Why would someone keep a barn or a garage full of old, steel bikes with internal gear hubs?
The answer is that they are fun, generally well-made bicycles capable of both practical transportation and light-duty sports riding.
They generally have accessories like chain guards, fenders, and saddle bags that add to the practicality and style of the bicycle, and they often have a comfortable, upright riding position that allows you to ride in regular clothes. Though by no means light, they are not unduly heavy, and they allow for good exercise without large barriers to entry. By changing the rear cog, you can easily modify the gear ratio to your liking.
They also can be quite affordable, with some 1960s and 70s era bikes still being sold for cheap at yard sales and estate sales, or online at Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or eBay. A set of basic bicycle tires may cost you more than that yard sale 1975 Raleigh Sports you come across. More advanced hobbyists will enjoy looking for older and rarer bicycles to add to their collections.
The internal gear hubs are not difficult to use one you know how to adjust them, and they run with commonly available oil through the oiler port. The common hubs, like Sturmey Archer AW, are often very reliable with just a basic cleaning and oiling. Replacement parts for many of the bikes are commonly available.
So don't be intimidated if you are looking to get started in old bikes: an old three speed is a great way to get started, and it's a great way to stay in the bicycle hobby. They have something to offer both the beginner and the more advanced hobbyist.
Hey Bike Shed- I think I've just purchased one of your bikes (1948 Dawn Tourist). I tried to comment on that post but it doesn't seem to allow me to given that it's from 2016. I see from the post that you replaced the shifter and fenders with more modern upgrades. It's probably a long shot, but any chance you still have the originals?
ReplyDeleteWhether the bike you bought is the same as the one I had, I don't know. However you are lucky to have found a Dawn Tourist here in the US. I don't have any fenders in my parts bin. However, it should take a set of Raleigh Sports fenders. You may want to look for an early post-war set of fenders from a 3-speed Sports.
ReplyDeleteI'm quite positive that I have the same bike. I purchased it from a gentleman in Northern Virginia the other day, and he mentioned that he purchased it from you. It still has the 1960s Sports fenders you put on, along with the 1950s SA shifter. The bike still rides very well.
ReplyDeleteI was asking about the fenders and shifter because i'm interested in having the bike as original as possible for a 1948 bicycle. There's still a coat of black paint over much of the frame and decals, and I would like to remove it from the decals at least. Do you have any thoughts about removing the paint over the decals? Is this a fools errand? Perhaps I should just try to add some eBay decals or stickers to avoid further damage. Thanks in advance for your insight!
It is certainly possible to strip away over paint while leaving original paint and transfers underneath. To do this is somewhat tricky. You need to find a product, such as a thinner or paint stripper product that will remove the outermost paint but will not harm what is underneath. That all depends on what kind of paint was used to over paint, how much was used and, how long ago. Another option is to polish and level the paint that is already there and to buy something like H Lloyd's decals from england, which are a high quality and historically correct decal. Which route you go depends on how advanced your restoration experience is. Stripping paint but leaving what is original underneath is not easy, though it can be done if you are specially careful and know what you are doing.
DeleteThank you, this is very helpful. I was not familiar with the H Lloyd's company, but they look very good. I'm going to have to experiment on a small area to see if stripping the paint down is going to be feasible. If I decide to leave it, I won't need to be worried about scratches to the original paint!
ReplyDeleteI think that's the best way to approach it. I usually start with some inconspicuous area on the bottom and see what happens. I should do a short write up on the topic of stripping over-paint because it's something people encounter. Sometimes you can get it back to original, sometimes you can't.
DeleteThe Lloyd transfers are a stick-one vinyl type decal usually, but they're much, much better than the cheaper ones from east Asia. They're more of a true transfer than just a sticker in that the graphics are quite good, and they are more durable. Originals are best, but the Lloyds are a good option if you need new transfers. They also give you a year range on some of the transfers to get close to original.
Yeah, I've found your write-ups to be most helpful. Thank you for putting them together!
ReplyDeleteI did some investigating last night and found out that I was wrong. It is the factory original paint on the frame. I thought it was painted over because I thought could see outlines of where the decals were buried. Upon further inspection, the outlines seem to be where the decals were before they either fell off or faded out of sight. Have you ever seen the decals fade away before on late 1940s Raleighs? No original decals remain. I can see some of the original red pin-striping too.
Now that I'm dealing with original paint I'm much less likely to add the H Lloyd's decals. I would not want to do anything to damage the paint or make it less original. Do you have any thoughts on this? Would the vinyl stickers damage the paint, or should I go for their varnish-attached decals to be more original?
I have not had a problem with vinyl Lloyd decals pulling paint if you are removing them fairly soon after applying them (I screwed one up on a bike and had to pull it off - no harm to the bike). I haven't done as much with the varnish style ones, so I couldn't say with that set for sure.
DeleteIf you are indeed looking for period fenders, I would actually start there. The reason is that the condition of the fenders you find should ideally match the rest of the bike. If the fenders are faded and match what you have now, then you probably don't want brand new transfers on the frame. If you come across really nice fenders, then you could add the transfers to the frame at that time.
Whereas if you add the transfers to the frame now, you basically commit to finding a really nice set of period fenders. Maybe that's exactly what you want, but it does somewhat narrow what you're looking for in the fenders if you do the decals first.
By "transfers" I mean the decals, should have used the same word throughout, but I mean the same thing above.
DeleteI've actually tracked down an old set of fenders from a DL-1 in great shape with the correct reflector. I'm hoping the paint matches well. The measurements are the same, which surprised me. I expected the DL-1 to have larger fenders given the larger wheel size. I'll report back when they come in. If the later Sports fenders you put on there look better, I won't go messing around. You can never have too many spare parts in this hobby.
ReplyDeleteExcellent advice on waiting for the decals and matching the fenders to the bike. I'll let you (and future readers) know about my success.