For the love of English 3 speeds...
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I'm excited, well...as excited as one can be for the cold temps, but its fun to have a bike that I don't worry about as much. The S5 hub is working great with a 20T sprocket with plenty of low gear options in the range. Do you ever have issues with your brake lines freezing up? I did when I used to keep my winter commuter hybrid inside and then take it out into the cold. The Triumph will live outside, so with any luck that'll help.
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I built up a winter commuter from an old 'hybrid' bike frame. I didn't use the canti-brake braze-ons; instead built wheels using Sturmey Archer drum brakes front and rear with a 5 speed SA IGH drum combo. The bike uses 700c rims with studded snow tires. Its held up really well but I've only been running it three years and I do try to clean it off. I went with drum brakes since I figured they would stop the bike regardless of ice.
With the three-speed bikes of the 50s, 60s, and 70s, the only thing I'd wish for is the quality, variety, and availability of multiple tire types for 650a like has happened with 650b. I'd like to run Soma Cazadero type tires for winter at 42mm wide and aggressive side tread, but the 38mm Panaracer Col de la vie will have to suffice. I'll just need to be more choosy of which days I go into the office.
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With the three-speed bikes of the 50s, 60s, and 70s, the only thing I'd wish for is the quality, variety, and availability of multiple tire types for 650a like has happened with 650b. I'd like to run Soma Cazadero type tires for winter at 42mm wide and aggressive side tread, but the 38mm Panaracer Col de la vie will have to suffice. I'll just need to be more choosy of which days I go into the office.

I have found that 50s/60s 3-speeds can work with 700c wheels and fenders. Here's my 1950 Lenton Tourist with 700 x 32mm Paselas:

Could be a bit of a stretch to get 700 x 42mm tires AND fenders on there, however.
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I do like the 650B x 42mm Cazaderos for winter commuting, particularly in loose snow:

I have found that 50s/60s 3-speeds can work with 700c wheels and fenders. Here's my 1950 Lenton Tourist with 700 x 32mm Paselas:
Could be a bit of a stretch to get 700 x 42mm tires AND fenders on there, however.

I have found that 50s/60s 3-speeds can work with 700c wheels and fenders. Here's my 1950 Lenton Tourist with 700 x 32mm Paselas:
Could be a bit of a stretch to get 700 x 42mm tires AND fenders on there, however.
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Note room for 650b x 42's and proper fenders
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From previous threads it looks like you have a 73 and a 75 Competition? Either of those would make great starting points for a 650b conversion. It's the model that got me into doing it after I bought an already modified Competition frame from the master, Peter Weigle. Here it is built up and ready for a credit card tour:

Note room for 650b x 42's and proper fenders

Note room for 650b x 42's and proper fenders
PM with some questions inbound!
Thanks.
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A couple of Craig's List finds: A '67? Rudge Sports and a '70's Raleigh Superbe.



Last edited by 1989Pre; 12-03-22 at 02:06 PM.
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Very clean, if confused, Twenty for $150 in MI.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...97776674220752
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- Ed
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Rudge-Whitworth sports (1973). Nearly all original. With the Sturmey-Archer 3 speed.





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That is a cool one, Lucas - the red against the black is very sharp.
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Perhaps it was made in the Netherlands? The fork dimples, rims, chainguard and crankset are not what quite what you'd expect from the typical Rudge.
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An exchange in the "drop bar three speed" thread got me thinking about lamps and dynohubs. I was originally planning to run a late '40s Sturmey Archer lamp set using a tire-driven dynamo on my Sun Wasp, but now I'm thinking I could source a 700c 32h CR18 rim and make a dynohub wheel for a more British C&V esthetic. I have a few options, as a few years ago I gathered dynohubs thinking I'd build another early '50s Raleigh, but now that I've found the Triumph I don't think I will be doing that. Hubs are below dated June 1946 and November 1947 respectively. I also have a GH6 dated 1962 out in the garage bin, but its earmarked as parts donor for the '75 dynohub on my Triumph. My only concern is in using the bakelite-clad version, because this hub will probably see many years of service, potentially to its centenary in the 2040s (well, hopefully, hah!). One would have to take care when tightening not to crack it, but I never had that problem with the 1950 AG hub on my Superbe. I suppose if it cracked, I could just replace the guts within the hub shell.
Has anyone built a standlight circuit and paired it with the Nicelite LEDs for these lamps? I run those in the Triumph's lamps, and I don't mind the flicker at low speeds, but it might be fun to try and build such a circuit and occupy myself over a winter weekend.
PXL_20221209_202457876
Has anyone built a standlight circuit and paired it with the Nicelite LEDs for these lamps? I run those in the Triumph's lamps, and I don't mind the flicker at low speeds, but it might be fun to try and build such a circuit and occupy myself over a winter weekend.

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Rudge at a certain moment fused with Raleigh in England. This bike is a mix of that fuse-time, I figured. As far as I could reconstruct Rudge bikes were later marketed as Raleigh. The bike is all original though; got it from son of the first owner who received it new as a gift from his parents. I love bikes with a personal story!
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I'm thinking I could source a 700c 32h CR18 rim
So Sun probably does a limited run of these 590 rims and if you want them get them NOW.
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The CR18 in 590 flavour are harder to find - I may search some up eventually for my Sturmey five-speed Triumph Sports - but I'm building a 32/40 622 wheelset for my '51 Sun Wasp - the 40h being a Sun Ringle CR-16 I found NOS on ebay, being a US-made older rim from that company. The front will be a CR18, they look pretty darn close a match. For those of you looking to build drop bar or 700c rims, CR-16s in 40h are out there if you can't find a 700c CR18 in 40h, which seem to be rare now.
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Rudge at a certain moment fused with Raleigh in England. This bike is a mix of that fuse-time, I figured. As far as I could reconstruct Rudge bikes were later marketed as Raleigh. The bike is all original though; got it from son of the first owner who received it new as a gift from his parents. I love bikes with a personal story!
Here is a 1963 catalogue image for the different (26 inch) front forks :

From the mid- sixties onwards, most (or all ?) non- Raleigh brands got the generic fork.
Peter
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