Sixty Fiver

The 4 speed stuff is pretty hard to find... my other Moulton came with a 4 speed hub (28 spoke) but I gave that to my friend, my Moulton runs a modern 7 speed Shimano.

From a practical point of view the modern SA 5 speed is the way to go as then you won't have worries about parts and it has a nice gear range.

krtchp19

I have a similar rear rack/basket that came originally on my 54 Hercules Tourist and a front rack I removed from my amf Hercules that have just been sitting for a while trying to figure out what to do with them.

krtchp19

If you're just replacing the tubes and not the tires then any "26 x 1 3/8" tube will work if you're replacing the actual tires then just remember 37-590 when speaking to the bike shop person. some bike shops that have been around for a while stock some but they are usually not the best. I use schwalbe delta cruisers in cream for some of my english 3 speeds.

krtchp19

white vinegar! clean it up don't repaint, just my opinion, it's your bike.

krtchp19

I agree with you but the look of the new hub doesn't go with what I want to do. I know where to find one but am not looking to pay an arm and a leg for it.

Sixty Fiver

I know a few people that might be able to help with this... will send them an email and see if they have any unwanted 4 speed hubs / shifters.

krtchp19

some inspiration for you

krtchp19

That would be awesome and thanks.

Commando

Thanks. As luck would have it, a few days after posting this question I checked out a bike shop I hadn't been to before and they had one on the shelf. It was obvious it had been on the shelf a long time and they only had a thorn proof tube, which was good for me anyway. They don't plan on carrying them.
Looks like I'll be getting mine online from now on. Which a couple more English 3 speed bike projects coming up, I'll be needing a few.

GordoTrek

here are some pics of my junked DL-1 I rescued.. the chrome is amazing considering the age, and the condition of the saddle, its a 67, and the best part about the whole thing? both cotter pins came out!! can't wait to get started on this one!!

krtchp19

I know a place selling some handlebars for that for 35 bucks. I got my second DL-1 this past summer so i could have a his and hers. Am going to start working on it soon

krtchp19

maybe it's time to find a new shop! There are modern bikes that still use 26 x 1 38 tubes and tires. We have more options in Chicago as there are shops that carry city bikes. any old schwinn shop that's been around a while or a shop that will carry english or italian city bikes (Pashley, ABICI, and so on) is a good bet.

Howard

Pretty sure the guts to the modern SA 5 speed will fit in an AW shell, if the look is your sun gear.

krtchp19

Ill have to investigate more. There are club rides I want to participate in that accept 3 and 4 gears not 5

arex

Bumping.

I sat down and tore down all the calipers last night, cleaned and lubricated them, so they're all ready to use. Replaced the thin and worn washers between the arms with slightly thicker stainless washers. I have a pair of Weinmann 610 center-pulls, a 610/750 pair of center-pulls (using the 750 in the rear), a pair of 500 side-pulls, and a pair of 730 side-pulls.

I like the aesthetics of the side-pulls, but worry that they won't be grabby enough. I wouldn't mind using the center-pulls, but I'd like to hear any misgivings about them...personally, I don't see a downside to them, but up until now I've only ever worked with cantilever brakes, so my opinion of center-pulls lacks a certain validity.

arex

Nobody needs to know, do they..?

krtchp19

I'll know... haha

BGBeck

FWIW Anybody in Southern California: https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv...356830523.html

GordoTrek

wow thats screaming deal...looks to be in better shape then most.. alot of surface rust that will clean up.. she looks like she's been ridden and enjoyed

noglider 

The original side-pulls on 3-speeds are very good. I don't know why you are concerned about their effectiveness. They work very well with Kool Stop pads. They are also easier to set up and more maintenance-free than center-pulls.

arex

The reason I'm questioning what path I should follow is that in the research I've been doing on the Internet (because, yes, it's so reliable), I've been finding a lot of conflicting information and I haven't been able to filter out the noise and get real-world opinions or answers. "Weinmann center-pulls are spongy", "Weinmann side-pulls are flex-y", "Dual-pivot center-pulls are much stronger than single-pivot side-pulls", "Weinmann 500's are awesome, used by racers during the fifties and sixties", etc. Both types get all sorts of glowing reviews, and an equal amount of trash-talk.

So, with both in hand, I'm trying to figure out which is the best path to follow. I'm asking you guys because you have real-world experience with these things, instead of "internet opinions". I suppose I should learn to try different things to see how they work for myself, but I'm the sort of person that over-analyzes things and starts to lock up when my research doesn't give any definitive answers.

I worry about good braking because I'm no longer light or nimble, but I still weigh less than a speeding car. Ideally, I wanted to use some modern brakes, but both sets of Tektros I tried had tire clearance issues. Someone a while back recommended Weinmanns, so I started down that path.

I do prefer the aesthetics and relative simplicity of side-pulls. What I can do is try the 500's first, and if for some reason I don't like them, I'll still have enough cable and housing to trim back to use with the center-pulls, if it comes to that.

I was going to use Kool Stop pads, regardless, so that may level the playing field, too.

noglider 

arex, my apologies. I asked earlier why you weren't using the original calipers, and I forgot your answer when I wrote my last post.

Actually, single pivot sidepulls do have problems. I consider the Weinmann 500's to be pretty bad. If you want to use your Weinmann center-pulls, it makes sense, and it will probably work out well, provided they fit.

JohnDThompson 

Tektro makes a long-reach, dual-pivot caliper that doesn't look too out of place on a vintage 3-speed:

arex

Ah, yes...I forget others here don't have the whole project burned into their skulls like I do, and I skim over some of the details.

Not doubting you, but what makes the W. 500s bad? Some people were downright waxing poetic about the things.

The center-pulls all fit with the Kool-Stops...the question remains whether the W. 750 is a better fit on the rear than the 610 or not. I'm guessing not, but I haven't really analyzed that aspect of things yet. One semi-cool bit about the 750/610 pair is that they're labeled "Raleigh" in blue, rather than the "Weinmann" in red like the 610 pair I have. Trivial, but I'm easily amused.

noglider 

All you have to do is see if these calipers fit. If the rear would accept a 610 or 750 equally well, it doesn't matter which you use. If the 610 fits in front and the 750 fits in back, then you're great. Next, you have to find and install cable hangers.

I found the 500's to be too flexible, which is worse in a single-pivot than in other types. If others like them, then maybe something was fortunate about their setups or unfortunate about mine. It's not odd that different people have different experiences with the same product.