For the love of English 3 speeds...
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Posts: 660
Bikes: 1983 Trek 600, 1972 Raleigh Sports Step Thru, 1963 Rudge Sports, 2007 Dahon MuP8, Dahon Speed, Public Mixte 8-speed IGH, mid-70s Peugeot Mixte AW conversion, Riv Platypus
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 350 Post(s)
Liked 24 Times
in
17 Posts
A sometimes-harsh article about Sturmey-Archer from a few years ago, combining technical and management history. I've wondered about Frank Bowden, since he was so idealistic about the bicycle but it seems like Raleigh under his management was a monopolistic beast, absorbing or erasing any sizable competition. Which continued when TI took over. Anyway here's the article.
Last edited by paulb_in_bkln; 05-30-18 at 07:11 AM.
aka Tom Reingold
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York, NY, and High Falls, NY, USA
Posts: 40,639
Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem
Mentioned: 507 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7251 Post(s)
Liked 2,322 Times
in
1,357 Posts
@BigChief, where does one get Action Magic?
__________________
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 634
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 230 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 18 Times
in
11 Posts
Everyone dies in the end.
Abuse Magnet
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Colorado
Posts: 1,887
Bikes: '91 Mtn Tek Vertical, '74 Raleigh Sports, '72 Raleigh Twenty, '84 Univega Gran Turismo, '09 Surly Karate Monkey, '92 Burley Rock-n-Roll, '86 Miyata 310, '76 Raleigh Shopper
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 151 Post(s)
Liked 172 Times
in
86 Posts
A sometimes-harsh article about Sturmey-Archer from a few years ago, combining technical and management history. I've wondered about Frank Bowden, since he was so idealistic about the bicycle but it seems like Raleigh under his management was a monopolistic beast, absorbing or erasing any sizable competition. Which continued when TI took over. Anyway here's the article.
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 1,018
Bikes: Diamond Back Apex, Mongoose IBOC Aluminum Road Bike, SR road bike
Mentioned: 10 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 515 Post(s)
Liked 165 Times
in
115 Posts
@BigChief, where does one get Action Magic?
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Just South of the Mason-Dixon
Posts: 71
Bikes: 1969 Raleigh Sports, 1980 Lotus Excelle
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 52 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
As it goes for me in my rural location, 5 hours on the road and a new 3 speed. Silver Raleigh Sports with 23" frame. The size sealed the deal. AW hub with 5-77 date. I was thinking of what I had learned in just a few months on this thread. I remember being concerned about adjusting the shift on my first Raleigh earlier this year. When I saw this one
was not going into Low I grabbed the WD40 and sprayed......spun the adjuster and in less than a minute I had all three gears. Now to find a chain guard!
was not going into Low I grabbed the WD40 and sprayed......spun the adjuster and in less than a minute I had all three gears. Now to find a chain guard!
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Posts: 660
Bikes: 1983 Trek 600, 1972 Raleigh Sports Step Thru, 1963 Rudge Sports, 2007 Dahon MuP8, Dahon Speed, Public Mixte 8-speed IGH, mid-70s Peugeot Mixte AW conversion, Riv Platypus
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 350 Post(s)
Liked 24 Times
in
17 Posts
As it goes for me in my rural location, 5 hours on the road and a new 3 speed. Silver Raleigh Sports with 23" frame. The size sealed the deal. AW hub with 5-77 date. I was thinking of what I had learned in just a few months on this thread. I remember being concerned about adjusting the shift on my first Raleigh earlier this year. When I saw this one
was not going into Low I grabbed the WD40 and sprayed......spun the adjuster and in less than a minute I had all three gears. Now to find a chain guard!
was not going into Low I grabbed the WD40 and sprayed......spun the adjuster and in less than a minute I had all three gears. Now to find a chain guard!
Full Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Canberra Australia
Posts: 240
Bikes: 30's Speedwell Club Racer, 40's Speedwell 'Z' racer, 50's Unknown Aussie with nice lugs, 50's Speedwell Roadster, 50's Repco Roadster, '63 Raleigh DL-1, 70's Raleigh Sprite, Puch Promenade with Nexus 8
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 149 Post(s)
Liked 30 Times
in
23 Posts
IMG20180530170221 by arty dave armour, on Flickr
Found this at the local recycling centre, got excited, got home and realised the clamp is 23.8mm not the 25.4 all my spare handlebars are
This is a size used (of course) by Raleigh and also other older british bikes. Not sure what to do, it's a nice stem. Guess it might just be a waiting game for the right size handlebars...I'm still looking for a rear 'quarter door' for the DL-1 chaincase but I'm starting to think it's just not going to happen...
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Toronto
Posts: 2,569
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: 1028 Post(s)
Liked 428 Times
in
285 Posts
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 3,240
Mentioned: 103 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1299 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 103 Times
in
85 Posts
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Posts: 660
Bikes: 1983 Trek 600, 1972 Raleigh Sports Step Thru, 1963 Rudge Sports, 2007 Dahon MuP8, Dahon Speed, Public Mixte 8-speed IGH, mid-70s Peugeot Mixte AW conversion, Riv Platypus
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 350 Post(s)
Liked 24 Times
in
17 Posts
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
As it goes for me in my rural location, 5 hours on the road and a new 3 speed. Silver Raleigh Sports with 23" frame. The size sealed the deal. AW hub with 5-77 date. I was thinking of what I had learned in just a few months on this thread. I remember being concerned about adjusting the shift on my first Raleigh earlier this year. When I saw this one
was not going into Low I grabbed the WD40 and sprayed......spun the adjuster and in less than a minute I had all three gears. Now to find a chain guard!
was not going into Low I grabbed the WD40 and sprayed......spun the adjuster and in less than a minute I had all three gears. Now to find a chain guard!
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 634
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 230 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 18 Times
in
11 Posts
IMG20180530170221 by arty dave armour, on Flickr
Found this at the local recycling centre, got excited, got home and realised the clamp is 23.8mm not the 25.4 all my spare handlebars are
This is a size used (of course) by Raleigh and also other older british bikes. Not sure what to do, it's a nice stem. Guess it might just be a waiting game for the right size handlebars...I'm still looking for a rear 'quarter door' for the DL-1 chaincase but I'm starting to think it's just not going to happen...
Only works one way though.
Senior Member
The self-adjusting brakes only existed for a couple years, 74 was one of them. We have a 74 Sprite with them. Then they shifted to the alloy Weinmanns with the levers seen on the silver bike. It's an amazing claim, I admit, but the Weinmann brakes were an improvement.
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Just South of the Mason-Dixon
Posts: 71
Bikes: 1969 Raleigh Sports, 1980 Lotus Excelle
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 52 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
The story on the bike was that it had been brought from Europe by someone who was in the military. I do not know if it was bought there or, if it went there and back. I do know the brakes work quite well! The shift cable appears to be stretching. I have adjusted it three times today and it works as it should and then gets loose and slips in second gear. I tighten it up and all is well then it slips again and the cable is slack. I am just about out of adjustment threads.
I have a lead on another Ladies Sport that I will check out tomorrow.
Senior Member
Honestly I have not looked at the brakes yet. Maybe someone will know.
The story on the bike was that it had been brought from Europe by someone who was in the military. I do not know if it was bought there or, if it went there and back. I do know the brakes work quite well! The shift cable appears to be stretching. I have adjusted it three times today and it works as it should and then gets loose and slips in second gear. I tighten it up and all is well then it slips again and the cable is slack. I am just about out of adjustment threads.
I have a lead on another Ladies Sport that I will check out tomorrow.
The story on the bike was that it had been brought from Europe by someone who was in the military. I do not know if it was bought there or, if it went there and back. I do know the brakes work quite well! The shift cable appears to be stretching. I have adjusted it three times today and it works as it should and then gets loose and slips in second gear. I tighten it up and all is well then it slips again and the cable is slack. I am just about out of adjustment threads.
I have a lead on another Ladies Sport that I will check out tomorrow.
The hub indicates that the bike is probably a 77 or 78 model. The mid to late 70s sports bikes seem to be pretty consistent with serial number system and you should be able to match your serial number to the system as described on Kurt Kaminer's Headbadge site.
About the brakes -- through most of the product life, the Sports bicycles had steel Raleigh brakes with steel Sturmey Archer levers. About 73 or so, and for just a couple years, Raleigh used a really terribly designed self adjusting brake lever coupled with a version of the steel brake calipers. The adjusters may have worked well initially, I don't know, but the design was not robust and every one of them I've seen did not work properly. About 75 or so, Raleigh started using Weinmann alloy side pull calipers with Weinmann alloy levers. That is what you have on your bike. In general, these Weinmann brakes don't get a lot of respect. But, compared to the SA/Raleigh brakes and levers they replaced, they were a significant improvement, in my opinion.
I probably shouldn't be so hard on the Raleigh steel brakes -- they probably worked about as well as could be expected with the steel rims.
About your shift cable -- it is not probable that the cable is actually stretching. There are two fittings on the frame that may be implicated. One is called the fulcrum stop, I think, and it is where the outer cable terminates in a clamped device with a slotted plastic barrel insert. If the clamp is slipping, or if the white plastic slotted barrel insert is damaged and can slide, the effective cable length can change and give the illusion of cable stretch. The other is the little guide wheel that is clamped at the bottom of the seat tube. If your cable jumps (well, they dont actually jump, I suppose) off the wheel or the clamp that holds the wheel can move or if the wheel is broken and no longer round, well, any of these problems can cause the affect you are observing. So, follow the cable from the shifter to the indicator chain and make sure that everything along the path is positioned correctly and is secure and you will probably solve the apparent cable stretch problem. Oh, one more thing about the cable path. Replacement shift cables sometimes have a little cable clamp to terminate the cable at the barrel aduster. These cable clamps can slip and the little bent steel rod that holds the cable clamp to the barrel adjuster can get bent out of shape. That can screw up your shifting also. I had problems like that with one of my bicycles as I kept snagging the cable that runs along the chain stay with my heel. As it was a diamond and not a step through, I repositioned the cable run along the top tube and seat stay, rather than down tube and chain stay. With the step through, you don't have that option -- be careful about snagging the cable.
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 3,240
Mentioned: 103 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1299 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 103 Times
in
85 Posts
About the shifter cable adjustment. The barrel nut at the indicator chain is only the fine adjustment. The coarse adjustment is made by moving cable stop (fulcrum clip) on the frame tube. So if you run out of threads at the barrel nut, adjust it back to the middle and take up the slack by moving the cable stop. I have my suspicion about the adjustment slipping. Sometime in the 70s, someone in Sturmey Archers bad idea department decided to eliminate the nut that holds tension on the cable guide wheel band. They made an extra fold in the soft steel band and drilled and tapped threads into it. These strip very easily. It's possible that the guide wheel is slipping on the frame making cable adjustment impossible.
__________________
Inflate Hard
Inflate Hard
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
Honestly I have not looked at the brakes yet. Maybe someone will know.
The story on the bike was that it had been brought from Europe by someone who was in the military. I do not know if it was bought there or, if it went there and back. I do know the brakes work quite well! The shift cable appears to be stretching. I have adjusted it three times today and it works as it should and then gets loose and slips in second gear. I tighten it up and all is well then it slips again and the cable is slack. I am just about out of adjustment threads.
I have a lead on another Ladies Sport that I will check out tomorrow.
The story on the bike was that it had been brought from Europe by someone who was in the military. I do not know if it was bought there or, if it went there and back. I do know the brakes work quite well! The shift cable appears to be stretching. I have adjusted it three times today and it works as it should and then gets loose and slips in second gear. I tighten it up and all is well then it slips again and the cable is slack. I am just about out of adjustment threads.
I have a lead on another Ladies Sport that I will check out tomorrow.
Last edited by johnnyspaghetti; 05-31-18 at 05:41 AM.
On the road
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: New England
Posts: 2,153
Bikes: Old Schwinns and old Raleighs
Mentioned: 35 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 368 Post(s)
Liked 813 Times
in
311 Posts
I have one of the few working sets of self- adjusting brakes on my 1974 Sports. They're nice when they work. They do not increase braking power; rather thet tend to set the cable tension in case you have too loose a brake cable. They are unnecessary if you know how to set up and maintain brakes/cables.
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 3,240
Mentioned: 103 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1299 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 103 Times
in
85 Posts
I have one of the few working sets of self- adjusting brakes on my 1974 Sports. They're nice when they work. They do not increase braking power; rather thet tend to set the cable tension in case you have too loose a brake cable. They are unnecessary if you know how to set up and maintain brakes/cables.
__________________
Inflate Hard
Inflate Hard
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
Honestly I have not looked at the brakes yet. Maybe someone will know.
The story on the bike was that it had been brought from Europe by someone who was in the military. I do not know if it was bought there or, if it went there and back. I do know the brakes work quite well! The shift cable appears to be stretching. I have adjusted it three times today and it works as it should and then gets loose and slips in second gear. I tighten it up and all is well then it slips again and the cable is slack. I am just about out of adjustment threads.
I have a lead on another Ladies Sport that I will check out tomorrow.
The story on the bike was that it had been brought from Europe by someone who was in the military. I do not know if it was bought there or, if it went there and back. I do know the brakes work quite well! The shift cable appears to be stretching. I have adjusted it three times today and it works as it should and then gets loose and slips in second gear. I tighten it up and all is well then it slips again and the cable is slack. I am just about out of adjustment threads.
I have a lead on another Ladies Sport that I will check out tomorrow.
Old Boy
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 2,390
Bikes: Mostly 1st-generation, top-of-the-line, non-unicrown MTBs/ATBs: All 1984 models: Dawes Ranger, Peugeot Canyon Express, Ross Mt. Whitney (chrome), Schwinn High Sierra, and a 1983 Trek 850.
Mentioned: 134 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 984 Post(s)
Liked 1,715 Times
in
611 Posts
My shift cable adjusting experience suggests slack for 3rd gear but the least amount. Variations in the straightness of the cable will effect 2nd gear engagement.. Every time you click to a lower gear it stretches the minor kinks & bends out and a mal-adjustment occurs.
.
__________________
Roulez pour la joie, jamais pour la douleur.
USMC 1981-1991 Semper Fi!
Roulez pour la joie, jamais pour la douleur.
USMC 1981-1991 Semper Fi!
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Lawrence, Kansas
Posts: 155
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
IMG20180530170221 by arty dave armour, on Flickr
Found this at the local recycling centre, got excited, got home and realised the clamp is 23.8mm not the 25.4 all my spare handlebars are
This is a size used (of course) by Raleigh and also other older british bikes. Not sure what to do, it's a nice stem. Guess it might just be a waiting game for the right size handlebars...I'm still looking for a rear 'quarter door' for the DL-1 chaincase but I'm starting to think it's just not going to happen...
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Posts: 660
Bikes: 1983 Trek 600, 1972 Raleigh Sports Step Thru, 1963 Rudge Sports, 2007 Dahon MuP8, Dahon Speed, Public Mixte 8-speed IGH, mid-70s Peugeot Mixte AW conversion, Riv Platypus
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 350 Post(s)
Liked 24 Times
in
17 Posts
Sometime in the 70s, someone in Sturmey Archers bad idea department decided to eliminate the nut that holds tension on the cable guide wheel band. They made an extra fold in the soft steel band and drilled and tapped threads into it. These strip very easily. It's possible that the guide wheel is slipping on the frame making cable adjustment impossible.
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Posts: 660
Bikes: 1983 Trek 600, 1972 Raleigh Sports Step Thru, 1963 Rudge Sports, 2007 Dahon MuP8, Dahon Speed, Public Mixte 8-speed IGH, mid-70s Peugeot Mixte AW conversion, Riv Platypus
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 350 Post(s)
Liked 24 Times
in
17 Posts