When 3 speeds aren't enough
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When 3 speeds aren't enough
Back in 1967 Raleigh decided the venerable 3-speed Sports needed an odd cousin, so it slapped a Sturmey Archer S5 hub on a Sports body and called it a Sprite 5-speed. I bought this bike on CL back in the fall, but the dual top-tube shift levers were broken off, the saddle and pedals were trashed, the chainguard and grips were missing, and overall it needed some love. Thanks to some local bike friends, I tracked down a proper chainguard, NOS dual downtube shift levers, Raleigh pedals, Dare grips, and a Brooks B72 (well, that one came from my wife's old Sports). The chrome cleaned up very well, and some new tires are on the way. It's quite a heavy beast and the five gears aren't particularly well spaced, but it is a unique piece of Raleigh history.
Neal
Neal
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I had not realised that this was the only difference between the Sport and the Sprite. Nice photos!
Good to see that the B72 is holding up; all too often the ones from that period are cracked. Of course one nice thing about being in the Boston area, is the comparative abundance of vintage Raleighs and their parts.
Good to see that the B72 is holding up; all too often the ones from that period are cracked. Of course one nice thing about being in the Boston area, is the comparative abundance of vintage Raleighs and their parts.
#3
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ohhh beautiful bike.
you know for being a young guy at 28 i love old 3 speeds over the fast rides. there is just something so beautiful about those old bikes. i see all these other people my age going fixed which i dont mind but there is something about a 3 speed that just makes my heart jump.
you know for being a young guy at 28 i love old 3 speeds over the fast rides. there is just something so beautiful about those old bikes. i see all these other people my age going fixed which i dont mind but there is something about a 3 speed that just makes my heart jump.
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You sure find a lot of cool old stuff there. Hard to find much interesting here, what with being just down the road and around the corner from bum **** egypt. I just have to keep changing around what I have. Love those downtube shift levers!
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"John Greenleaf Whittier once asked Emerson what he prayed for. 'When I first open my eyes upon the morning meadows and look out upon the beautiful world,' replied Emerson, 'I thank God I am alive and that I live so near Boston.'"
I think he didn't specifically mention Raleighs because he didn't want Whittier to competing with him at yard sales.
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So why does it need dual shift levers?
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#9
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https://www.sheldonbrown.com/sturmey-archer/s52.html
How the S5 works
The S5s are basically a 3-speed hub with two ranges.
* The right lever or trigger selects underdrive, direct drive or overdrive, just as with the AW and other 3-speed models.
* The left lever selects between narrow range 3-speed and wide range 3-speed. When the cable is loose, it's narrow range; when the left cable is tight, it's wide range.
Here's the shifting sequence:
1. Left: Tight; Right: Tight (1). This is the lowest gear, underdrive on the wide range setting.
2. Left: Loose; Right: Tight (1). This is the second lowest gear, underdrive on the narrow range setting.
3. Left: doesn't matter; Right: middle position (2). This is direct drive, so it doesn't matter whether wide or narrow range is selected with the left lever.
4. Left: Loose; Right: Loose (3). This is the second highest gear, overdrive on the narrow range setting.
5. Left: Tight; Right: Loose (3). This is the highest gear, overdrive on the wide range setting.
Shifting the right lever/trigger is the same as a 3-speed, can be done while pedaling, coasting or even pedaling backward.
Shifting the left lever works most smoothly if you keep pedalaing forward (gently) while shifting.
How the S5 works
The S5s are basically a 3-speed hub with two ranges.
* The right lever or trigger selects underdrive, direct drive or overdrive, just as with the AW and other 3-speed models.
* The left lever selects between narrow range 3-speed and wide range 3-speed. When the cable is loose, it's narrow range; when the left cable is tight, it's wide range.
Here's the shifting sequence:
1. Left: Tight; Right: Tight (1). This is the lowest gear, underdrive on the wide range setting.
2. Left: Loose; Right: Tight (1). This is the second lowest gear, underdrive on the narrow range setting.
3. Left: doesn't matter; Right: middle position (2). This is direct drive, so it doesn't matter whether wide or narrow range is selected with the left lever.
4. Left: Loose; Right: Loose (3). This is the second highest gear, overdrive on the narrow range setting.
5. Left: Tight; Right: Loose (3). This is the highest gear, overdrive on the wide range setting.
Shifting the right lever/trigger is the same as a 3-speed, can be done while pedaling, coasting or even pedaling backward.
Shifting the left lever works most smoothly if you keep pedalaing forward (gently) while shifting.
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Anybody have a set of stem shifters for an S5 that they'd be willing to sell me? I have a set, but they're broken. Sheldon Brown had a low opinion of S5 shifters and I can understand why. I'm tempted to go the trigger shifter plus friction shifter route that he recommended.
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Ah, thanks for that shifting sequence, RMC. I was trying to figure it out from feel and wasn't doing very well. Here's a pic of the bell-crank on the left-hand side:
Neal
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#12
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Anybody have a set of stem shifters for an S5 that they'd be willing to sell me? I have a set, but they're broken. Sheldon Brown had a low opinion of S5 shifters and I can understand why. I'm tempted to go the trigger shifter plus friction shifter route that he recommended.
Neal
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wicked cool. I have had a couple of sprite 5 speeds, but they were the other kind..the 5 speed with half its gears missing.
this one is adorable!
thanks for sharing!!
this one is adorable!
thanks for sharing!!
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From Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, on Ralph Waldo Emerson:
"John Greenleaf Whittier once asked Emerson what he prayed for. 'When I first open my eyes upon the morning meadows and look out upon the beautiful world,' replied Emerson, 'I thank God I am alive and that I live so near Boston.'"
I think he didn't specifically mention Raleighs because he didn't want Whittier to competing with him at yard sales.
"John Greenleaf Whittier once asked Emerson what he prayed for. 'When I first open my eyes upon the morning meadows and look out upon the beautiful world,' replied Emerson, 'I thank God I am alive and that I live so near Boston.'"
I think he didn't specifically mention Raleighs because he didn't want Whittier to competing with him at yard sales.
Neal
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Thanks for sharing. Yours is even the correct color, green!
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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069
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Hey Neal, those down tubes shifter DO look kind of cool, and the bikes a beauty. I'm running a S5 with the friction on the left side. Basically I run the right three most of the time, and the low low as needed on steep hills and the high high down hill or with a tailwind. Tim
ps I also run an inline overload spring on the left side.
ps I also run an inline overload spring on the left side.
Last edited by choteau; 07-09-09 at 02:45 PM.
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Neal, excuse the off-topic, but is that '38 Lady's Tourist in your website yours?.. That is my absolutest-most-covetest vintage bicycle.
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Neal, excuse the off-topic, but is that '38 Lady's Tourist in your website yours?.. That is my absolutest-most-covetest vintage bicycle.
Neal
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Mmm lucky you! Enjoy the restoration; what a beautiful bike this can be. I don't think it will be too hard to find an intact chaincase for it. But too bad about the paint. The rear fender does not look like it has holes in it for the skirtguard, but if it were mine I would go all the way and do that. If you ever get sick of her, do get in touch! Okay, end of off-topic admiration.
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