Classic & Vintage - Set up a Sturmey Archer 3 speed today

Wow I actually got it to work. Shifts seamlessly. I built up a Schwinn Deluxe Breeze for my neice and want to give it to her on Sunday when she will be here for the annual fathers day and my birthda bash. I'm more pumped about giving her this bike than I am about the rest of the festivities. Anyway its not perfect but from what it looked like before its pretty nice. I'll take some pics and post.
The saddle original so this bike didn't see a lot of use although the tire had been replaced with Kenda repros and I don't really care for them but I bought some new ones anyway since Jenson had a great deal on them. Hope she likes the bike. I think she will.

Pix?

Reading Sheldon Browns instructions on S-A setup and adjustment was a 3 speed epiphany for me. And when their shifting smooth, it's a beautiful thing.

And how about a picture when you present the bicycle. That's a revolutionary concept, giving someone a bicycle on your birthday. :thumb:

Pix forthcoming tomorrow

Wow I actually got it to work.

Isn't that spayshal. I have a simular story. :) Substantially finished it today. It was my cousin's childhood ride; it's for her daughter or for one of her nieces. Many things went wrong, but nothing so bad I couldn't handle it with hand tools, money and time. It was a single speed, now it's a 3-speed. That's the source of much of the work and cost. (Built me first wheel!) Also added a Brooks and lots of other accessories. The original purple seat had faded to beige & the foam was losing its resilience. Still usable but -- wanted it to be really nice. Hope it isn't too much.

Occasion is to honor our grandmother's life - she passed away recently - and to give the (increasingly distant as the ancestors pass on) relatives a memento from the Wisconsin branch.

[edit] That's a beautiful DeLuxe Breeze, there, SB!

Here are some pix of the bike I'm giving my niece tomorrow. Can't wait to see her face will post pix when I get them. The saddle on this bike is as I found it nearly pristine condition too bad the paint isn't as nice as the saddle. http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb150/stringbreaker53/006.jpg http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb150/stringbreaker53/008-1.jpg http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb150/stringbreaker53/009-1.jpg

I'd say the paint is just right! A little character isn't a bad thing. I mean that bike must be 30 years old... You either did a great job polishing it up, or you're a pro with a digicam/photoshop!

Seat is too good I'd say. You'd better ride it around for a few months, just to even it up...

Does she have a tallish boyfriend? There is a diamond frame version of that bike on Ebay:thumb::lol:

Aaron:)

All I can say is one thing; Beeeeeeautiful! And she is one lucky girl. And you are one great Uncle. And nice job SB! The chrome looks perfect. Well that's more then one thing. Let's just say I was overwhelmed. Happy B-Day and Father's Day!

It was fun to rebuild. The fender braces were rusted so bad I had to drill out the mounting rivets and have the braces sandblasted. I then took some 150 paper and sanded them and then took some 000 steel wool to smooth them out and primed and painted them with that hammered finish paint in a light grey. they look really good. THe chrome was pretty bad but its old Schwinn chrome so a little rubbing with some SOS pads and the wheels and fenders and even the stem an handlebars came out looking pretty good. I had to end upusing the replacemt item for the shifter cable since the old one and the one from another 3 speed I have were toast. Yeah she isn't pretty but it has a bit of charm I think and I hope she likes it if not I'll find someone that needs a bike.

Bummed out. She didn't come today since she and her boyfriend did spend the day with her dad. Her parents recentely separated and even though we were celebrating her grandfather along with my birthday. I can see why she wanted to be with her dad and rightly so. This means I'll just have to have them stop by sometime to pick it up. That will still be fun.

Oh bloody hell still waiting on them to come out with their new S3X 3 speed hub. Don't matter really since I have to wait about two years for my custom Pegoretti to come home to papa.

Really nice job stringbreaker, it looks great. The fender braces are usually a pain in the butt, drilling them out was a good idea. I will have to remember that in the future.

I wish I had that saddle for my campus green collegiate, that thing is mint!

I think it looks pretty. Everything is shiny and the paint has a little patina from a life well ridden. The fender braces do look nice -- that is the one 'rust' area that I never deal with on old Schwinns. The paint comes back and the chrome comes back (with a little elbow grease or oxalic acid) but those damn galvanized fender braces never clean up too well for me.

Lets see a picture when it gets picked up - bike and the new owner/rider.

I could have just sanded them and then did the rustoleum prime and hammered paint but I naturally went a bit overboard and paid to have them sandblasted but I think it was worth it.