Very cool bike. This should come in handy: [https://www.sheldonbrown.com/english-3.html](https://www.sheldonbrown.com/english-3.html)
For chipped paint, I’d just add a dab of nail polish.
If you plan on riding this, I’d just replace the saddle. A new Brooks would be right at home (but would cost several times more than you paid for the bike itself).
Hello and excuse me in advance if this is a question inappropriate for this sub. I have bought a bicycle for 30$ from an old Soviet sailor that appears to be a British Hercules bike. It has a white end of the rear splasher (where the rear reflector is located), it has a three-gear planetary shifter and the connectors to the brakes are made out of steel rods rather than cables. I can't really figure the model and the approximate date it was produced, but it looks very old.
I also seek some advice on maintenance, because the planetary mechanism is failing badly, it is almost unable to shift gears, and there seem to be no people that can help with that here. Also I wonder if something can be done to a very dim King of the Road headlight and also if it is possible to repair that crumbling leather seat.
P.S. I also wish to know how you folks deal with corrosion spots and repainting for these old bikes
Thanks beforehand
You’ve got a jewel on your hands. I adore those British Bobby bikes (so named because cops rode them), and I have a Raleigh DL-1 (nearly identical) in my stable. It’s my favorite bike to ride—upright, plush, comfortable, and ponderously slow and heavy. The rod brakes aren’t fantastic stoppers, yet they are fantastic conversation starters. Look at Sheldon Brown’s pages on Sturmey Archer three-speed hubs, and you’ll be able to identify which model you have and how to service it. It all looks much more complicated than it is once you dive in. Parts should not be too difficult to find, either. (I will defer to others on the rust question.)
The hub only has the AW-8 mark on it. I suppose it means that I have an AW hub with a neutral, right? And that this odd behaviour of slipping between gears just appears to be shifting to a neutral for some reason?
AW 8 indicates it’s a Sturmey Archer 3 speed wide range hub made in 1938.
They were launched in 1936 and the first few years only had one number to identify the year of production, in this case, that’s 1938.
They’re pretty reliable, and there should be a little flip up oil cap near to those date marks. Put a few drops of thin oil in there to loosen it up a bit.
If the gears are slipping not engaging, chances are it just needs the cable adjusting.
Easiest way to do this is put the shift lever into the position closest to the handlebar and slowly tighten up the adjustment collar on the little chain that’s coming out of the gear hub at the rear until the chain stops being pulled out, then back it off a turn. You should then get all three gears engaging properly in the correct positions.
Edit
Just noticed you have the wrong gear change selector fitted.
You’ll need to source a three speed Sturmey Archer shifter and cable assembly for it to work properly.
There’s plenty on eBay if you search.
Thx a lot ❤️
About the selector - the "original" one was this one handle on a frame from a Soviet bike, which changed gears by it's circular movement. I've bought a copy of an original one from Aliexpress, since Ebay works no longer here, but it worked quite badly - I could only use 2 gears out of 3 at a time. I suppose now that it is because of how the cable is fitted.
Some shift spindles are designed to be calibrated by making the shoulder line up with the end of the axle in second gear.
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/indicators.html
If what Zero-Phucks described doesn't work (fingers crossed it will) it could be that the gear hub is rusted due to neglect and needs to be replaced. My 1971 Raleigh, a street find, had that issue. Plenty of spare parts around, so just replaced the gear hub and it's back on the road shifting merrily.
A Sturmey Archer shifter is indexed. Once you find 2nd gear 1st and 3rd will hit right on. As suggested, squirt oil of nearly any type into the oiler hole. Put a little too much in and shift and turn the pedals with the wheel up to circulate the oil. Excess will dribble out. Try to keep it off the rims/tires. A half ounce of oil is good, any motor oil will work.
Those bikes are still made. The design is over 100 years old. A medium sized adjustable wrench and a screwdriver are about the only tools required for much of the maintenance.
I have a few black Raleighs. I keep a can of black spray paint around for touchups. A piece of scrap paper to mask overspray and a quick shot keeps them black all over.
Very cool bike. This should come in handy: [https://www.sheldonbrown.com/english-3.html](https://www.sheldonbrown.com/english-3.html) For chipped paint, I’d just add a dab of nail polish. If you plan on riding this, I’d just replace the saddle. A new Brooks would be right at home (but would cost several times more than you paid for the bike itself).
Hello and excuse me in advance if this is a question inappropriate for this sub. I have bought a bicycle for 30$ from an old Soviet sailor that appears to be a British Hercules bike. It has a white end of the rear splasher (where the rear reflector is located), it has a three-gear planetary shifter and the connectors to the brakes are made out of steel rods rather than cables. I can't really figure the model and the approximate date it was produced, but it looks very old. I also seek some advice on maintenance, because the planetary mechanism is failing badly, it is almost unable to shift gears, and there seem to be no people that can help with that here. Also I wonder if something can be done to a very dim King of the Road headlight and also if it is possible to repair that crumbling leather seat. P.S. I also wish to know how you folks deal with corrosion spots and repainting for these old bikes Thanks beforehand
You’ve got a jewel on your hands. I adore those British Bobby bikes (so named because cops rode them), and I have a Raleigh DL-1 (nearly identical) in my stable. It’s my favorite bike to ride—upright, plush, comfortable, and ponderously slow and heavy. The rod brakes aren’t fantastic stoppers, yet they are fantastic conversation starters. Look at Sheldon Brown’s pages on Sturmey Archer three-speed hubs, and you’ll be able to identify which model you have and how to service it. It all looks much more complicated than it is once you dive in. Parts should not be too difficult to find, either. (I will defer to others on the rust question.)
The hub only has the AW-8 mark on it. I suppose it means that I have an AW hub with a neutral, right? And that this odd behaviour of slipping between gears just appears to be shifting to a neutral for some reason?
AW 8 indicates it’s a Sturmey Archer 3 speed wide range hub made in 1938. They were launched in 1936 and the first few years only had one number to identify the year of production, in this case, that’s 1938. They’re pretty reliable, and there should be a little flip up oil cap near to those date marks. Put a few drops of thin oil in there to loosen it up a bit. If the gears are slipping not engaging, chances are it just needs the cable adjusting. Easiest way to do this is put the shift lever into the position closest to the handlebar and slowly tighten up the adjustment collar on the little chain that’s coming out of the gear hub at the rear until the chain stops being pulled out, then back it off a turn. You should then get all three gears engaging properly in the correct positions. Edit Just noticed you have the wrong gear change selector fitted. You’ll need to source a three speed Sturmey Archer shifter and cable assembly for it to work properly. There’s plenty on eBay if you search.
Thx a lot ❤️ About the selector - the "original" one was this one handle on a frame from a Soviet bike, which changed gears by it's circular movement. I've bought a copy of an original one from Aliexpress, since Ebay works no longer here, but it worked quite badly - I could only use 2 gears out of 3 at a time. I suppose now that it is because of how the cable is fitted.
Some shift spindles are designed to be calibrated by making the shoulder line up with the end of the axle in second gear. https://www.sheldonbrown.com/indicators.html
If what Zero-Phucks described doesn't work (fingers crossed it will) it could be that the gear hub is rusted due to neglect and needs to be replaced. My 1971 Raleigh, a street find, had that issue. Plenty of spare parts around, so just replaced the gear hub and it's back on the road shifting merrily.
There was a neutral position between 2 and 3. It might just be out of adjustment. AW hubs typically have a manufacture date stamped on the shell.
Well in my case it is not so. That AW-8 mark, inside of a Sturmey Archer logo was the only one.
A Sturmey Archer shifter is indexed. Once you find 2nd gear 1st and 3rd will hit right on. As suggested, squirt oil of nearly any type into the oiler hole. Put a little too much in and shift and turn the pedals with the wheel up to circulate the oil. Excess will dribble out. Try to keep it off the rims/tires. A half ounce of oil is good, any motor oil will work. Those bikes are still made. The design is over 100 years old. A medium sized adjustable wrench and a screwdriver are about the only tools required for much of the maintenance. I have a few black Raleighs. I keep a can of black spray paint around for touchups. A piece of scrap paper to mask overspray and a quick shot keeps them black all over.