Bring back the English 3-speed
#426
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
vey... The longer head tube on the Raleigh is because it's a taller bike while the head tube angle itself is the same as the Kuwahara.
The things that make them different are the stem and bar combinations they use and if I was to change the stem and bars on the Kuwahara to those used on the Raleigh I would have nearly identical bikes but they do serve different purposes.
I still enjoy a fairly upright and very comfortable position on the Kuwahara and a little more forward weight is beneficial for slogging through the snow as it distributes my weight more evenly...it has been my primary commuter since the snow starting falling.
The things that make them different are the stem and bar combinations they use and if I was to change the stem and bars on the Kuwahara to those used on the Raleigh I would have nearly identical bikes but they do serve different purposes.
I still enjoy a fairly upright and very comfortable position on the Kuwahara and a little more forward weight is beneficial for slogging through the snow as it distributes my weight more evenly...it has been my primary commuter since the snow starting falling.
#427
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vey... The longer head tube on the Raleigh is because it's a taller bike while the head tube angle itself is the same as the Kuwahara.
The things that make them different are the stem and bar combinations they use and if I was to change the stem and bars on the Kuwahara to those used on the Raleigh I would have nearly identical bikes but they do serve different purposes.
I still enjoy a fairly upright and very comfortable position on the Kuwahara and a little more forward weight is beneficial for slogging through the snow as it distributes my weight more evenly...it has been my primary commuter since the snow starting falling.
The things that make them different are the stem and bar combinations they use and if I was to change the stem and bars on the Kuwahara to those used on the Raleigh I would have nearly identical bikes but they do serve different purposes.
I still enjoy a fairly upright and very comfortable position on the Kuwahara and a little more forward weight is beneficial for slogging through the snow as it distributes my weight more evenly...it has been my primary commuter since the snow starting falling.
I may go back to the 32-700 tires on my Bianchi, as the 41-700's make it a bit more twitchy than with the stock size tires due to the increase in trail, But back when I put them on the bike they were one of the very few Kevlar belted tires available and they keep me from having flats on the way to work, and I was a bit younger.
A point I do not think most folks understand is that very minor changes in geometry cause reletively great changes in handling. A 2 degree difference it angles is extreme. A quarter inch change in trail makes the bike handle completely different than it did before. Even a 1/2 inch change in tire diameter like on my Bianchi is pretty extreme.
Last edited by graywolf; 01-05-08 at 08:13 PM.
#428
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A point I do not think most folks understand is that very minor changes in geometry cause reletively great changes in handling. A 2 degree difference it angles is extreme. A quarter inch change in trail makes the bike handle completely different than it did before. Even a 1/2 inch change in tire diameter like on my Bianchi is pretty extreme.
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#429
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
Hey D !
I was just looking to find pictures of your bike as it is an excellent example of how the changes you made to your your bike really make a difference in how the bike rides / feels / performs.
I was just looking to find pictures of your bike as it is an excellent example of how the changes you made to your your bike really make a difference in how the bike rides / feels / performs.
#430
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"Real wars of words are harder to win. They require thought, insight, precision, articulation, knowledge, and experience. They require the humility to admit when you are wrong. They recognize that the dialectic is not about making us look at you, but about us all looking together for the truth."
"Real wars of words are harder to win. They require thought, insight, precision, articulation, knowledge, and experience. They require the humility to admit when you are wrong. They recognize that the dialectic is not about making us look at you, but about us all looking together for the truth."
#431
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I had a beautiful black Raleigh with a 3-speed Sturmey Archer internal hub. I enjoyed its simplicity and the comfort of that bike. It was stolen many years ago. However, it taught me to always to remember to lock my bikes and/or the garage.
It brings back sweet memories thinking about that bike!
It brings back sweet memories thinking about that bike!
#432
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
I grew up with these kinds of bikes and that is what inspired me to find one of my own... it took some time to find the perfect "it has to green" three speed...
Now I long for those summer days and warm summer nights when I can take my Superbe out for leisurely rides in the valley.
Today, I am going to make due with some winter riding on the snow covered singletrack and trails and do some work on my 1955 Raleigh Lenton which is not a three speed.
It's a two speed.
Now I long for those summer days and warm summer nights when I can take my Superbe out for leisurely rides in the valley.
Today, I am going to make due with some winter riding on the snow covered singletrack and trails and do some work on my 1955 Raleigh Lenton which is not a three speed.
It's a two speed.
#433
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You know all these posts seem to be working on the assumption that these wonderful old bikes are no longer being made by Raleigh. Maybe not made in Nottingham, but look at this:
https://www.raleigh.co.uk/bikedetails.aspx?ID=689
It isn't the Sport but it is pretty darned close! Lets say its the closest living family member....
Granted, these aren't available in the US market but I bet you could find a UK dealer kind enough to ship one to the US. If you live in the UK, well then go get one !!
https://www.raleigh.co.uk/bikedetails.aspx?ID=689
It isn't the Sport but it is pretty darned close! Lets say its the closest living family member....
Granted, these aren't available in the US market but I bet you could find a UK dealer kind enough to ship one to the US. If you live in the UK, well then go get one !!
#434
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What's it got a funny looking sloping top tube for?
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OMNIPOTENS aeterne Deus, qui nos secundum imaginem Tuam plasmasti, et omnia bona, vera, pulchra, praesertim in divina persona Unigeniti Filii Tui Domini nostri Iesu Christi, quaerere iussisti, praesta quaesumus ut, per intercessionem Sancti Isidori, Episcopi et Doctoris, in peregrinationibus per interrete factis et manus oculosque ad quae Tibi sunt placita intendamus et omnes quos convenimus cum caritate ac patientia accipiamus. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.
#435
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You know all these posts seem to be working on the assumption that these wonderful old bikes are no longer being made by Raleigh. Maybe not made in Nottingham, but look at this:
https://www.raleigh.co.uk/bikedetails.aspx?ID=689
It isn't the Sport but it is pretty darned close! Lets say its the closest living family member....
Granted, these aren't available in the US market but I bet you could find a UK dealer kind enough to ship one to the US. If you live in the UK, well then go get one !!
https://www.raleigh.co.uk/bikedetails.aspx?ID=689
It isn't the Sport but it is pretty darned close! Lets say its the closest living family member....
Granted, these aren't available in the US market but I bet you could find a UK dealer kind enough to ship one to the US. If you live in the UK, well then go get one !!
Too bad we can't get them here... My Roadster is getting long in the tooth :-)
#436
Bicycle Repair Man !!!
#437
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Well, mine came yesterday (12/26/07) including the shiney 40 holer. However I do have some question in my mind about the viability of the polished rim when used with rim brakes. I think they will be scuffed up quit soon. I have to get some more parts in before building the wheels though.
#439
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Very true. I made some changes to my Breezer, and it's quite a different riding experience. I like it, but I'm noticing that it's giving a workout to different muscle groups than before and I'm riding slower.
On Dutch bikes I've noticed that my mid-back muscles are worked more (occasionally sore). This after years of developing the other muscles necessary to climb/accelerate snappily in more typical forward-leaning postures.
#440
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Slower? As in you get to spend more time riding your bike in the course of your daily errands? I suppose you take 45-minute lunch breaks, too, slacker! Perhaps a carbon-fiber stem or something would make you more competitive.
On Dutch bikes I've noticed that my mid-back muscles are worked more (occasionally sore). This after years of developing the other muscles necessary to climb/accelerate snappily in more typical forward-leaning postures.
On Dutch bikes I've noticed that my mid-back muscles are worked more (occasionally sore). This after years of developing the other muscles necessary to climb/accelerate snappily in more typical forward-leaning postures.
Folks are so into racing type bicycles today that many have never ridden a roadster type bicycle much if at all, so they do not realize your body works in an entirely different way on the two different types. As you lean forward and move you feet back the load moves down the legs and depends upon spinning to supply power. As you sit more upright and your feet move forward you use your back to supply power at a slower cadence. If you want to get technical spinning gives higher horsepower while pushing gives higher torque.
In Donna's case she moved the seat and handlebars back so almost automatically slowed her cadence. What she may not have discovered is that she can now use a higher gear and get most of her speed back. The spinners are always telling you that using too high a gear or standing can damage your knees. What the do not realize is that their bike layout is causing that. They have to use the muscles in the front of the thigh and caves, so put tremendous pressure on the knee when they use too high a gear. The pusher with the seat farther back uses the muscles in the back and back of the thigh putting much less pressure on the knee, and pedaling standing up is almost like climbing a stair you are using your weight to move the bike.
There is one advantage to spinning in that seat forward position, it is mostly aerobic so you can do it for a long time. The pusher position is more like lifting weights and uses block muscle that tires quickly.
#441
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Well, here's my daily commuter and 3 speed, which started out as a Hiawatha made by Raleigh.
Modernized with:
Alloy 700c rims (now fits max 700x28c tires with stock fenders)
Sturmey Archer XFDD Dynamo Drum generator hub with drum brake
Alloy seatpost/stem/bars
With the modern components, it is a completely different bike. I must have taken about 10lbs off of it. It accelerates better, it stops better, and is easier to carry up the stairs.
Modernized with:
Alloy 700c rims (now fits max 700x28c tires with stock fenders)
Sturmey Archer XFDD Dynamo Drum generator hub with drum brake
Alloy seatpost/stem/bars
With the modern components, it is a completely different bike. I must have taken about 10lbs off of it. It accelerates better, it stops better, and is easier to carry up the stairs.
#443
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Well, here's my daily commuter and 3 speed, which started out as a Hiawatha made by Raleigh.
Modernized with:
Alloy 700c rims (now fits max 700x28c tires with stock fenders)
Sturmey Archer XFDD Dynamo Drum generator hub with drum brake
Alloy seatpost/stem/bars
With the modern components, it is a completely different bike. I must have taken about 10lbs off of it. It accelerates better, it stops better, and is easier to carry up the stairs.
Modernized with:
Alloy 700c rims (now fits max 700x28c tires with stock fenders)
Sturmey Archer XFDD Dynamo Drum generator hub with drum brake
Alloy seatpost/stem/bars
With the modern components, it is a completely different bike. I must have taken about 10lbs off of it. It accelerates better, it stops better, and is easier to carry up the stairs.
#444
Senior Member
Well, here's my daily commuter and 3 speed, which started out as a Hiawatha made by Raleigh.
Modernized with:
Alloy 700c rims (now fits max 700x28c tires with stock fenders)
Sturmey Archer XFDD Dynamo Drum generator hub with drum brake
Alloy seatpost/stem/bars
With the modern components, it is a completely different bike. I must have taken about 10lbs off of it. It accelerates better, it stops better, and is easier to carry up the stairs.
Modernized with:
Alloy 700c rims (now fits max 700x28c tires with stock fenders)
Sturmey Archer XFDD Dynamo Drum generator hub with drum brake
Alloy seatpost/stem/bars
With the modern components, it is a completely different bike. I must have taken about 10lbs off of it. It accelerates better, it stops better, and is easier to carry up the stairs.
Paul
#445
bicycle crusher
I quite fancy a Raleigh Special...
...or perhaps a Schwinn SS-X...
I often see cruisers with a few gears for about half the price, but I can't help wondering what compromises have been made to lower the price.
As a boy I used to ride British bikes with Sturmey-Archer three-speed and they always seemed to have one "slip gear". :-)
...or perhaps a Schwinn SS-X...
I often see cruisers with a few gears for about half the price, but I can't help wondering what compromises have been made to lower the price.
As a boy I used to ride British bikes with Sturmey-Archer three-speed and they always seemed to have one "slip gear". :-)
#446
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Aaron
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Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
#447
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The consumer safety types most likely have made them not make newer hubs that way.
#448
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#450
bicycle crusher