Updated January 10, 2004

Easy to repair?

Vintage English three speed bicycles, whether they be the sportsters or roadsters, are probably the easiest bicycles to maintain. I have come to this conclusion after years of working as a bicycle mechanic. I have worked on just about every type and brand of bicycle that is common in the U. S. A. Bicycles have not gotten easier to repair nor have they gotten more trouble free. If anything they have gotten more trouble prone and harder to repair. Repair costs have gone up over the years not only because of inflation but also because the design of bicycles has become more complicated. (Soon to be added: A page of price comparisons between replacement parts for these bicycles and some of today's most popular bicycles.)

Examples

The shifting mechanism, except for the lever and cable, is enclosed in the rear hub. It is indexed so that if you adjust one gear all of them are adjusted. Unlike most of today's bicycles there is only a $7 indicator chain, (indicator spindle is the part's correct name), that is exposed and at risk of damage if the bicycle falls on its gear side. You could, if need be, replace that part with an imitation made by other than Sturmey Archer. They cost about $2 rather than $7, but I don't recommend that because the original Sturmey Archer parts are always of higher quality. Routine adjustment does not require any tools as all you have to do is loosen a knurled nut, turn an adjusting barrel to proper adjustment, then tighten the knurled nut. This is all meant to be done by hand.

The rear hub holds the transmission and is said by some to be the part that makes a  bicycle with enclosed gears more trouble to repair than other bicycles. That is not true. First of all, the hub rarely needs any maintenance other than a few drops of the proper oil once every fortnight (fourteen days). (See the page of the Hercules bicycle maintenance booklet for information about adjustment and lubrication of the three speed hub.) When the three speed hub does need maintenance it is quite easy for almost any good bicycle mechanic, even one without particular experience with these hubs as long as he has a good repair manual (Sutherland's, Glenn's or others), to work on these hubs. When these hubs were common it was not unusual for a 12 or 13 year old to be able to properly take care of the internal repairs to these hubs.

Removing a tire or wheel on a caliper brake, (rod brake models are a bit more difficult), equipped vintage English three speed bicycle is easy because when you are taking a wheel off you do not have to get the brakes away from the rim. Just unscrew the gear cable from the indicator spindle (that chain that goes into the rear axle), and loosen the axle nuts to remove the rear wheel. To remove the front wheel just loosen the axle nuts, spread the fork blades, by hand (as gently as will allow wheel removal) and slip the wheel off the front fork. The reason that you must spread the front fork a bit is because of the retention safety devices built into the front axle. The bearing cones will have a round raised section on the end exposed that will fit (clip/snap) into the round part of the fork blade dropout, a positive front wheel retention safety device in use long before the CPSC demanded a positive front wheel retention safety device.

Replacement of the front wheel in the fork requires that you remember which side was right and which side was left, (the left side has the bearing cone that can be adjusted the right side does not), when you took the wheel off and check the axle for proper bearing tightness, (no play but turns freely).

The tire is just narrow enough to slip right through between the brake shoes. It is a bit more difficult to remove a tire or wheel on a rod brake equipped bicycle but not by much. Also the full chainguard that is used by some of these bicycles can make removal of the rear tire or wheel a bit more difficult.

Tires are easily changed because being only 50 to 65 psi pressure tires they are not usually too tight to be removed or replaced by hand. Also because of the moderate tire pressure, pumping the tire to recommended pressure is relatively easy with a manual pump. (Damage may very likely be done to tire, tube, and rim or any of the three if you use a compressor instead of a manual pump.)

The chain and cog of a bicycle with the gears enclosed in the rear hub is far less prone to wear than the derailleur geared bicycle. The chain path is simpler, (see my chain path/chain wear page), and the cog has more teeth spreading the wear over more teeth which reduces the wear on the teeth of the cog making chain and/or cog wear much more rare than on a derailleur geared bicycle.





HOME

Vintage Three Speed
Bikes Can Be Purchased
in the U. S.

Parts for Three Speed
Bikes Are Still Available

- They're Back -
New Bicycles
With Internal Geared Hubs

Internal
Hub Gearing

Hercules Bicycles

Raleigh
Bicycles

Packing A Bicycle
to Ship

Bicycle Photo
Gallery 1

Links

Getting an Old
Three Speed Bike
Ready to Ride

Regular Maintenance

Ride Safely -
Be Prepared

Bicycle Photo
Gallery 2

About
 
 Comparisons
  
Bicycle Advocacy
 Sturmey Archer AW Hub
Diagram
1960
 Hercules Bicycle
Repair Manual
1960