pozzello

I have the opportunity of picking up a 1951 Humber in very good condition (but not for a very good price ) I know all there is about Raleighs but nothing about Humbers. This one has rod brakes with drum brakes, a dual tubed fork and a full chaincase. Aside for some paint chips, the finish is in really good condition and the chrome has very little pitting. I haven't found much online, can anyone tell me about these bikes?

I don't even know anything about drum brakes, can pads still be found?

Paul

nlerner

Humber was owned Raleigh by the 1950s and produced bikes similar to the Raleigh line. One key difference is that twin-tubed fork, which is quite cool.

Neal

David Newton

You mean rod-operated drum brakes?
If they are Sturmey-Archer drum brakes, you'll be able to find shoes, most likely in Ebay Vintage Bicycle Parts & Accessories.
But I would try first here in the "trade" thread.

sailorbenjamin

Sounds like it's got everything you'd ever want in a roadster. Has it got a leather saddle? That's not torn at the rivets?

gnome

buy it. the full chaincase is hard to come by. the drum brakes, once the shoes have been replaced, mean that an English roadster/sports bike will actually stop in the wet.

pozzello

LOL, not sure I would ride it in the rain

pozzello

Rod-operated drum brakes is what I meant, first time I've ever seen that combo, has a really good feel.

pozzello

What actually constitutes a roadster? The rod brake levers? The wheel size? This one is kind of a cross between the two as it has 26" wheels. The saddle is also in great condition, the whole bike looks like it just sat around for the last 50 years...

clubman 

Roasters typically have 26 or 28" wheels, internal gears, mudguards, chain guards and slack angles for a comfortable upright riding position. Often have rod brakes but not necessarily. The 26" wheel models are considered to be the "Sports" sub-set of roadsters. They're generally lighter, smaller and more nimble than their 28" wheeled brethren.

Your Humber sounds like a nice example of this premium marque (don't forget about the wheel lock on the down tube) You said it was high priced but if the condition is very good and it's all original than it might be worth it, if you want a roadster. You didn't say it it had a Dyno light set, pump, saddle bag etc. Those bits add value and mens frames have more value than a womans frame. Pictures are always nice? I've heard that some of the new drum shoes from Sturmey Archer fit the old style hub brakes but I can't confirm it.

cudak888 

But with rod brakes, a 26" wheeled-roadster in Raleigh lingo is generally a "Dawn," excluding the oddballs produced for the UK market after 1980, including the Royal Roadster (which came both as a 26" Dawn-inspired machine, and as a rebadged 28" DL-1).

-Kurt

clubman 

Yes I guess the Raleigh model was a Dawn but I wasn't trying to tie the genre of "Sports" bikes to the Raleigh Sports. I think many marques incorporated Sports into their model name, although I can't think of one that had rod brakes. I had a sweet Hercules with rods but no name visible. It had very slack angles and did ride more like a roadster.



In addition to this blurring of the lines between roadsters and Sports 3 speeds, there was a similar ambiguity between 3 speeds and club bikes.(re current thread on Golden Arrows). 3 speed Sports models had one tire in the roadster world and the other in club bikes but no one could mistake a DL1 for a Record Ace. At least after riding it.