robzer

I have an old Phillips 3 speed bicycle manufactured in England. I would like to find info on it: date it was built, parts, history etc.

JunkYardBike

If it has a Sturmey Archer hub on the rear wheel, a date is stamped there. If it's original to the bike, that's most likely the model year.

If you want more information, you need to post photos and provide some more details pertaining to componentry, decals, headbadge, markings, etc.

However, Google.com is a good place to start.

nlerner

Raleigh took over Phillips in around 1960, I believe, so after that point, the Phillips 3-speed was a somewhat lesser version of the Raleigh Sports. I have a 1959 Phillips Manhattan 3-speed (kind of the project from hell, actually), and the Phillips name is stamped on just about everything. However, it does have a Sturmey Archer rear hub, so that's where the dating info comes from.

Here's what Sheldon Brown says about Phillips from https://www.sheldonbrown.com/english-3.html#phillips:
"Phillips, a division of B.C.C., Phillips, based in Birmingham, was the second-largest British bike maker until merged with Raleigh as part of the TI takeover in 1960. Raleigh-made Phillips models are near the bottom of the quality range. Birmingham Phillipses often featured a chainwheel with the word "Phillips" prominently featured in the cutouts."

Neal

Rooney10

Can anyone shed a little light on a Phillips Manhattan I have had in my garage for at least 30 years? It is a two tone (green and white), 3-speed ladies model. The hub is a Sturmey-Archer 1958 - 5, and the two placards (one one the front frame, one on the rear fender) both indicate it was made in Birmingham. The decal has the Manhattan skyline. Everything (pedals, seat,etc) seems to be original, but it is missing the chain-guard. I gave it a quick clean-up and it rides well, with everything in good working order. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Bryan
by: 75.13.100.76

nlerner

What additional info are you looking for? You know quite a bit: pre-Raleigh Phillips, built in 1958 in Birmingham. The Manhattan was a model w/ some cool graphics. I had one for a while and ended up selling it as a converted fixed gear (yup!).



Neal

sailorbenjamin

I've had a couple of these. Rooney10s sounds like a pre take over bike. The fenders probably have a different contour than the usual Raleigh fenders that come on these bikes. Robzer, give us a little more data and a picture or two. We'll tell you all about it.
Here's mine. The ugly one is a pre takeover bike, about '58 but I don't remember. Sold it a year ago. the shiny one is a '72, Really just about identical to a Raleigh Sport before I got it. It didn't have many of the options that a sport would have and I changed the fenders so don't use them for reference.




In fact, here's the whole album;
https://s291.photobucket.com/albums/l...amin/Phillips/
They do make nice fixies.

Rooney10

Thanks to both of you to replying - here are a few photos to show you what i'm working with. I just hope to restore this bike as best as I can if possible, and let my daughter's use it as a beach cruiser. It is a bit rusty, and I am worried about cleaning it without further damaging the paint or the decals. Any advice?

sailorbenjamin

Sweet bike. Looks like a real Phillips, not a Raleigh Phillips. Any date on the rear hub? Any oil ports on the bottom bracket? You can take those pedals apart and clean/grease the bearings or hang them on the wall cause they're pretty cool and put some plain ones in their place.
I like to clean a pain job with lemon oil furniture polish and shine it up with Kit Scratch out (kinda keep away from the decals) and some folks like to finish up with Turtle wax Paste wax or something like that that leaves a protective film on the paint

desconhecido 

Looks like a dynohub on the rear. Cleaned up and serviced a front dynohub just today, being careful not to separate the magnet from the armature. I don't know how common the 3-speed dynohubs were. Don't see any wires or lights, so maybe it's not connected to anything, which is a drag.

Sixty Fiver

Had a 1965 Camelback Phillip's in my shop last week with dual drum brakes and non Raleigh fenders which may have been added during the last 45 years... it was getting used in a play and had to serve as a military bike so got a coat of racing black but will be coming back for some restoration which will include a repaint.

wahoonc

Definitely a dyno hub on the rear and looks like it still has the head light. Nice bike and should clean up nicely. I would start with a mild warm water soap bath and gently rinse to get the worst of the grunge off. Then follow up with the polish/wax of your choice, avoiding the decals as much as possible.

The rear hub should be functional an probably needs a bit of oil.

Very nice bike and definitely NOT a Raleigh built Phillips.

Aaron

Road Fan

Sounds like it's a 3-speed hub in the back, not a dynohub. They wouldn't have put a dynohub on the front and on the back.

Road Fan

Ok now I see the rear hub. Why would they have two generators?

Could it be a drum brake hub?

They sure did odd things back then!

I had a mens' Phillips that was probably 1953 or so. it was about 15 yrs old when I got it, a bit battered but working perfectly. I rode the heck out of it for about 5 years, then got a Falcon 531 bike - straight 531, and Campy Gran Sport derailleurs.

desconhecido 

The Dynohub generator side is pretty distinctive. This page has renditions of both the front and rear hub. https://www.sheldonbrown.com/dynohubs.html. The Phillips bike full side shot shows the rear dynohub dyno section peaking out, but I don't see one on the front.

gna

They don't. desconhecido was describing a front dynohub that he cleaned up, not Rooney10.

Nice bike, Rooney10. It'll clean up nice.

Rooney10

Thanks for your interest, yes the rear hub is labeled as a Dyno-Three. It also is labeled as a Sturmey Archer 1958 5. There is a small screw-covered port for oil on it. What type of oil should I put in there?

gna

There are a variety of oils that people use. Many here use ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid). 3-in-1 makes an oil in a blue can for electric motors that is a 20w oil, and can be used in an S-A hub. Don't use stock 3-in-1, as it will gum up your hub. Or you can just use 10W30 motor oil. I bought a quart of synthetic 10W30 on sale, and poured some into an oil can for easy dispensing.

sailorbenjamin

also avoid WD40 in hubs. It'll gum up, too.

derailled

Hey Neal this is what I have, but frame is older with detachable rear fork. Forks identical and head badge is clean and new. Seems to have been red originally but rear frame parts all black.Same chainwheel. HUb is coaster brake single speed and has '65 11' on it. so made in Nov 1965? Wheels are 28" convex rim in chrome.

I am just getting custom gold outline frame decals made for Oamaru racing this weekend, in Gil sans BLK BT like GRUBB's phillips set on Flickr.com.. the 65 chainguard one. However about 1" high font. I chose a box cut on clear backing as they woud last longer than excised vinyl cut letters I feel.

can you guys use code from a hosting place like tinypic or imageshack so they show up here? Reduce the file sizes to a third.Or they are too big.

derailled

3-1 oil in NZ cost me $11 at 'The Warehouse' and its only a tiny bottle.

derailled

Crazy graphics with the skyscrapers on it.. keep this one...

derailled

Mine appears to be a pre raleigh Phillips judging by the frame.. but I wonder if the rear end has been spliced on as the front half seems later. No evidence of the raleigh design architecture frame rear fork anywhere. It also has raleigh style white flashes on it and the headstock panel where the bedge is mounted.

Where are the frame numbers ?

sailorbenjamin

Raleigh frame numbers tend to be on the top tube just forward of the seat tube or on the seat lug. They might have made bikes just a little different for export to your hemisphere. '65 sounds good to me. Image codes work fine. No need to reduce, we like big pics.

oldroads

Oy! DO NOT USE 3-in-1 oil !!

You need a petroleum-based oil like motor oil (10W30 is fine).
And WD40 is fine.

We work on probably 30 of these old Brit 3-speeds in a week in our shop.
Trust me.

Roll-Monroe-Co

I hope that bike won't literally be cruising on a beach.