Sixty Fiver

Raleigh acquired Sturmey Archer long before 1974 and sold SA branded parts (besides hubs) throughout their lines.

This was convenient when you offered a sub or parallel brand like a Phillip's and did not want Raleigh built and branded parts on the bike.

noglider 

My Stingray clone when I was a kid had an AW hub and a big stick shift on the top tube. Boy, that was style! I learned to adjust the AW hub from a kid who was a year or two older than I. That's the way kids should learn bike mechanics. It seems to be a lost art among neighborhood kids.

michaelz28

ahh its a kids thing ..

campngolf

How true. I was definitely better at wrenching on my purple Stingray as a kid back in the early 70-s than I am now klutzing around in my mid-50's.

PalmettoUpstate 

Speaking of Schwinns...

I'm truly thankful for this thread where so much 3 speed lore, history, insights, resources, links etc. resides.

Can anyone direct me to a link possibly where I can see whether the Schwinn Varsity model came OEM with a SA 3 speed hub in 1972?

This bike is in Eugene and could be a nice addition to someone's er.. [sheepishly] "collection"... LOL!

'72 Schwinn Varsity - Mens 3 speed

Bandera

@Scooper & @Metacortex have scans of all the old catalogs, but no that is a conversion from "10 speed" derailleur to IGH.
It was some "Collegiate" models that were OEM w/ AW IGH (f that's enough acronyms in one sentence).

-Bandera

PalmettoUpstate 

Yea, thanks for the confirmation.

I was pretty sure I detected a place on the downtube that was a giveaway for where the front derailleur had been.

Do Scooper and Metacortex have the catalog pages up online?

gster

Picked up this one today..... 1938 Hercules Falcon frame and fenders, 1967 wheels, new tires and cables. It came without the leather saddle but I have a spare in the garage.
It will get a quick makeover...

Metacortex

Here is the '72 Varsity catalog page:



As you can see from the factory it was originally a 10-speed with drop bars.

noglider 

I don't think I've ever seen a 3-speed Varsity. It might be modified from its original form. Schwinn already had a few 3-speed models.

PalmettoUpstate 

Ah yes, quite familiar with those old steel Varsitys in a 10-12 speed configuration. Indeed, I own a 1976 Panasonic/Schwinn Super Le Tour 12.2 that I am extremely fond of... Bought from the original owner sometime around 1981. Somehow got rid of the original saddle for a SELLE but the one in the pic below will go on it next time I shine her up and ride her...

Back to that Craigslist Varsity: the guy did a pretty good job on the conversion; lack of a "hockeystick" chainguard notwithstanding, so I thought that the bike could possibly be "stock"... Thanks for the clarification and BTW, do you have the Schwinn catalogs up online?

Metacortex

Not my doing, but there are Schwinn catalogs posted online here:

Schwinn Catalogs by Year
Schwinn Catalog Scans
Vintage Schwinn Catalogs 1899 to 1984

Note that the Suburban was essentially a Varsity Tourist (it replaced the Varsity Tourist in '70), and for '70 and '71 it was available in a 3-speed model: https://bikecatalogs.org/SCHWINN/MODELS/Suburban.html

kurtp13

Gster, I've got a red Hercules. Not as old but the fenders look terrible. The white contrast color could look good. And i could avoid color matching.

nlerner

Very nice! I have a couple of 1930s Raleighs, and they have similarly very slack angles. Lots of wheel flop!

dweenk 

I was given the rear wheel from a trashed frame (an old Sears Free Spirit). The hub is a Sturmey Archer S3C (C-for coaster brake), dated 1986. The freewheel does not rotate backward and the drive side non-rotation washer had the flats stripped. I think it may have been ridden with the stripped washer - could that have locked it up?

Below is a photo of the washer. I would like to know if there is an easy fix for this, or if I need to learn how to pull the thing apart and repair it.

gster

I've given the bike a quick makeover and replaced the fenders with a pair of mini Bluemels that I had in the garage as well as a Brooks saddle. The trigger has been swapped out for a mid 50's one but would like to get hold of a Hercules trigger as well as a chain ring. The bike is what we used to call a "Bitsa"..bits of one bike and bits of another. This ad from 1936 is the only thing I've found to date the bike. The serial # also seems to confirm but there's not much info out there...

gster

I've removed the fenders and they're a little rough as well.

kurtp13

Well it looks good. Thats what I'm hoping my starts to look like. I'm not giving up on these fenders yet. I might just do the contrast color after all. Top bar kind of beat up? The photo kind of hides it. Flipped North roads handlebars ?

I'm encouraged. I need to get back to it. To many projects.

michaelz28

i don't think this tire has ever been moved ..

desconhecido 

Original tubes, original tires, original chain, proper chain tension, rolls straight -- what reason would there be to move it during the first 100 miles?

Velocivixen

Harris Cyclery in MA sells these washers online. Fairly inexpensive.

gster

Thanks, the top bar is pretty rough but I'll leave it as is. I'm going to re route the gear cable as well over a pulley on the seat tube. I'm just missing one elusive part. The mysterious Fulcrum Stop!

There's a guy in town that will probably have one.

Slash5

I'm only a beginner at 3 speeds but I would have said a coaster hub sprocket shouldn't rotate backwards? That's how you apply the brakes.
You might be able to find the washers or other parts at the local bike co-op. Make sure you get the right washer - old bikes used a narrower dropout slot than modern bikes.

michaelz28

well it is 40 years old .. I have a 45 year old stingray with original tires and tube and the wheels have been off of that thing a few times for sure .

forestine

Here's my 1973 Eaton's Glider before and after(so far). I had issues with the AW going into "neutral" when I'd shift into 2nd or sometimes while in 2nd, jumping *out* of gear. Tried taking it to a bike shop because my skills aren't super advanced and I thought I might have to open the hub, to be greeted with absolute disgust (he kept rolling his eyes) by this guy who didn't seem to think it was worth fixing. His suggestion was to replace the entire wheel/hub with a $200 single speed one. Went to a community bike shop to ask about parts next, where they offered to help me replace my wheel with a "normal" one. They said they don't get parts in that aren't easily interchangeable, so it's all derailleurs around there. Took the bike home, oiled the hub really well (not ready to open it yet), replaced the shifter cable, housing and indicator chain and it is shifting fine! I won't be going back to that bike shop. What do they gain from treating people like dirt?

Here's the before (this was the photo on Kijiji complete with antique shop in the background)
20 by Lindsay.Joy, on Flickr

Here it is right now (complete with cat)
Untitled by Lindsay.Joy, on Flickr

So far we've ( @nelsonmilum and I, who I am sure will be posting a before/after of his matching bike soon) replaced the cables and shifters, brake pads with Kool Stops, new grips and tires, lots of elbow grease and de-rusting with foil, and got a bell the colour of the Eaton's department store shopping bags. I have a new rack to put on the back which I'll do soon. I think I will eventually want a front basket, too, and a better saddle, when I can afford it. This vinyl one keeps catching on my clothes, is rock hard, and the plastic lining is all brittle and cracked.