gster

Yes, I think you've got it.
You'll notice in the catalogue that they all came with leather saddles as standard equipment.

Fidbloke

Exactly...
That's why they labelled the shifter as 'Low - Normal - High'. I tend to use Normal for most of my riding. It gets me about at 10-12mph and feels 'nicer' than the other gears.

More 'normal' even.

DQRider 

What a cool bicycle! These olde English bikes really clean up well, don't they? This one looks quite a bit lighter than my DL-1. Nice, nice, nice...

gster

I agree, it's not one of mine though.

Bicyclz

I hope this one is in the spirit of the thread, being 'modern', but it is an English 3 speed & I see no mention on BF anywhere.
Something different for the weekend, perhaps?

Has a tough, steel frame, with 24" (47 x 507) wheel at the front, 26" (47 x 559) rear.
Sturmey Archer X-RD3 & X-RF, with hub brakes.



Quite a versatile carrier, but I ride it often with just the rear rack fitted, as a town bike, & it rides like a traditional 3 speed roadster for me: )
I can add a conventional wire basket on the front, or the 'full monte' with the cradle & basket/box for heavy duty work. (Five minutes to install/remove)





It's pretty much standard apart from the trigger & chain-wheel/guard.
(The original was pretty 'Tacky' with a brittle, plastic enclosure.)

adventurepdx

Nice one!

But keep that front carrier on! Because a front carrier bike doesn't look right without the front carrier.

Bicyclz

Needs an adjustable stem really, to do that. Here above it's pictured with original fixed stem/bars. Not the best.

With a longer stem & a bag underneath it looks cool & practical to me.
I tried it; )

Also tried it with a 7 speed Nexus:


A side issue on a 3 speed thread: )

IronDan

I was given this rather tatty 1984 Raleigh courier yesterday, it's a 23" frame but seems really big! If I stand it next to my other 23" bikes it's a good inch taller. I did think maybe the wheel size was different but they are all 26" so maybe the frame geometry is different?

choteau

Your other bikes are probably 26" "mountain bike" aka 559 rims and the Raleigh is 26" old 3 speed aka 590 rims. So 31 mm difference in rim height or close to an inch! I like the back rack!

IronDan

They are all old 26 X 1 3/8 wheels and this is the newest one of them, I'm going to have a closer look today and see if I can figure it out

The guy I got the bike off is a frabricator so I suspect he made that out of scrap he found lying around

Kuupola

What is the current verdict on the Sturmey Archer DT shifters? I am planning to equip my 1985 Peugeot PH-11 with an AW hub from 1980, and DT shifters would be my preffered configuration. Why 3 speed on that bike, you ask? It's got 122mm droput alignment and the derailleur hanger is bent, because the rear mech caught the spokes.

3speedslow

Sounds like a plan! Current shifters work with older hubs so not a worry. Drop out spacing will need some work but not impossible. Many have done this conversion and liked the results.

Pls show pics as the project moves forward.

Kuupola

I most certainly will!

The hub's got the long axle and is spaced for 120mm, so I don't even need to re-align the dropouts, I just need to get a wheel built and get the shifters and anti-rotation washers, so this will be an easy project. I even calculated the weights, the bike will weigh exactly the same as before as 12 speed, so around 10,5kg

nlerner

I've used the new S-A 3-speed shifter in bar-end configuration, and it works great.

DQRider 

I began training this morning for the Lake Pepin 3-Speed Tour. It was a balmy 36°F, headed for a high of 57°; I'll be in shorts this afternoon.

Took ye olde Roadster out for a shakedown cruise, and ended up at the local pond:

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Everything works well but the brakes. I installed the Kool Stop salmon pads, but I don't think I have them adjusted properly. The fronts grab and let go, sort of a juddering sensation, but at least they slow and stop the bike. The rear brakes don't want to play yet - I squeeze the lever to the bar and all I get is a mild bit of drag, hardly enough to impede forward progress. I guess I have to learn how to set these up better.

Other than that, it was a very plush ride. I'm really looking forward to the `Tour.

Dan Burkhart 

Now that is gorgeous.

BigChief 

What a nice roadster! Love the tires, they look great. Yellow Jersey has some good rod brake pads you might want to try. I like the Fibrax. A bit pricey, but good. Still, rod brakes is rod brakes.
Some Vintage Brake Parts from Yellow Jersey Raleigh Modolo DiaCompe Zeus Campagnolo Mafac

adventurepdx

I agree, looks like a great bike! Lookin' forward to seeing it at Pepin.

3speedslow

Just don't tell anyone you were training for Pepin!

The bike is quite stunning. Pond looks frozen enough to ride on.

DQRider 

Thanks, guys. So the long hours out in my shop during the season of dark and cold were not in vain. I took every bike in my stable out for a ride today, and now I'm pooped!

But it's a good kind of pooped...

DQRider 

Thanks, Big Chief. I've had an account with Yellow Jersey since last September or so. Andrew has been a big help.

Since I posted earlier, I've improved the situation quite a bit with some adjustments. It's really a straightforward mechanism, but there are some subtleties to it. Cleaning both wheels with alcohol seemed to help, as did tightening up the pull on the rear brakes. As the pads bed-in, I imagine it will get even better.

arex

I have the SA 3-speed bar-end shifter, and it's quite precise and crisp. It's also usable as a down-tube shifter by removing the bar-end pod. In short, I like it a lot.

SirMike1983 

Shaping up to be a nice weekend here in Virginia. Almost 50 today, and supposedly 65 tomorrow. I'm currently riding mostly this 1946-47 Hercules roadster.

The Bike Shed: The Season Approaches...

gster

Beautiful bike.
Those rod brakes will never work as well as modern ones. You just need to modify your riding style and anticipate what's ahead. Much like driving a vintage car.

gster

Good website!