at some point, and will finally replace those 30-odd year old tyres while I'm at it.

Since this was taken, I've added an old rack to allow me to use panniers.

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4132/5008041835_a2f893531d_z.jpg

Riding through a Scottish winter. It handles snow well... like most bikes though, sheet ice is a different matter and one of the few conditions that will stop me riding.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5090/5231270156_c16e7069ca_z.jpg

This bike is fairly lightly used these days compared to my other bikes but despite often planning to, I just can't bring myself to sell it, it's just such a relaxed and nice ride. The frame is a bit too small for me (evidenced by the long seat post) but despite that it's a comfortable bike and you don't see many like it on the roads here. No matter what abuse you throw at it, it always seems to clean up nicely after a go over with an oily cloth, a sign of quality manufacture that seems to be missing from so much these days.

Pete.

@ Teuchter
Thank you for sharing your bike with us! About time this thread goes back to "the real thing" after too much talk and newish bikes :).

Those are nice photos. That is a cool bike, I like it....

My new to me Raleigh Sports! It's a little rough, paint scrapes and such. Needs tires and re-cabling. It came with a S3C coaster brake hub. I have a "like new" black Brooks B66 for it. Can't decide on a front hub SA generator, or just a bottle gen. Not sure about putting a rack on the back either. My intentions are to, at some point, drag my 58yo body around Lake Pepin. Don't know the year of the bike, but it is a dark blue, and still retains most of it's decals, so I'm assuming it's original paint. Although I didn't take a pic of the head-badge, it's there in all it's glory!
Almost forgot paid $65.00 for it in s.e. Missouri!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Juggler54/Raleigh/RaleighSports009.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Juggler54/Raleigh/RaleighSports005.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Juggler54/Raleigh/RaleighSports006.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Juggler54/Raleigh/RaleighSports001.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Juggler54/Raleigh/8e3b8275.jpg

I suspect the newer Brompton BSR, is just not as worn in
as my 94 UK AW3 on the one I sold.

My new to me Raleigh Sports! It's a little rough, paint scrapes and such. Needs tires and re-cabling. It came with a S3C coaster brake hub. I have a "like new" black Brooks B66 for it. Can't decide on a front hub SA generator, or just a bottle gen. Not sure about putting a rack on the back either. My intentions are to, at some point, drag my 58yo body around Lake Pepin. Don't know the year of the bike, but it is a dark blue, and still retains most of it's decals, so I'm assuming it's original paint. Although I didn't take a pic of the head-badge, it's there in all it's glory!
Almost forgot paid $65.00 for it in s.e. Missouri!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/Juggler54/Raleigh/8e3b8275.jpg

It's late '70s--look for a date stamp on the hub, and look for the serial number on the back of the seat tube. You shoudl be able to figure the year of the frame from Kurt's website: http://www.kurtkaminer.com/TH_raleigh_serials.html#19731982

Also peek at Sixty-Fiver's "For the Love of English Three Speeds" thread in the C&V Forum...

$745usd...that is over a month's take home pay for a minimum wage person in the US. Not affordable in my book. For comparison my dad bought a 1962 Raleigh Sports for $48 in 1962. In 2005 dollars that would be about $295.

Windsor has a line of single speed and IGH bikes that I think fit the bill - unfortunately no one seems to sell them ready made, they all need some mechanical knowledge to get up and running. Here's my Kensington 8 - $450 from Bikesdirect.com. It's very solid, and feels almost indestructible despite what I've thrown at it so far - chip seal, rocks, massive ruts, railroad tracks, it takes a licking and keeps on kicking. But people still are puzzled about why I chose to get a bike like this when I already have a road bike, or "could have gotten a really fast aluminum bike!" It's like using the right tool for the job is a foreign concept.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/kookaburra/My%20life/bike/July%202012/2012-07-25_09-29-56_908.jpg

Windsor has a line of single speed and IGH bikes that I think fit the bill - unfortunately no one seems to sell them ready made, they all need some mechanical knowledge to get up and running. Here's my Kensington 8 - $450 from Bikesdirect.com. It's very solid, and feels almost indestructible despite what I've thrown at it so far - chip seal, rocks, massive ruts, railroad tracks, it takes a licking and keeps on kicking. But people still are puzzled about why I chose to get a bike like this when I already have a road bike, or "could have gotten a really fast aluminum bike!" It's like using the right tool for the job is a foreign concept.

Your 8-speed looks like a fine bike. How do you compare that "tranny" to a 3-speed hub?

FWIW, a more direct comparison would be the currently $349.95 USD Windsor Oxford Deluxe. See:
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/windsor/oxford_deluxe.htm

Also, for those following this thread, here's the Grail; on eBay right now!:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1940-Gents-Rudge-Whitworth-Complete-Original-Showroom-Condition-Pre-Raleigh-/190705725110?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c66f26eb6

http://s47.photobucket.com/albums/f177/supergymnast/1940%20Mens%20Rudge%20Whitworth%20Limited/?start=all

Your 8-speed looks like a fine bike. How do you compare that "tranny" to a 3-speed hub?

Honestly, I don't know - I've never had a 3 speed IGH bike, or a 3 speed any sort of bike. I went straight from a single speed with a coaster brake to a 10 speed when I was a kid. The Nexus 8 can be a little stiff when I first start, but I shift through the range as I'm pedaling out of my apt complex and it shifts fairly smoothly. My town is mostly flat, but there are some isolated steep hills and it has a reasonably adequate range - but my only other bike is a vintage racing bike which doesn't have really low gears either, so I don't know how it would compare to, say, the gearing on a touring bike.

Mainly I love it because it's really windy out here, and it doesn't get buffeted around by the gusts nearly as much as my road bike does.

OK, here we go trying to do an upload of a pic from a Flickr set.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53406528@N08/7720770856/in/photostream265681

The bike above appeared recently for sale on Craigslist in, as I recall, Southern California.

Can any of the Raleigh 3-speed aficionados gathered here tell me something about these bikes? It looks all-original & one thing that particularly interests me is the coaster SA hub.

What are you asking about them? There's a lot to know, since they've been around for so long. There's a long-running thread about them in the Classic and Vintage section. I suggest you join us there.

For the love of English 3 speeds... (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/623699-For-the-love-of-English-3-speeds/page113)

Noglider I appreciate your suggestion at the present tail end of this thread to move my posting & queries but it is precisely this earlier snippet of yours, among others, in a philosophical discussion about bicycling and society, and a few other earlier discussions with Sianelle involved, that would impel me to keep this thread going so long as there isn't some kind of forum rule against it. I agree that the "Love of" thread is great; I have learnt a lot there from you and others. Indeed, I am still reading thru it, taking notes and increasing my knowledge base about these worberful vehicles.
crackerdog, I'm in violent agreement with you. Petroleum is cheap because we're borrowing from our ancestors (billions of years to create it) and from our descendants (by charging too little for it, we're stealing it from them).

mike, there were always books. And music and TV and games and fantasy, etc.

OK, here we go trying to do an upload of a pic from a Flickr set.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53406528@N08/7720770856/in/photostream265681


The bike above appeared recently for sale on Craigslist in, as I recall, Southern California.

Can any of the Raleigh 3-speed aficionados gathered here tell me something about these bikes? It looks all-original & one thing that particularly interests me is the coaster SA hub.

That's a Raleigh Colt, with a Camelback frame, a youth-sized three speed. It would be good for a shorter person, 4' 8" to 5'3 or so. The Colt uses regular English 26" wheels in a smaller frame. As a youth model, it did not have a high end saddle, but the bikes are solidly made. Guessing from the decals and pedals I'd say this one is a mid-to-late '60s model. I think the grips may be Schwinn grips, but I can't really tell. It looks good, other than the rear fender being out of adjustment.

The Coaster SA hubs do not have the best reputation, as they run the braking through the gear train. On certain models, such as the TCW, this means that if the cable is misadjusted you may get a neutral between two gears and thus have no braking at all. The S3C is slightly better, but one still has to run the pedals backwards fairly far to get braking when in third gear.

That's a Raleigh Colt, with a Camelback frame, a youth-sized three speed. It would be good for a shorter person, 4' 8" to 5'3 or so. The Colt uses regular English 26" wheels in a smaller frame. As a youth model, it did not have a high end saddle, but the bikes are solidly made. Guessing from the decals and pedals I'd say this one is a mid-to-late '60s model. I think the grips may be Schwinn grips, but I can't really tell. It looks good, other than the rear fender being out of adjustment.

The Coaster SA hubs do not have the best reputation, as they run the braking through the gear train. On certain models, such as the TCW, this means that if the cable is misadjusted you may get a neutral between two gears and thus have no braking at all. The S3C is slightly better, but one still has to run the pedals backwards fairly far to get braking when in third gear.

Thanks for the info - especially on the coaster hub. I had seen a women's Colt for sale on CList in Charlotte last year but it didn't have the "camelback" top tube obviously.

Here's a close up of those grips, and another close up of the trigger shifter. It looks just like a standard SA trigger unit but they call it a "Speedy Switch". What gives? Marketing?265863265864

Thanks for the info - especially on the coaster hub. I had seen a women's Colt for sale on CList in Charlotte last year but it didn't have the "camelback" top tube obviously.

Here's a close up of those grips, and another close up of the trigger shifter. It looks just like a standard SA trigger unit but they call it a "Speedy Switch". What gives? Marketing?265863265864

Can't tell about the grips; sorry. Speedy Switch is a copy of a SA trigger. It's an aftermarket replacement part, the kind of thing that would be Pyramid or Sunlite today. IIRC they were made in Japan. Even the graphics are similar to SA.

Don't let my comments about the coater hub scare you away if you want the bike, though. I got a three speed for my daughter with an S3C, and friends of mine have a Tandem with a TCW. Properly adjusted, they work just fine. It's also easy to replace the rear wheel with one with an AW hub in it and add a rear hand brake, too.

Don't let my comments about the coater hub scare you away if you want the bike, though. I got a three speed for my daughter with an S3C, and friends of mine have a Tandem with a TCW. Properly adjusted, they work just fine. It's also easy to replace the rear wheel with one with an AW hub in it and add a rear hand brake, too.

No, your comments wouldn't, it's just nice to have some inside skinny on them. The caveat - properly adjusted - is true of so very many things in Bikeophilia LOL!

Unfortunately, that bike is way out of reach for me, being ~ 2200 miles from where I am.

Can't tell about the grips; sorry. Speedy Switch is a copy of a SA trigger. It's an aftermarket replacement part, the kind of thing that would be Pyramid or Sunlite today. IIRC they were made in Japan. Even the graphics are similar to SA.



There is a NOS Japanese-made Speedy Switch just like that one on eBay right now. And there's a vintage one, made in England, on Bikeville.com.

My guess is that the name and tooling - like so much of the West - was sold to the Japanese. Not necessarily a bad thing; just reality.

265885 265886

The Speedy Switch is decidedly inferior to the Sturmey Archer triggers. I have experience with it.

The Speedy Switch is decidedly inferior to the Sturmey Archer triggers. I have experience with it.
Good to know; I'll avoid them. I guess since I've embarked on this "hobby/mission" I'll be coming across one eventually and when I do I'll take it apart to see how she's built.

How do you see the Shimano trigger shifter vis-a-vis SA?

My English 3 speed is a Brompton..
FWIW, AW3, they located the trigger shifter on the top.. so as to fit ..
On the bar , thumb/up down.. moved to the new one BSR.. plastic one is significantly easier
particularly shifting down, pulling on the indicator chain..

2 levers to put your thumb between .. to switch either way ..