robertob

All of the various bikes I have are threaded, however it is the usual 26tpi, 55 degree BSC threading, which means that you will need to find the right hardware for that hole. If yours really is not tapped, I would consider that a bonus because you can drill and tap it to M6 or 1/4-20 thread and use a 'normal' bolt.

My 1939 Sports has a bolt that goes through that hole into the frame behind the cranks, and then at the rear there is a strap that goes around the chainstay and screws through the chaincase. To get it on you have to twist it to get it over the chainstay. I have no idea about the yellow jersey ones, they look similar though.

I have a plastic Pashley chaincase that came on a Tourist I bought, which is in two pieces and is easier to fit. No wheel removal...

ascherer 

Sir Andrew? That works!

I eBay'd a brown B66 last night so now I may need to rethink the grips - original grey plastic now, but something matching or cork? Hmm...

robertob

As for grips I'm a 'strictly original' guy, but I understand not everyone agrees.


Speaking of grips does anyone know if the Tourists got white grips when the Sports did? I have a '68 Sports with white ones and a '68 Tourist that came to me with none. Wondering if I should use white or black to be original?

Spruce

Hello all! I recently purchased my first English three speed. This will also be my first project bike, and the first time I've ever repaired a bike, period. So I'm in for lots of learning. My primary concern is making it functional - this will be my commuting bike. I do not plan on repainting, I like the history on this bike. I've been given some good instruction about where to start, what to pay attention to, etc. Then it was brought to my attention that the members of this group might know what I should pay special attention to. The bike is a Hercules. Hub: Strumey-Archer AW 60 3. I haven't been able to put a model to this bike, but I'm a total neophyte. The head badge says Birmingham, the gear shifter is Strumey-Archer. The chain ring is the "H" design, with wedge teeth.

Here's a link to the photos: https://s1239.photobucket.com/albums/ff517/JanieCo/

I'd love to hear any thoughts/ideas!

Velognome 

Very nice Spruce, welcome to the C&V. Your Hercules is a 1960 + or - a year, or at least the Hub is. This was at the time when The companies were being consolidated. Yours has the older Hercules Lugs so that's nice, along with the Birmingham badge. Looks like it will clean up well.....now you have to search and find a set of Hercules fenders in blue or throw caution to the wind and buy a shiney chrome pair Have fun wth it, it's a sweet bike.

For a little motivation...I bought a Dunelt several year ago for my Goddaughter in simular conditon, after some cleaning and finding a few missing parts, she rides this around campus

Spruce

That bike is beautiful!!!! I'm really excited about this bike. It's going to take a lot of elbow grease, thought. Every bolt on that bike is rusted, and whomever owned it before me sure liked 'em tight. I've been reading everything I can about cotters - that's going to be fun. But I'll get her there, and she'll be a great bike.

Velognome 

You'll be very surprised how well the chrome cleans up and the paint comes back to life. These old 3spds were built tough as nails!

wahoonc

That appears to be a Birmingham built bike, nice find. It will clean up beautifully. Ride it and enjoy it.

Aaron

yellowbarber

Nice one Spruce. I just did one of those for my neighbor. It was a '64. I completely disassembled it so I could repack the bottom bracket and the heatdset, and once taken apart I scrubbed the dry old grease o of the bb then lathered it up with turtlewax Zipwax carwash and wiped it down to get all the dried up street crud off the paint. Then soaked a rag in boiled linseed oil and wiped the frame and fork down with it and hung it out in the sun while I went to work on the rims.

yellowbarber

Voila!
It replaced her 1970 Raleigh Sports - her daily, all year rider which lives on the street.
(kept her old seat as a theft/vandalism deterrent)

yellowbarber

nice pick on the Schwalbe delta cruisers...a little $$, but great investment for a cozy, worry free ride

Velognome 

Only $23 or so....I thought kinda inexpesive considering all the rubber, should las a good long time. It's a heavy tire...but then again the bike is no light weight either!

David Newton

Hi Spruce. That Herc is a great bike to learn on and restore, and may make you a great rider.
I'm sorry to say that I just tossed out the frame of the same bike as yours, mens frame, from 1960 also, but kept all the components that made any sense. These were the very last of the "Hercules made" Hercs, and it shows, my frame was as heavy and of as "soft" a tubing as I've ever seen. Cost-cutting must have been the word of the day, the wedge-teeth chain ring being an example. I don't know if Raleigh-made Hercs were any better though. Hercules made some great bikes in their history, but these weren't the ones.

yellowbarber

Deltas for $23? Where? I'd like another pair.
Yes indeed, kinda of heavy - but I find they give you a sure footed, wheels on the ground ride in all weather & ride conditions.
They make them in gumwall too, apparently

yellowbarber

doh! nevermind, I just looked to see how much I paid for a pair about 6 months ago and it was $26ea - not too bad a beatdown.

these guys have the gumwalls for $19.00
https://www.everybicycletire.com/Shop...tions-590.aspx

On the subject of good, affordable tires - I put a set of Michelin world tours on my rescue bike while in London back in June. They were an easy find in the big box sporting goods store at a half decent price. I was able to run them at high pressure (75/80psi) and they gave a great ride all over town; from the Thames path & Regent's Canal, flying down Harrow road in traffic from Harlesden to Paddington and the east-west trip over and through Hampstead Heath. They are 35-590 as opposed to the standard 37-590 for British wheels, so they take a little wrestling and massaging them onto the rim, plus take special care to tuck the tube stem inside the bead.

Sixty Fiver

Delta Cruisers look great and give a great ride quality... have some on the '75 Raleigh Sports I brought to Portland with me.

clasher

Oh this is good to hear, I picked up four of these last time I ordered from chain reaction, can't beat gumwalls + reflective for under 10$. I would like to get a pair of the col-de-la-vie tires but that'll run me 70$ at least.

yellowbarber

World Tours for a '72 Malaysian mfg'd ladies Sports,
after polishing the rims and repacking the hubs

after a full dis-assembly: framset washed and wiped down, headset and BB
cleaned of dried old grease and repacked, stem & bars polished

almost done, need to polish the brakes and reinstall them

gnome

It's a four-speed not a three speed though.

I'll have to take a picture of my other latest English Three-speed. It is slightly different. It is English, dates from the mid fifties and it does have only three speeds, but it doesn't have a IGH.

debit

A few days ago, I built my first wheel. I laced up a Sturmey Archer SRF3 on a CR-18 rim for my daughter's battered but beloved Sprite. This morning I installed the shifter and hooked up the cable, then rode it down to the co-op (where I had my wheel building lesson) to ensure I hadn't messed anything up.

It's not a beautiful bike worthy of restoration, and I know most of you could build a wheel in your sleep. But until just recently, I only had confidence in my ability to change a tire and possibly adjust the tension on a brake cable. Everything else wound up being done at a shop, where the only skill I was required to have was signing my name on the charge slip. So, this was rather a big deal to me, and I just wanted to let you all know, Sixty Fiver in particular, that this thread inspired me to learn, to get my hands dirty, and to finally know the quiet pleasure of riding a 3 speed.



The co-op gave me a thumbs up, and on my way out, I nabbed an old AW from the used parts room. It's going onto another CR-18 rim and will be the starting point of a winter commuter build.

auchencrow

Attaboy debit! There'll be no end to the possibilities now that you know how to lace a hoop onto an SA hub!

Fenway

Just acquired the wheel-set from that ladies 54 for another 54 Sports frame. =)

debit

Thanks! I actually started clearing a space in the family room for the truing stand I apparently MUST have, because who could possibly wait until the co-op opens again tomorrow to finish their wheel?

Heh. It stands to reason that in a male dominated forum a new person would be presumed to also be male; however, I am female. Debit is a play on the name Deb and the fact that I work in an accounting office.

Velognome 

Sweet! Welcome aboard Debit...auchencrow, may I suggest a new name, maybe...oh....say.... "eatencrow"


Truing stands are nice, but in a pinch you can turn the bike upside down and use the brake pads as a reference point to get a wheel close to true.

yellowbarber

I second the motion - although I'll have to do some real creative space clearing in out little apt