Three-speed questions
 

I have an old Triumph 3 speed that I am fixing up and it has two issues STILL.

First is shifting. It shifts itself from first to second gear almost immediately when peddling. I tend to think that this means the cable is too tight but I'm not sure so I thought that I'd punt that up to the pros.

Secondly is the BB/Cranks. The left (non-drive) peddle has about 30% worth of play in it whish makes it go KLUNK, KLUNK, KLUNK she I ride it. I tightened the bolt that holds the peddle on to Ludacris tight and it held securely while the bike was on the stand but on the street it was back to KLUNK, KLUNK, KLUNK. What could this problem be and how should I rectify this?

A new one-piece crank should solve the problem. You'll need to open the bottom-bracket to remove the old one. While you're at it, I'd suggest you clean it and check for damage - such as pitting. A new one-piece (Ashtabula) bottom-bracket will run you around $15 should it need replacement.

Or it could be the pedal itself. Take it off and examine the threads. But overhauling the bottom-bracket should be done as well.


Installation of one-piece BB - Fixed Cups install:

http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/p...g/IMG_0457.jpg

I had a Triumph back in 1972. I loved that bike. It was stolen - alas. Now I have a PUCH 3-spd. I rebuilt. It's from about 1973.

Sheldon Brown has a good article on adjusting 3-speed hub gears: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/sturmey-...tml#adjustment

This sounds like a bad cotter pin. Push the pin all the way out and inspect it for damage. If the angled surface has gouges in it, it needs to be replaced. Again, Sheldon Brown covers this issue well: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/cotters.html

Most British bikes used 9.5mm pins, but take the old one to the bike shop with you so they can match it properly. If they have a cotter press, you may want them to install the new pin as well.

Three speed hubs often shift up from first gear if the cable is too loose. Select third gear and set the cable tension so that the cable is just taught. There are great resources on the internet that explain 3 speed adjustment in detail.

The "pedal" problem seems like it might be caused by a loose cotter pin. Does one crank arm wiggle forward and back while the other (drive side) seems to be OK? Watch the spindle ends to see if the play is actually on the drive side crank arm. Once a cotter pin has been ridden while loose, you can never get it to stay tight again. They can also be a pain to remove without a cotter pin tool because they are made of soft metal and will bend easily when tapped with a mallet. A new cotter pin is very cheap, but there are a few different sizes.

I suspect the OP's Triumph is British-made, most likely by Raleigh, and has a 3-piece cottered crank set, not a one-piece Ashtabula unit. The BB shell may well be the now-obsolete 1-3/8" x 26tpi, so replacing the bottom bracket may be more costly than the OP is willing to invest. Most likely all the OP needs to fix the crank problem is a new cotter pin, but a clean & repack of the BB bearings might be prudent as long as the cranks are off. Chances are the cups and axle will still be usable; if not, the OP may want to consider how much this project is worth before proceeding.

Yep. Sheldon wants me to beat the bike with a hamner. I might just shop around for a shop with a press. So, these obsolete cotters are still easy to find in the LBS?

Or via the net. Take a poke around this site - and bookmark it as it's got most everything you'll need -

http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cg...main&m=top_ten

I don't recall my Triumph as having a 3-piece crankset. I may have - I'd call around different shops for the press though. Older shops should have one collecting dust. As to "Made In England" - yes they were made by Raleigh and made in Nottingham. The Triumph was sold for less than their cousins from Raleigh. And mine was about $20 less than the Raleigh-model. And I liked my Triumph (sniff, sniffle...bstds...steal my bike - die!) better than the Raleigh Sport that replaced the stolen blue Triumph. It just rode better IMHO.

So do fix her up. And please toss some photos our way!

One thing though - if you need new pedals and the bike does have a one-piece crank, they are likely 1/2 inch X 20tpi. Otherwise it takes the standard 9/16th's pedals. Voila:

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/pedals.html

Look for Laughing Alley bike-shop down around Jamaica Plain - they'd be sure to have a cotter-pin press. As would Harris Cyclery in Newton. I'm from Cambridge, MA originally.

Pretty sure you meant TPI, not MM?

Right you is! Thanks!

Broadway Bike School will do the cotter pin or teach you how to do it yourself.

Thanks guys! I knew about Harris and Broadway bike School but never heard of the place in JP. I'm going to try a MUCH more local guy first though. Of course, since I followed that link I foudn out that cotters are like $3 a pair so I'n a lot less worried about taking a few practice swings! MHatter: thanks for the adjustment tip! I never would have thought "too loose" but I tightened it down and after one ride around the block, it seems to have done the trick!

Cotter pins are the work of Satan.

That's all I have to say about that