Well then, it's...rather convenient that I scheduled the start of the Three Speed Ride at 4pm, which happens to be when Sunday Parkways ends! ;);) And it starts right on the Sunday Parkways route too.

I have a modern dynohub (horrors!) so I can't help you there.

Here is your solution:

http://m4.i.pbase.com/g3/84/622984/2...4.cHJtSJR2.jpg

You probably know 50 people with these connectors in their tool boxes, or you can get some at any auto parts store.

You can crimp them, but you already have soldering skills, shrink tubing, and a heat generating device which cannot be named. I prefer solder and heat shrink though I am not above crimping on occasion.

As to the "modern" end, the wires to the dyno light are without termination. When installing, you have to operate on the wires in order to attach to the connectors on the hub you are using. Both Schmidt and SON appear to use a spade lug connector which attaches either by crimping or soldering. Shimano hubs have a really outrageously stupidly designed connector which you can see:
http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/011...g?v=1383765090

Thanks for that info. I don't know how to solder or have any soldering kits, although Radio Shack has some I believe. Took a class in Junior high school, jewelry making or something, where we learned how to solder, so It's not rocket science. I figured it would involve dissection the modern connector end and attaching something like you showed. Mine look like metal hooks. Don't have to take the nuts all the way off/on for attachment.

Sorry for getting everything confused. Back when there was a discussion of terminating the shift cable in an elegant way, I thought that you were soldering it. It must have been somebody else.

If you don't have soldering tools suitable for electronics/electrical work, it wouldn't seem to me to make sense to buy some just to wire up a dynolight. Crimping is the solution. Search for crimp connectors or solderless connectors and you'll find a metric buttload of stuff.

If you do ever have the need and desire to get some tools for electronic soldering, stay away from Radio Shack. The nicest relatively low cost stuff is by Weller -- the little blue 25 or 40 watt irons will do most everything you'd probably ever want to do, as long as you aren't doing some surface mount stuff.

And no, it's not rocket science, but there is a bit of technique to soldering electrical components properly.

One shop I worked at had the policy of soldering the ends of cut cables instead of crimping on the little caps. Very clean and classy approach. We found a handy cordless soldering iron about the size of a carrot that could be left in its base plugged in to be charged and then removed for mobility and access to bikes. Actual soldering is not difficult; clean, flux and apply heat, but as the fellow above stated, soldering electrical stuff requires a little more diligence that usually involves heat sinks.

Alas, soldering modern day stainless steel cables is more difficult than the old galvanized stuff we used to have. Nowadays, I just use super glue, applied and dried at the place where I want to cut the cable, but before the cut is made.

I put these connectors inline with my dynamo hub so I wouldn't have to pull on the flimsy connector it came with.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...IL._SY450_.jpg

I have recently picked up a bike with a dynamo front hub. I think when I get to working on it, I'm going to find a weatherproof 2 pin connector for it, something like this.
http://www.amazon.ca/Waterproof-Elec.../dp/B00DNVC68W

I'm constantly surprised at these 3 speeds on how difficult it is to remove a wheel. Not sure how people managed with flat repairs back in the day.

I guess I'm used to them, because I don't find it hard. What gives you troubles?

I guess I'm just used to quick release.
Pulling a front wheel means winding the front nuts all the way off so the fender struts can be removed, unscrewing the dynamo leads and/or removing the front hub drum cable.
Rear wheel has the nuts, shift cable and maybe brake clip. Re-installing is the same plus adjusting the chain and maybe the shifter.
Seems like it would be a pain on the side of the road.

And to make it worse, I'm used to removing the front wheel on my bikes to transport and to put in my basement. Even if I do remove the front wheel, the fender is still there.
I might have to break down and get a bike rack of some sort.

First, no quick release. On the rear, you've got a flat axle that has to be oriented, you need to be careful that you don't upset the bearing adjustment when you tighten up the axle nuts -- maybe this won't happen on the rear because of the flat axle and the cone washers. It's easier with two wrenches rather than one. On the front, there is typically some sort of axle retention -- the predecessor to lawyer lips -- and, depending on the style, you may have to spread the forks a bit to get the axle in and lined up. The forks on a Sports are stiff and it's a pita. The 51 we have is like that -- the cone lock nuts have little shoulders on them that nest into round recesses cut in the fork end. The 51, also, doesn't have the fixed cone on one side of the axle and it's easy to get axle rotation with respect to one or both cones as you tighten the nuts. So, I use a cone wrench to keep everything correct. Three wrenches, two axle nuts, two hands. It's not hard to do, just a bit more tedious.

I guess I agree about the front wheel, but I have no trouble with the rear. The cone has a locknut, so the bearing adjustment doesn't go out on me. But I have a ton of practice. I was a shop mechanic starting in 1978, and there were still a lot of people riding 3-speeds, so I fixed a lot of flats in those days. I could probably do them with my eyes closed, at least on the rear. And of course, most flats occur on the rear.

Maybe I should make a video of how I do it. I can also adjust the gear cable with my eyes closed, truly and literally.

Its also handy to have the right wrench and just keep it in the saddle bag or the like that every British 3-speed has if it knows whats good for it. I was on the Lake Pepin 3-speed tour a couple of years ago and a gent on that ride was selling wrenches that had the two most common Whitworth nut sizes used on the bike- you can deal with the seat, wheels and stem all with one tool.

This is the indispensable Raleigh 3-speed tool in my kit:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-o...%257E60_57.JPG

It's not a three speed, but is English and lives in the barn with several others. She is my first, a well appointed 1974 ivory Sprite. Paint, chrome, and decals are better than average. She features a dynohub with working front and rear lights, an Huret speedometer, massive Raleigh branded bell, pedals, original grips and front and rear racks. Everything has been gone over and she rolls new tires. She fits her owner and now sports pretty panniers.

Not including the tires and panniers, I have about $25 invested. I rarely take her to town now, but wonder if a new bar, not the adult beverage kind, makeover might give her a more unique function.

Please read between my lines. How might I give her an "other" function/aesthetic edge over the 3 speeds?

STS

@slowtostart, did you mean to post a picture?

Yes, "photos or it didn't happen".

Photos reconfigured and posted in another reply.

+1

Here's a Raleigh Superbe listed on Kijiji Hamilton at a whopping $565.00!
It does have the battery pack that I've never seen before. Not sure of the year.
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=441597http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=441598http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=441599http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=441600http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=441601

The auto adjusting brake levers, decals. and steel stem put it at 1975... those levers had a very short run.

Once you do it a few times it gets easier, it is important to make sure the rear axle nuts are lubricated as they are quite soft relative to the axle and are easy to strip... I always carry a replacement nut and you could wire it under the saddle just so you always have one.

Try mending a flat on a bike with a full chain case... at times it is easier to do that without removing the wheel.

i am by no means an expert as i'v only followed raleighs for about a year now since i found my 74 sports . it has all the above said stuff but the shifter cable idler pulley was moved to the lower seat tube by the crank . Looking through the catalog i see in 73 its up top by the seat like that bike .

The pulley on my '74 was also on the lower seat tube, rather than up by the seat. On my rebuild, I'm putting it down low again, rather than move it up.