gster

Those nipples usually fit.
Not original but OK.

3speedslow

clubman 

uhhh...I think that's a family you twisties!

52telecaster

The posters are wonderful!

PeterLYoung 

I have just opened up a 1940 SA X type (BSA) 3Speed that was not in a wheel and was stuck fast. I filled the 3 Speed with WD40 with the hub held in a vice by its spindle with the end cap I wanted to remove at the bottom (with a rag beneath to catch leakage). let it soak topping it up occasionally for a couple of days. I then gripped the end cap in the vice and heated the body of the hub with a gas torch until it started to show a straw colour in the flame (a lot of smoke from oil & WD 40 emanates). I then gently gripped the body with a large Plumbers Pipe Wrench and remembering it is a Left Hand thread gently increased the pressure and it started to give and I managed to unscrew the end cap. I was left with just a couple of marks on the body from the Pipe Wrench Jaws.

It is always prudent when breaking up a wheel with a 3Speed hub in it to unscrew, grease and re-screw in place the 3Speed end cap before breaking the wheel. (always wise after the event!!!!)

BigChief 

Those cast ferrules are the only new ones I've found. They work OK, but the old Raleighs had plain, straight sided stepdowns made from steel.
edit: forgot to mention. Those new cast ferrules need these end caps on the cable housing to fit correctly. The old plain ones didn't.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/100pcs-Bicy...AAAOSwke9Z5d4N

gster

1930(?) Hercules
Despite the age and rust, the cotters and BB
came apart with minimal fussing.


The spindle looks good and we'll see how well the cranks and chain ring clean up.
I suspect that these are nickle plated as opposed to chrome.
There's a bike shop near me that has a Hercules ring on the wall...
I may be able to persuade him to part with it..

carfreefamily

I finally got the 1952 Raleigh in riding condition. I rode it to work this morning, and it did marvelously. With the 22 tooth rear sprocket, I even managed the climb without having to stand on the pedals. I'm quite pleased with it. The only thing I wish were a little different, is the handlebars are in a little too close, (even for me, who likes them close). Still it's not uncomfortable. I just have to be careful about my hands sliding forward and changing out of low and into normal accidentally.

I did put more money into it than I thought I would when I bought. $120 bike - all it needs is some cleaning and overhauling of bearings, right?

It's sort of a hodgepodge of parts. The chaincase came from British eBay, and I believe it was off a 1950 Sports. I built the wheels with CR-18 rims and new spokes, (with spoke washers). I ended up buying two extra front hubs to get the proper shouldered nuts and washers. I thought maybe one of those hubs would end up on the bike, but I chose the original in the end. The armature had a short in it, so I replaced it, along with the magnet, from a 1955 front Dynohub I bought off eBay. The lights are new Busch and Muller's from Peter White and seem to work rather well with the AG hub.

There's still bits to do. The rear rack has lots of surface rust, but none of it looks threatening. The front fender, too, has a bit of rust here and there, that I believe I will just sand and paint over with Testors model paint. None of the patches are very big, and I find I'm not an enthusiastic or patient hand with a rattle can. My paint job gets the job done, but no one is going to mistake the bike for something that has been "restored".

I wanted to show that such a bike could still give good service as a daily commuter, and as of this morning, that is what it is doing.

I did want to thank everyone on this list who offered encouragement and advice. It made the process much easier and more enjoyable.

BigChief 

Sorry about this...just my opinion...I can't help it. This antique Herc should be kept as original as possible. Sure, for safety, a new pair of 32/40h Westwoods, but other than those I believe the damaged chrome parts should be cleaned, waxed and left as is or sent to somewhere like this:
Quality Chrome Plating - Custom and Antique Plating

gster

I agree with you.
It's really a piece of history and should be preserved.
I think the rims are beyond repair but will see...
The hubs are good and will clean up nicely.

Dan Burkhart 

Awesome project. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out.
You may already know this, but these guys out in Guelph are a pretty good source for hard to find vintage rims. Backpeddling | King of Bikes ? Guelph, Ontario

gster

Thanks for that!

gster

The Hercules came apart without any trouble.

The steering bearings and races all seem good.

The 22T freewheel is branded The Villiers.

Salubrious

I've been riding my Superbe for the last week since the snow receded.

This weekend I was running errands which included a stop at the LBS. As per my usual, left the bike with the fork locked out front but otherwise just sitting on its kickstand. While in the shop a customer came in to report that apparently someone who was looking a bit sketchy was looking the Superbe over and asked if the customer owned it- when 'no' was the answer was then asked for money.

So it appeared that someone was interested in stealing the bike. Upon hearing this I laughed as the locked fork was going to make that a bit tricky. However for whatever reason, the police showed up in force (apparently were driving by and saw what was transpiring first hand) before anyone could even call. They appeared to be arresting the young man as I left the LBS.

gster

3speedslow

3speedslow

BigChief 

Excellent work. Another beautiful classic roadster back on the road. I also touch up rust spots with an artists brush and enamel paint. On more important bikes where I'm going mostly for preservation, I don't fill and smooth pitted areas . I gently scrape off any loose rust with a knife, touch over the area with paint, let it dry and go over the whole bike with polishing compound then wax. This will blend in the gloss, but not hide the repair totally. I figure the less I mess with the finish the better, but at least there won't be any red rust showing. Just pitted painted spots. Great job, the bike looks fantastic.

ryansu

I think that is the story of most of our C&V lives

Your 3 speed came out beautifully btw, I envy those who can commute by 3 speed, my commute it too long and to hilly for a 3 speed - at least for my level of fitness.

carfreefamily

According to my mysterious electronic devices, my commute is 5.9 miles one way with an elevation gain of 721 feet. The steepest pitch is a 14% grade, which is a short section of the bike trail that climbs out of an arroyo to a high point on the Rail Trail.

I do have to say that I think, at 53, I'm in much better shape from all the bike commuting I've done than when I was in my twenties. There are some days where the climb up to work just seems too tedious for a three speed, but then I get to coast back home, so by the end of the day, I've completely forgotten the hard climb of the morning. And of course there are some mornings where the hard climb is delightful. I would say that I commute by three speed about 90% of the time. The rest of the time I'm on my Xtracycle - built out of a 1984 Trek mountain bike, or my Rivendell, The only time I drive is when it's particularly icy out, and my wife wants to go up in the car. (We do have one bike with studded snow tires, but only one.)

3speedslow

carfreefamily

I am fairly certain that anti-rotation washers are standard issue for any internal hub. My Raleigh did not have any installed when I bought it, so I snapped up a couple from Harris Cyclery. I also had a local bike builder fill in the rear dropouts where the axle had rounded things out and widened them.

3speedslow

clubman 

Hang on to that crank though. Big Chiefs earlier post seems to show that chainring design.
I love the 22 tooth freewheel! I'd use that on any number of overgeared bikes I own.

3speedslow