For the love of English 3 speeds...
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Toronto
Posts: 2,562
Bikes: 1971 Hercules, 1978 Raleigh Superbe, 1978 Raleigh Tourist, 1964 Glider 3 Speed, 1967 Raleigh Sprite 5 Speed, 1968 Hercules AMF 3 Speed, 1972 Raleigh Superbe, 1976 Raleigh Superbe, 1957 Flying Pigeon, 1967 Dunelt 3 Speed
Mentioned: 57 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1026 Post(s)
Liked 407 Times
in
279 Posts
Day 2 of a nasty cold has me slowed down. Got one of the 501 pedals I have to look at. The nub which sticks up from the cage for some reason hits the crank arm and won't move past it. I will take it apart and see if the axle is bent. Really want to use these but could go to the block ones which came with it. I see a set is for sale here but wow! No can do..
Shifter cable is hooked, brakes are next. I found my Raleigh kickstand and decided to install.
Shifter cable is hooked, brakes are next. I found my Raleigh kickstand and decided to install.
mks-3000r-rubber-block-pedals-3.jpg
Last edited by gster; 09-26-17 at 04:33 AM.
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Toronto
Posts: 2,562
Bikes: 1971 Hercules, 1978 Raleigh Superbe, 1978 Raleigh Tourist, 1964 Glider 3 Speed, 1967 Raleigh Sprite 5 Speed, 1968 Hercules AMF 3 Speed, 1972 Raleigh Superbe, 1976 Raleigh Superbe, 1957 Flying Pigeon, 1967 Dunelt 3 Speed
Mentioned: 57 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1026 Post(s)
Liked 407 Times
in
279 Posts
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Chicopee, Massachusetts
Posts: 164
Bikes: 1973 Raleigh Sports, 1964 Raleigh Sports (Canadian?), 1969 Triumph Ladies, 70's Columbia Sports III, 07 Diamondback Venom
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 83 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts

Senior Member
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Pigseye
Posts: 577
Bikes: Raleigh Sports
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 202 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
The gal selling it is out of the country right now but a friend of hers is storing it locally, amazingly close by the house here in Minneapolis and will meet that friend of hers around dinner time tommorrow. I am fairly certain I will be overcome by my weakness and have to make this purchase.
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Toronto
Posts: 2,562
Bikes: 1971 Hercules, 1978 Raleigh Superbe, 1978 Raleigh Tourist, 1964 Glider 3 Speed, 1967 Raleigh Sprite 5 Speed, 1968 Hercules AMF 3 Speed, 1972 Raleigh Superbe, 1976 Raleigh Superbe, 1957 Flying Pigeon, 1967 Dunelt 3 Speed
Mentioned: 57 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1026 Post(s)
Liked 407 Times
in
279 Posts
Day 2 of a nasty cold has me slowed down. Got one of the 501 pedals I have to look at. The nub which sticks up from the cage for some reason hits the crank arm and won't move past it. I will take it apart and see if the axle is bent. Really want to use these but could go to the block ones which came with it. I see a set is for sale here but wow! No can do..
Shifter cable is hooked, brakes are next. I found my Raleigh kickstand and decided to install.
Shifter cable is hooked, brakes are next. I found my Raleigh kickstand and decided to install.
My wife doesn't mind, it's an improvement over a motorcycle....
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Toronto
Posts: 2,562
Bikes: 1971 Hercules, 1978 Raleigh Superbe, 1978 Raleigh Tourist, 1964 Glider 3 Speed, 1967 Raleigh Sprite 5 Speed, 1968 Hercules AMF 3 Speed, 1972 Raleigh Superbe, 1976 Raleigh Superbe, 1957 Flying Pigeon, 1967 Dunelt 3 Speed
Mentioned: 57 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1026 Post(s)
Liked 407 Times
in
279 Posts
Attachment 582142
Attachment 582143
Attachment 582144Well back from Maine and since we have had 4 days of tropical storm weather on Cape Cod I started to take the Raleigh apart. I am calling it a 1952 (serial number no help) in honor of the owners name inscribed on the crank arm. I searched him on ancestry.com and he was born in 1952 which is consistent with the changes made to the bike in the 60's when he would have been about 12yo. There are a few nuts and bolts that are not period but over all everything looks right. Rookie mistake was buying the BikeHand tool kit. I didn't need a thing in it. I have just ordered two Park bottom bracket tools [can't get the BB off. I am concerned about a video I saw on removing the BB. I bent 2 pipe clamps (yes pipe clamps) trying to remove cotter. I finally used heat. Now the video shows a plastic race. If so it's probably NG now. I've tried three different paint strippers. The repaint came off easy. The factory paint not so much. Back to Maine today to winterize cabin back to bike next week.
Attachment 582143
Attachment 582144Well back from Maine and since we have had 4 days of tropical storm weather on Cape Cod I started to take the Raleigh apart. I am calling it a 1952 (serial number no help) in honor of the owners name inscribed on the crank arm. I searched him on ancestry.com and he was born in 1952 which is consistent with the changes made to the bike in the 60's when he would have been about 12yo. There are a few nuts and bolts that are not period but over all everything looks right. Rookie mistake was buying the BikeHand tool kit. I didn't need a thing in it. I have just ordered two Park bottom bracket tools [can't get the BB off. I am concerned about a video I saw on removing the BB. I bent 2 pipe clamps (yes pipe clamps) trying to remove cotter. I finally used heat. Now the video shows a plastic race. If so it's probably NG now. I've tried three different paint strippers. The repaint came off easy. The factory paint not so much. Back to Maine today to winterize cabin back to bike next week.
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 3,240
Mentioned: 103 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1299 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 98 Times
in
82 Posts
Raleigh did start using 7 bearing plastic cages in the late 60s -early 70s, but not always. The rusted out 69 Sports I salvaged parts from had them, but the green 73 Sports I'm working on now didn't. He's referencing a BB rebuild video on you tube where the bike had them. In the video, he puts them back in instead of using 11 loose. The guy in the video also removes the fixed cup using the friction method which is a lot of work and not necessary. No idea why he would bother to do that or use 7 bearings instead of the much better 11.
__________________
Inflate Hard
Inflate Hard
Last edited by BigChief; 09-26-17 at 05:52 AM.
multimodal commuter
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: NJ, NYC, LI
Posts: 19,848
Bikes: 1940s Fothergill, 1959 Allegro Special, 1963? Claud Butler Olympic Sprint, Lambert 'Clubman', 1974 Fuji "the Ace", 1976 Holdsworth 650b conversion rando bike, 1983 Trek 720 tourer, 1984 Counterpoint Opus II, 1993 Basso Gap, 2010 Downtube 8h, and...
Mentioned: 578 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1904 Post(s)
Liked 562 Times
in
333 Posts
Yesterday evening I got my Falcon three speed out of my bike locker, pumped up the tire (story told elsewhere), and rode off. A hundred yards later I stopped for a traffic light. When the light went green I started pedaling and something went PANG! and my pedals spun freely. It turned out the circlip had popped off the driver, and the cog had slipped out to the groove where the circlip was supposed to be. I had to take the wheel off to get it back on, pain in the neck. But why had this happened? There are two 1/16" spacers, and one cog, so there really should be plenty of room for the circlip, but it seemed to be just barely hanging on. This was the first time the circlip had popped off, though, and the hub has been on this bike for several years.
Today on the way to the station, it happened again. Again I had to take the wheel off to get the circlip back on. I removed one of the 1/16" spacers, so the hub is now noisier than before, but the circlip fits better.
Today on the way to the station, it happened again. Again I had to take the wheel off to get the circlip back on. I removed one of the 1/16" spacers, so the hub is now noisier than before, but the circlip fits better.
__________________
www.rhmsaddles.com.
www.rhmsaddles.com.
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 16,938
Mentioned: 469 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3695 Post(s)
Liked 6,135 Times
in
2,447 Posts
I've had a circlip pop off mid ride, too, @rhm. It was on a bike that had never had that problem before, and has never had it again since (my '49 Raleigh Clubman). Circlip gremlins, clearly.
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 3,240
Mentioned: 103 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1299 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 98 Times
in
82 Posts
I've noticed on some hubs that between the dust cap, cog and the 2 spacers, that channel for the circlip gets pretty crowded and on others, it's almost too loose. I guess there's some variation on where the circlip channel is cut on the driver. This last '72 AW I worked on seemed very tight. I can't really tell if the clip is seated all the way down in the groove because it's pressed so tight against the cog.
__________________
Inflate Hard
Inflate Hard
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Maryland
Posts: 3,975
Bikes: Lots of English 3-speeds, a couple of old road bikes, 3 mountain bikes, 1 hybrid, and a couple of mash-ups
Mentioned: 53 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 886 Post(s)
Liked 328 Times
in
223 Posts
I have a pair of aluminized steel fenders that fit a 26 x 1 3/8 wheel. The rear fender has no stay and is pretty clean. The front fender has the stay and some rust coming through the aluminized coating. They are free for cost of shipping to someone on this forum.
__________________
I hope...that all mankind will at length…have reason and sense enough to settle their differences without cutting throats. Ben Franklin
I hope...that all mankind will at length…have reason and sense enough to settle their differences without cutting throats. Ben Franklin
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 115
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 79 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
So my wife says "this is how it starts!" Just picked up for $40.00. This Sturmey has no date and notice the oiler. Other features my help date it. I haven't looked for serial number yet. What do you think? 0926171432-00.jpg
0926171429-00.jpg
0926171431-02.jpg
0926171433-00.jpg
0926171430-01.jpg
0926171429-00.jpg
0926171431-02.jpg
0926171433-00.jpg
0926171430-01.jpg
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 115
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 79 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Chicopee, Massachusetts
Posts: 164
Bikes: 1973 Raleigh Sports, 1964 Raleigh Sports (Canadian?), 1969 Triumph Ladies, 70's Columbia Sports III, 07 Diamondback Venom
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 83 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
So my wife says "this is how it starts!" Just picked up for $40.00. This Sturmey has no date and notice the oiler. Other features my help date it. I haven't looked for serial number yet. What do you think? Attachment 582356
Attachment 582357
Attachment 582358
Attachment 582359
Attachment 582360
Attachment 582357
Attachment 582358
Attachment 582359
Attachment 582360
The oiler is new to me, but that chainguard is something i want...lol I believe they were used until the 60's , also i am jealous as that bike here would be probably $150+
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Maryland
Posts: 3,975
Bikes: Lots of English 3-speeds, a couple of old road bikes, 3 mountain bikes, 1 hybrid, and a couple of mash-ups
Mentioned: 53 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 886 Post(s)
Liked 328 Times
in
223 Posts
You may have a mongrel Raleigh, but I will not claim to be an authority. I see that the chain case is not fully enclosed. Obviously the grips are new. The stem and bars may be replacements (can't tell from the photos). The oiler port on the bottom bracket makes it older, as do the decals on the frame. Someone will surely weigh in on the age.
__________________
I hope...that all mankind will at length…have reason and sense enough to settle their differences without cutting throats. Ben Franklin
I hope...that all mankind will at length…have reason and sense enough to settle their differences without cutting throats. Ben Franklin
Senior Member
Wow! You got yourself a winner. No date hub has me stumped. Did not think it was way back old. Nice script on the chaincase.
Let me jump and say late 40's? Edit: history says this is a 1950-3 year shifter.
Let me jump and say late 40's? Edit: history says this is a 1950-3 year shifter.
Last edited by 3speedslow; 09-26-17 at 02:17 PM.
Senior Member
This is what I am having to deal with. The left pedal seems to have suffered some damage at some time. I can't even remember what these came on, no surprise there!
On the crank it hits the side. So I took it apart, cleaned everything. Put the bare spindle on the crank and did not see any distortion, looked like a perfect 90 deg.
Put the cage in my trusty workmate and filed down the side nub until it looked like it would clear. Once assembled, it being mounted showed good clearance now. I hit the bare rusty area with converter, then will paint.
Hopefully these will not be wonky.
On the crank it hits the side. So I took it apart, cleaned everything. Put the bare spindle on the crank and did not see any distortion, looked like a perfect 90 deg.
Put the cage in my trusty workmate and filed down the side nub until it looked like it would clear. Once assembled, it being mounted showed good clearance now. I hit the bare rusty area with converter, then will paint.
Hopefully these will not be wonky.
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 3,240
Mentioned: 103 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1299 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 98 Times
in
82 Posts

__________________
Inflate Hard
Inflate Hard
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 115
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 79 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
You may have a mongrel Raleigh, but I will not claim to be an authority. I see that the chain case is not fully enclosed. Obviously the grips are new. The stem and bars may be replacements (can't tell from the photos). The oiler port on the bottom bracket makes it older, as do the decals on the frame. Someone will surely weigh in on the age.
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Chicopee, Massachusetts
Posts: 164
Bikes: 1973 Raleigh Sports, 1964 Raleigh Sports (Canadian?), 1969 Triumph Ladies, 70's Columbia Sports III, 07 Diamondback Venom
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 83 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/raleigh.html#serial
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 115
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 79 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Where do you find these bikes? Killer find. This dates to before the brazed on pully guide lug. It's only a question of how much before. Shifters can be replaced, but this style of shifter was advertised December 1949
1949 sa ad by Billy Bones, on Flickr

superbe54-big.jpg
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Chicopee, Massachusetts
Posts: 164
Bikes: 1973 Raleigh Sports, 1964 Raleigh Sports (Canadian?), 1969 Triumph Ladies, 70's Columbia Sports III, 07 Diamondback Venom
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 83 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
@plympton where are you located? Prices here vary from 125 to 300+ >.>
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Chicopee, Massachusetts
Posts: 164
Bikes: 1973 Raleigh Sports, 1964 Raleigh Sports (Canadian?), 1969 Triumph Ladies, 70's Columbia Sports III, 07 Diamondback Venom
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 83 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts