Can anyone advise me about Sturmey Archer 3 speed hubs?

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Can anyone advise me about Sturmey Archer 3 speed hubs?

8 posts & 6 voices | Started 2 years ago by B.A.Nana | Latest reply from epicyclo

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B.A.Nana - Member

I've got a bit of a project on:

It's Currently a single speed with a coaster rear brake. I fancy having a couple of gears on it, at the same time as replacing the front wheel.
There is a wheelset on ebay with a Sturmey Archer 3speed/dynamo hub which might do the job, but no coaster brake. I also get a matching front wheel.

Apart from the fact that I'll have no brakes, is there anything you need to look out for with older Sturmey Archer hubs, questions I need to be asking (especially ones with a dynamo), and how do they work with changing gears? does it use gear cable to a lever or something? can I just zip tie the gear cable to the frame? Do the dynamos last well, or are they generally knackered on older hubs? Any other advice?

Posted 2 years ago #
FallOutBoy - Member

I have a SA front hub dynamo on my commuter which must be 50 years old and still going strong. Doesn't output 3W any more but I use a 1.5 W bulb on the front and a LED with a standlight on the rear It works fine - you can be seen but the front light isn't powerful enough to light and unlit road.

Also used to have a classic 3speed (no dyno) with this sort of hub:

I'm guessing the rear dynamo hub has the dyno part on the non-gear side. The chain on the left is pulled in and out to shift the gears, so the end of the cable needs to be in some sort of fixed mounting to pull against. The shifting is a bit clunky but with a bit of grease it can be made to work.

Servicing the bearings (cup and cone) on the front hub dynamo is a pain. IIRC you have to remove the dyno (4 small screws/nuts) and you can't get spares anymore. I had to machine the cones on a lathe as they were badly pitted. But if you rebuild it carefully you only need service it once every 5 or so years.

Shledon Brown have servicing instructions....

good luck!

Posted 2 years ago #
rolfharris - Blocked

Sturmeys are nigh on indestructable.

The dynamo probably won't work but then they're crap anyway.

As for the gears, the only bits that'll have gone wrong unless there's a major issue is the cable, which can be a little rare, and the toggle chain which is easy to replace.

Posted 2 years ago #
FallOutBoy - Member

From Sheldon brown...

See this page: (Clicky)

Posted 2 years ago #
julianwilson - Member

you need a cable stop for the cable to pull the chain out (and let it back in) the hub. I've only ever seem then on the driveside chainstay, about 12-15cm away from the dropout iirc.

Posted 2 years ago #
Midnighthour - Member

Read in a bike book years back to avoid those which have been lubricated extensively with 3in1 oil, as its veg based and leaves some kind of unhelpful coating on the gears. No idea if its true.

Posted 2 years ago #
B.A.Nana - Member

If it needs a cable stop, that's going to be an issue on this bike. Does anyone know if you can buy a bolt-on cable stop, something that just bolts around the seat/chain stay?.

I'm also assuming that the gap between the dropouts is standard on these old bikes?.

Posted 2 years ago #
epicyclo - Member

Midnighthour - Member
Read in a bike book years back to avoid those which have been lubricated extensively with 3in1 oil, as its veg based and leaves some kind of unhelpful coating on the gears.

Possibly true in California and hot countries where it could get baked especially as they were unlikely to be as diligent as a British cyclist in doing the weekly once over with the oil can.

We used 3-in1 extensively without problem, although there is proper Sturmey oil.

Cable stops are not a problem. Get a current Sturmey catalogue and there's a heap of them plus all the other bits you need.

Posted 2 years ago #

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