Thoughts on Stem Height - American Three Speed Bikes

 

One of the drawbacks of the American-made three speed bikes is the bikes often come with stems too short to allow for much handlebar height adjustment. The British three speeds often come with stems allowing a bit more bar height adjustment.

On taller frames, this may not be an issue. For example, this 1960 Schwinn Traveler has a tall frame and, unless the rider is very tall, the bar height generally does not need much adjustment. 

In contrast, this 1950 Schwinn Superior has a "standard" frame of around 22 inches. The chances of a rider wanting taller bars, whether due to rider height or wanting a more upright ride, is greater with this standard-sized frame. 

In those cases, I recommend looking for a taller stem. In some cases, originals are available, but sometimes a good reproduction or a newer stem will also work. In this case, I am using a good quality reproduction of the Schwinn "razor" stem that is substantially taller than most of the originals. This gives me a substantial amount of handlebar height adjustment, so I can set the bars how I like them. These stems are still sometimes found in unused condition on eBay the Classic & Antique Bicycle Exchange, and other sources. Many were made for reproduction Schwinn Phantoms and balloon tire bikes in the 1990s. The quality is not quite as good as the originals, but it is still much better than most reproductions. I tend to prefer a more upright ride in the style and tradition of the British utility bikes and roadsters.

Other options include stems from Nitto (good quality), Sunlite (passable quality), and generic makers (usually pretty rough), usually from Japan, Taiwan, or mainland China. I recommend spending the extra money on a good stem. A stem failure or improper fit can lead to accidents and serious injuries. If you are unsure on how to source and fit a stem properly, get help from a competent mechanic. You can severely injure yourself if you improperly fit a stem.

A good quality seat post also should be used if you plan to raise the saddle more than a few inches. Schwinn originals are generally good, but even better are the modern BMX-inspired Cr-Mo seat posts. This particular bike has a Cr-Mo seat post from Porkchop BMX shop. It has the usual 13/16" Schwinn frame size, and a 7/8" top for use with standard saddle clamps.

Even with this additional adjustment, some riders are just too tall for the standard 21 or  22 inch frames. In those cases, the rider should go to the tall frame bikes, even if those are more difficult to find today. 

The bottom line is that even though you may own a vintage American three speed bike, don't be afraid to make the ergonomics work for you. 

 

 

1960 Schwinn Traveler Three Speed

I recently rebuilt this 1960 Schwinn Traveler three speed. 

This bike came from a collector in Missouri, who had in turn purchased it from an auction near St. Louis last year. The bike appears to have been used to deliver newspapers at one time, as it came with rear-mounted newspaper baskets that dented the rear fenders.

 

This bike involved the usual work, plus a few extras. 

Everything was cleaned. All the mechanical parts were given fresh oil/grease.  The paint was carefully touched up in places. Aluminum parts were polished to be shiny again. What little rust was on the chrome was carefully removed. The stainless steel fenders were straightened and polished. The bike got fresh brake pads, brake cables/housings, tubes, and tires. Those are the "usual" things.

 

This project required a couple of extra items. The rear fender rivets were damaged and there were some cracks/splits in the fenders around them. This appears to be due to the weight of the newspaper baskets on the fenders. The fender eyelets were reinforced with stainless steel washers, with the washers sealed into place with two-part, clear epoxy. Rivet-screws were used to replace the old rivets. 

Then there is the faceted, plastic early 1960s headbadge. The original badge was broken during shipping, so I replaced it with a new-old stock faceted badge. These Schwinn plastic badges were glued into place. I took the suggestion of a couple other collectors and used a glue called "E6000" to glue the new badge into place. While the glue was drying, I used zip ties to hold the headbadge in place.

If you think the headbadge looks a little off-center, your eyes are not deceiving you. The mounting holes for the badge were drilled a bit off-center in the head tube at the factory. They're never quite perfect...

Another change is the rear hub. This bike came with the Sturmey Archer tri-coaster hub common on late 1950s and early 1960s American-made bikes. I replaced the tri-coaster with a good Sturmey Archer AW dating to the correct year of 1960. This provides a more reliable hub. I also prefer the AW's freewheel mechanism with a rear brake caliper over a coaster brake. 

 

The original rims are in great shape. 

I have my usual favorite saddle - the B66 - on the bike, along with a Banjo Brothers Barrel saddle bag. A  period Cadillac badge pin is added to the bag for a period 1950s-60s touch.

Lights are a Kiley chrome LED headlight and Soma Fabrications stainless rocket/bullet tail light, for period touches with modern lighting capability.  

 

 Overall, I am happy with this bike. It has the typical, flashy 1950s-60s Schwinn look. The ornate decals are a little faded, but still in decent condition. This one is a good rider, as is the case with my other Travelers.

 

Specs:

• 23/24-inch, men's, steel (welded) frame. 
• 26 inch wheels
• Schwinn hour glass front hub. Sturmey Archer 1960 AW rear.
• Weinmann Schwinn Approved 810 aluminum brake calipers
•  Weinmann Schwinn Approved "red dot" brake levers
• Schwinn S5 steel rims
• Kenda white wall S5/S6 tires
• Sunlite steel/alloy brake pads
• Brooks B66 leather saddle
  
• Banjo Brothers Barrel Bag 
• Kiley Chrome LED headlight
• Soma Fabrications rocket/bullet  LED tail light 
• MKS 3000S 1/2 spindle pedals
• Origin8 brass striker bell 
• Cr-Mo seat post with 7/8" top.

Vintage Bicycles and Hills

Occasionally I get questions about vintage bikes and hilly terrain. I get questions like "aren't they too heavy?", or "don't you need more 10 speeds?", or "old bikes were only for flat areas, weren't they?". You can ride up and down hills successfully (and comfortably) with your old bike. 

 

Here are a few tips:

•  Don't be afraid to add multi-gear hubs to your bicycle. Many older bikes were single-speed models. Unless you absolutely must have an original rear hub, try adding a three speed (or more) internal gear hub. If you don't want to mess with your original wheels, build a spare wheel set with a geared hub. That way you have a "rider" set and an original set. 

• Choose a lower gearing that is comfortable for you. My bikes all have larger rear cogs (20 to 24 teeth size range) to help lower the gearing and assist with climbing hills. I have several bikes geared with 48 teeth in front, 22 teeth in the back. I have several others with 46 teeth in front and 22 teeth in back. I have one bike with 48 teeth in front and 24 teeth in back. All of them offer better hill climbing than the stock 18-tooth Sturmey Archer rear cog. Some bikers opt for smaller front sprockets - also OK so long as it fits your drive train.
  

• Have a good set of brakes. Remember that going uphill often means going back downhill at some point.
  

• Have a comfortable saddle. Many vintage saddles are either too narrow for casual riding (as is the case on many old track or race bikes), or too wide for climbing effectively (as is the case on many bikes that have large saddles inspired by motorcycles). Often, a comfortable saddle is of moderate width and is supple yet supportive. I prefer the Brooks B66 and B67 saddles, but also use B72s, B73s, and Gyes tourist saddles. A saddle that is too narrow will not allow you to ride upright comfortably and a saddle that is too side will not allow full range of motion for your legs.
  

• Don't be afraid to experiment. Sometimes the most comfortable bike is one with a combination of features you did not expect would necessarily work well for you. 
  

• Keep your chain and bearings clean and lubricated properly. Less friction means less lost energy.
  

• Keep your tires properly inflated. 
  

• Ride "through" the back side of the hill in front of you. Don't aim at the top of the hill, push yourself through the crest and keep pedaling while aiming for a point somewhere on the back side of the hill. This is akin to "following through" on your golf, baseball, or cricket swing.  
  

• Pace yourself on the hill from the start. Don't sprint into the hill only to run out of energy halfway up. Steady is better than fast and burned out.
  

• Become familiar with where you like to shift the internal gear hub. After awhile, you will get a feel for when you like to shift - speed, number of pedal revolutions, etc. If you have a feel for that, you will know when to shift when heading up hill. Try a couple shorter rides before tackling a challenging one. 
  

• If you can safely do it, use a "switch-back" method on larger hills. Although it is slower, you can take the teeth out of some hills by riding back and forth up the grade in an "s" turn type pattern. It will take you longer to get to the top, but it will also lessen the steepness of the hill by stretching the climb out over a longer distance traveled. Do NOT attempt this on a busy road where the switch-back will take you out into traffic.

• Don't be afraid to try new technology when planning your ride. There are new map and device applications that help give you an idea of the terrain where you are riding. Don't be afraid to try those before you ride, to get an idea of what kind of hills you will encounter.
  

• Lastly, don't be afraid to get off and walk the bike. If you feel overwhelmed or you begin to feel pain or the effects of injury, don't force yourself to continue. It is OK to sometimes dismount and walk the bike up very steep hills. 
  

I live in an area where there is rolling, hilly terrain just about everywhere. I've had great luck on this 1957 Schwinn Traveler three speed, similar to my other internal gear hub tourist bikes. I lower the gearing, make sure the brakes are good and everything is serviced, and keep riding.

 

Schwinn New World, Thinking about Frame Sizes

 

 Part of working on and riding old bikes is getting a feel for your preferred frame and wheel size. 

 I like 26 inch wheels (as on the Raleigh Sports/Schwinn New World) and 28 inch wheels (as on the Raleigh DL-1 and similar). For frames, I like a 22-24 inch frame on 26 inch wheels and a 22-23 inch frame on 28 inch wheels.

With that in mind, I may be selling my 21-inch pre-war New World bikes. I have one complete bike and one project that is partially assembled. As nice as these bikes are, I think I just prefer the 22-23 inch frame size better than the smaller 21 inch with 26 inch wheels. 

It can be helpful to focus on fit in developing a vintage bike collection.

(See my previous article on frame sizes).