sciencemonster

One of the first Rudge's I had - a 51 - had some bottom bracket problems. I didn't know nuthin' about cotter pins. I took it out with a hammer and nail punch to change out the bearings. The bb axle cracked in half a week later (while my son was riding it - he's young, he recovered...)

I learned my lesson about banging on metal. Don't.

The Rudge got a new bb axle from a parts bike. Sure glad Raleigh used the same parts for 50 years!

top506

If you're ever in mid-coast Maine you should check out their retail store. At about an hour and a quarter away it's my not-so-LBS.
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graywolf

I thought I would weigh in here with a bit about the difference in cycling philosophy between when the S-A 3-spped was king and now. Most of us ride today as semi-athletes or at least for exercise. But in the old old days when bicycles were considered transportation that was not so. The old timers expected to get to where they were going with as little effort as possible and hopefully without getting all sweaty.

That being the case the normal riding cadence was somewhere around 30, and the bicycles were geared for that. Nowadays most of us use at least 60 and many are comfortable spinning along at 90 rpm all day long. That means, see I am answering the original post, that the old 3-speed gearing is way too high for most modern riders, but that 44/18 ratio was perfect for the old timers.

Which reminds me I really do need to pick up a couple of 22-tooth sprockets.

Sixty Fiver

Okay, the gears are wide. Is there an advantage to setting up gearing so that one uses the middle gear (1:1 at the hub) mainly, or the high gear?

I ride quite a few three speeds and typically set them up so the middle gear is my main running gear (65 gear inches or thereabouts) and then have a step down for climbing and a step up for when the circumstances allow for greater speed.

My 1973 Phillip's Twenty folder has a lower gearing then my full sized 3 speeds and has a gear range of 36,48, and 64 gear inches... I set it up like this as I plan on pulling a trailer with the bike.

The middle gear on an SA hub is the most efficient so you should set up your bike so that you are using 2nd as your primary gearing.

I will also echo the don't stand up in third rule.

Mooo

In general I agree, and a Sports ridden at a stately 6-9 mph is like a good stroll, but a stroll with 7 league boots.

But...

I wonder what these guys use(d):
https://www.tincanten.com/

Or these:
Sturmey Records 1937
(200 mi in 9:27)

old_alfie

Well I've been monitoring this and it took thirty postings before I felt like there was an opening I could fit into. I have 16 rideable (and they all do get rode) bikes, only 2 of which have derails and the other 14 are all Sturmey AWs. My riding is purely a recreational smelling-of-the-roses-and-schmoozing-of-the-older-ladies kind along a metropolitan parkway system. My cycling gear decisions involve which pair of loafers to wear and choosing the proper color button-down collar shirt to go with the color slacks of the day.

Every (Oops, sent this before I finished. Better finish and send again)

Every S/A bike I have built up/refurbed I've done with a 22T cog, the Shimano silver one. The Raleigh has I believe a 48T chainring (the triple-braced herons ring pre-71 or-so) and the Schwinns and couple odd-makes have 46T rings. Those kinds of numbers make for comfortable old guy recreational bike riding.

I have built a Continental with a S/A AW on 27" wheels and used a 39T ring/22T cog on that one. Won't be riding that one till spring so can't yet comment on its gearing.

But anyway, it is interesting to this old guy reading all you guys analyzing the daylights out of this, reminds me what a saint my bride has been for living over 40 years with an engineer.

graywolf

[QUOTE=Mooo;5813526]In general I agree, and a Sports ridden at a stately 6-9 mph is like a good stroll, but a stroll with 7 league boots.

But...

I wonder what these guys use(d):
https://www.tincanten.com/

Or these:
Sturmey Records 1937

Chuckle! Well, now, where did I say there were no enthusiast or professional riders back then?

Mooo

I don't think you did. But I am kind of curious how those guys would set up their gearing. I bet it's a little simpler for time trials than some other types of rides.

LWaB

I did some Tin Can Tens a few year's back. Some take it gently, some going for a time. The times reflect the approach. There were plenty of people putting in a lot of 'welly' in top gear, averaging around 25 mph on a not-particularly-easy course.

graywolf

I would think they used a lot higher gear than they would today. I think that the idea that spinning fast was more efficient came about in the 60's.

I shouldn't read this list. I ordered those 22t sprockets and a pair of iso-590 alloy rims this weekend. I am wondering if they actually have the rims in stock? I decided to hold off on buying the spokes until I actually have the rims in hand. Besides I might come up with a nice deal on a dynohub in the meantime. I also came very close to bidding on one of those unassembled roadsters from India. If it had been a 24 inch frame I might not have been able to resist.

San Rensho 

46/23. Its perfectly flat here so its geared so that 3rd is an easy spin and the gear I use the most.

First is a fairly low gear to be able to get away from a dead stop easily and quickly without having to get out of the saddle. Standing up from a dead stop is not the safest, in my opinion. You tend to wobble around and if a foot slips off the pedal when you are cranking to get across the steet in front of traffic, it s easy to fall, or at least stall, both with possible disatrous results.

Second is a transition gear or I'll use it while riding into an especially brisk headwind.