silvercreek

Which year and or model is the best choice for a Strumey-Archer Dynohub? Are all of them 32 hole?

rhm

They came in 28, 32, and 36 hole versions. 28 hole for small wheeled bikes, 32 for English bikes, 36 for non-English bikes.

The 12 and 8 volt ones they made in the 30's are a little trickier than the later GH6 6 volt version, so not recommended unless for a bike of that vintage. The cone adjustment on the GH6 is also a little funkier before 1952 so I'd say go for one later than that. Between '53 and whenever they stopped making them, they are all the same model (more or less) and quality (more or less). So chose based on condition.

The current XFDD model (drum brake and dynamo) is a completely different animal.

fietsbob

The New ones are fine, alloy shell I wanted their Drum/Dynamo combination. but the
hub set I have a Sturmey UK elite, minus the Dynamo,
have never given me any maintenance issues in 25 years so I'm in the
if-it-aint-broke-don't-fix-it camp, on that.

catalog still shows the steel drum brake hubs, continued by Sun Race Sturmey..
where they are sold ? SJS.co.uk?
but not those old generator hubs ..

My daily rider has A Schmidt hub, disc brake, 20" wheel Bike Friday..

I understand back in the day a 32 front 40 rear spoked wheel was common,
then they went to 36/36.

I doubt you can generalize all them in any year ,
case by case on condition will need be inspected ..

you know about the Magnetic Keeper scheme
you have to set up, to take those old hubs apart don't you?

photogravity

I have a GH6, a FG and X-FDD. I have only installed the X-FDD at this point, but like it a lot. I'll find an opportunity to use the other hubs eventually.

JohnDThompson 

Rear Dynohubs with 3-speed gears were also available in 36 and 40 hole drillings.

silvercreek

What was the reason for different spoke counts?

photogravity

As Rudi said: "28 hole for small wheeled bikes, 32 for English bikes, 36 for non-English bikes"

For rear hubs dynohub I'd have to say it's similar: 40 for English bikes, 36 for the rest.

silvercreek

I always thought bikes had the same number of spokes front and rear. That's why I was asking.

wahoonc

They also made FG which are/were a 4 speed with dyno...

Aaron

wahoonc

Old Raleigh and a lot of other British bikes of the same era ran a 32 spoke front wheel and a 40 spoke rear wheel. I have heard a variety of reasons as to why. In Raleigh's case the practice stopped somewhere around 1980 IIRC. If you notice on an old Raleigh with a dyno hub the number of times the spokes cross is different too. As far as the best year of Dyno hub I would look for something from the late 1950's to the mid 1960's, somewhere after that they changed the way they hardened the hub cones and the newer ones were not nearly as good.

Aaron

Roll-Monroe-Co

You'll find them between the hen's teeth and the unicorn horns in the Xanadu aisle.

photogravity

I don't have a FG yet, but I do have a 1953 Alloy AW and a 1969 AG. I have an eBay saved search for a FG on my phone in hopes of finding one eventually.


Sturmey AW Alloy 53 5 Shell by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Sturmey AG - 1 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr

ColonelJLloyd 

The reason is for weight distribution, more or less.

Amesja

A 40-spoke wheel in the rear is stronger than a 36-spoke wheel. Most of the weight is distributed over the rear wheel.

A 32-spoke wheel is lighter than a 36-spoke wheel. The front wheel carries much less weight and a 36-spoke wheel is overkill.

A 36/36 bike has a weaker than necessary rear wheel and a heavier-duty than necessary front wheel. But it means more standardized rims at least so the mfg can save a few pennies/bike.

wahoonc

They show up on Ebay UK pretty regularly. I got two that way. They definitely aren't as common as the AG or AW.

Aaron

silvercreek

If I want late model Sturmey-Archer front hub with a generator, 36 spoke holes and brake, and rear hubs with 36 spoke holes and brakes, which SA hubs do I want to order.

photogravity

Front: X-FDD
Rear: X-RD3, X-RD5(W), or X-RD8(W)

Sturmey's naming convention actually is pretty easy to understand once you know the basics.

Amesja

Also the XL-FDD is the same Dyno as the X-FDD with a 90mm brake instead of the 70mm. It stops even better and can take a lot more heat from downhill abuse on a heavy bike like a cargo-hauler or a trike.

photogravity

Indeed, I didn't put them on the list because I didn't want to muddy the waters. So now that you've taken us there if you want to go with the 90mm drums the models are:

Front: XL-FDD
Rear: XL-RD3, XL-RD5(W)

There is no large drum option for the Sturmey 8-speed IGH.

Amesja

I always thought they should call the 90mm brakes XC instead of XL. XL=40 hahahahaha! XC=90 in Roman Numerals.

photogravity

Without your explanation, it would have gone over my head! <sigh> I guess I need to revisit Roman numerals.

wahoonc

The XL-RD5(w) is hard to source and you will probably pay a premium. I just built up a set of wheels for my son's bike and used the XL-FDD and XRD5(w) for his. I figure he needs the 90mm in the front the most.

Aaron