When Was My Three Speed Bike Made? A Beginner's Guide

 

If you are a beginner looking to find the date of manufacture of a particular three speed bike, here are the basic ways of doing it. Let's presume you have no access to service records or the original owner and you're just finding a bike "in the wild".

 

1. Look on the rear hub for a date code. Sturmey Archer hubs usually have a date code and a model stamped on the rear hub shell.

•  "K" model imprinted on hub: 1918-1937 era. Look on the hub for a date code. Date codes with just one number date to the 1930s, with the single number being the year in that decade (e.g., "5" means 1935, "6" means 1936, etc.).

• "AW" model imprinted on hub: 1936 or later. If the imprint is just one number, it dates to the 1930s with that number being the year in the 1930s (e.g., "6" means 1936, "9" means 1939). If the imprint has two numbers, those numbers are the month and the year (e.g., 5 73 means May 1973; 6 55 means June 1955).  If not date code at all, those date to around the time of WWII, just before to just after the war.
  

• "FW" model imprinted on hub : four speed hub, 1946 or later. Date the same way as the AW hub above (look for the two number date code). 
  

47 10 means an October 1947 hub

 

 2. Look at the model name and overall appearance of the bike. For Raleigh Sports bikes, visit the Headbadge website HERE for a helpful chart. For Schwinn bikes, visit the field guide HERE. 

Ornate graphics and serial number show this is a 1959 Schwinn

 

Graphics help identify a 1958 Raleigh Sports

 

3. Look at the serial number of the bike. For Raleigh serial numbers, visit the Headbadge website HERE. For Schwinn serial numbers, check the bottom bracket, non-drive rear dropout, or the head tube. If the serial number of a Schwinn is on the bottom bracket, it's before 1952. If the serial number is on the non-drive rear drop out, it's from 1952-1969. If the serial number is on the head tube, it's 1970 or later. See the Angelfire Schwinn serial number guide HERE. Schwinn New World models have a serial number database HERE. Post-war Schwinn Superior bikes have a database HERE.

4. Look on the front hub for a possible date code. Certain Sturmey Archer front hubs, particularly those with drum brakes or dynamos inside, have date codes. Look for two numbers, a month code and a year code (e.g., 5 52 is May 1952; 6 71 is June 1971; etc.). Note - not all front hubs have a date code, so this is approach only occasionally helpful.

02 91 means February 1991 on this hub.

 

5. What kind of Sturmey Archer shifter is present? These are not always reliable because people change shifters. But sometimes this can help. See Martin Hanczyc's guide to shifters HERE. 

An early 1950s style shifter.

A Little Sturmey Archer Debate on a Wednesday Evening...

 

 Certain bike-related sources take on the feel of "gospel" in the vintage bike community, the more they are used. I think Jobst Brandt and Sheldon Brown have both reached that status. People often cite Brandt on the subject of wheel building (he was certainly an expert) and Brown for all-around vintage bike information (particularly British 3 speeds and French road bikes). I will admit to learning a great deal from Sheldon's website and from correspondences with him (which I now see as all-too-short; his presence in the hobby is missed today).

 I was recently thinking about a debate between Sheldon and Jobst over Sturmey Archer AW hubs. 

 HERE

Brandt's position is that the AW suffers a more or less fatal flaw in the design of its clutch engagement: that under heavy load in high gear, the hub can suddenly slip out of gear, freewheel forward, and hence send the rider over the bars. The problem he cites is the slight play and straight profile of the planet gear pinion pins. (This is NOT the more common issue of a badly adjusted shifter cable allowing the clutch to slip out of gear - Jobst is claiming an inherent flaw regardless of shifter chain adjustment).

Sheldon's response was that while this was theoretically true, and it may even have happened in certain extreme cases where the rider was very strong and in top gear for extended periods, that the vast majority of riders on these hubs don't have the clutch engagement problem. 

John Allen adds to the debate that the bigger problem with old AW hubs is that the shifter connection can unscrew unnoticed by the rider, allowing a hub running in normal (2nd) gear to slip into neutral. 

I am firmly in Sheldon's camp on this topic. Although the old AW's clutch mechanism is by no means perfect, the problem Jobst describes is a far, far outlier. 

First, Sheldon's reason regarding the AW attracting more casual riders is correct as a general thing. 

Second, when riding an AW in top gear, most riders (even the sportier ones) tend to "spin" rather than thrash the hub. The reason for this is that most climbing, especially hard climbing, is done in low gear rather than high gear. High gear generally is used for flat or dropping terrain, where the rider will rather quickly get into a spinning mode. Even sportier riders aren't thrashing away on high gear for extended periods at full strength. This almost seems to me to be a form of abuse of the hub, given the amount of force exerted on the hub.

Third, Jobst's use of the Sturmey SW hub as an example of Sturmey Archer is unpersuasive in undermining the manufacturer. The SW hub was a totally different design with far, far more engagement problems than the AW ever had. It's not a fair comparison.

 Fourth, history doesn't seem to bear out Jobst's claim. Millions of these hubs were made, and they were heavily used in difficult conditions all over the world. I have yet to see proof that a substantial number of people using these hubs had the problem Jobst describes. This includes many athletic club type riders who used AW hubs reliably on a regular basis. In short, I don't think history backs any claim that this high gear pinion problem was a serious and recurring thing..

Ultimately, I tend to agree with Sheldon and with John Allen on this subject. It's not that Jobst's proposed flaw is totally false (perhaps if we dug, we could find a case of it happening), but that it's a far outlier that comes nowhere close to warranting writing off the AW. The bigger problem is when the shifter cable is not properly adjusted, which allows the clutch to slip into neutral on the old AW. With proper care and adjustment, the old AW is a reliable hub. 

This all reminds me of an old discussion Jobst had with a man who was rebuilding a 1960s era Schwinn Racer. (see HERE) I think perhaps Jobst was a little too dismissive of the man's questions. The Racer, Sturmey AW, kickstand, and all, is a very practical bike, if a bit heavy. They make good commuters and utility bikes.

The lesson here is that we have our "go-to" experts whose advice has become a form of "gospel" for vintage bike enthusiasts, but sometimes it's perfectly OK to disagree.

1/8 Inch Cogs Compared: Sturmey Archer vs Two Threaded Cogs

 Let's compare a couple recent offerings in threaded cogs compatible with old-style Sturmey Archer threaded drivers. To keep things simple, all cogs are 1/8 inch wide because that is the traditional size for a Sturmey Archer hub. All of the cogs are 22 teeth large, a common size that people use to make climbing hills easier. The cogs must be relatively affordable, newly made, and relatively easy to buy (e.g., find it on eBay, Amazon, online bike shop, etc.). Lastly, let's compare these cogs to a basic, new Sturmey Archer 22 tooth cog for the usual 3-spline driver. 

Fronts of the cogs: L- Vuelta, R- Action

 

Offering 1: Vuelta brand threaded cog. (on the left in the above photo)

• Price: $18.00, including shipping.
• Source: eBay
• Style: matte chrome type finish, slotted for weight reduction, rounded profile teeth.
• Other Notes: comes with a lock ring for fixed gear bikes. 

• The Vuelta cog threaded onto the old style Sturmey driver without any issue. There is a lip one side of the cog to add extra threads and allow spacing by flipping the cog over. Sturmey Archer users will probably just use a spacer ring. Teeth are uniform 1/8 with no signs of manufacturing lines or roughness. Sizes available seem to be 15 teeth up to 22 teeth. The cog is not dished at all, but does have that lip that allows you to flip over the cog to set your spacing, if need be. The back side of the cog has the manufacturing information printed on it. It's not obvious or to noticeable, but be warned that if you want a totally plain looking cog, one side does have manufacturing information on it. I couldn't readily find the country of origin. 

 

Back sides of the cogs: L: Vuelta Cog, R: Action Cog

Offering 2: Action brand threaded cog. (on the right in the above photo)

• Price: $21.00, including shipping
• Source: Amazon
• Style: matte nickel finish, multiple round holes for weight reduction, old style pointed profile teeth
• Other Notes: does not come with lock ring but has deeper lip on one side.

• The Action cog also threaded onto the Sturmey Archer driver without an issue. The lip on this cog is larger than that of the Vuelta. There are also more threads on this cog than the Vuelta, because of that deeper lip. This cog has old-style, pointed teeth versus the Vuelta's more modern round tooth. This cog also is not dished. Instead, you flip it over and use that lip to set the spacing. Manufacturing quality seems alright, though the cog I received did have some residual manufacturing lines running along the edges of the cog teeth. The Action logo is tiny and engraved on one side. You'll barely notice the logo. The matte nickel type finish has a retro kind of appeal. There's a kind of "steam punk" element to the multi-hole weight saving. This cog did not come with a lock ring, so you may want to consider that if you're using a fixed gear Sturmey Archer hub (not a common thing, but they're still out there...). Allegedly these are made in the USA, according to the ad. I don't see a country of origin on the cog itself. All teeth are 1/8 inch.

 Tooth Comparison:

Vuelta Cog

Above is the Vuelta cog. Photo shows the relatively modern style rounded tooth profile with pronounced ramps for the chain to slide onto the teeth.

Action Cog Teeth

Above are the teeth of the Action cog. These are more traditional teeth with points and a less pronounced ramp. Manufacturing lines are visible along the teeth.

L- Action Cog, R- Vuelta Cog

Above, you can see the Action cog on the left has a deeper mouth than the Vuelta on the right. The Action cog has a couple extra threads and a little more range for spacing if you flip it over on the driver. The Vuelta cog comes with a lock ring, which is something you want if you're running a fixed gear Sturmey hub. In either case, you'll get more precision spacing by going with your regular Sturmey disc spacers.

Control Comparison: Sturmey Archer Three-Spline Cog

• Price: $8 to $15 usually.
• Source: Amazon, ebay, lots of places
• Style: chrome finish, traditional three-spline Sturmey cog.
• Other Notes: readily available, traditional type cog

• This cog is what you normally get for the regular Sturmey Archer driver. They slide on, and you use the ring spacers to set the chain line. The cog is helpfully dished. Sturmey Archer information is engraved toward the inside edge of the cog, but it is not too noticeable. Tooth profile is pretty generic. It's mostly a traditional tooth style, though I note the teeth are a bit more rounded and modern in profile than the originals from the 1950s and 60s. This cog looks fine on most bikes, but it is a bit bright and "new looking" if you're putting it on a very old bike. You can't argue with the price usually - they're not all that expensive. I believe these are made in Taiwan with the other Sunrace/Sturmey offerings of today. All teeth are 1/8. There's a little play as it goes onto the splined driver, but the snap ring holds it down well enough. If you mess up your chain line, it's MUCH easier to fix it with this cog than with the thread-ons. These cogs pop right off, whereas pulling the threaded cog may mean pulling the driver and getting out the chain whip.

 

Sturmey Archer Modern Cog

The above Sturmey Archer modern cog shows a kind of hybrid tooth profile - less rounded than the Vuelta, but more rounded than the Action. It has fairly substantial ramps for the chain sliding onto the teeth.

 

Final Thoughts: I would have no objection to using any of these three cogs. Each went on the drivers OK, and each is reasonably well made. The Vuelta was a little cleaner in terms of manufacturing marks than the Action, but the Action is not all that bad. The nickel finish and round holes of the Action give it a kind of "steam punk" retro look. The Vuelta is "all business" with its slotted cuts and more modern tooth profile. Unfortunately, neither modern threaded cog was dished like the old thread-one Sturmeys. Unfortunately neither modern thread-on cog had a dark blue finish like the old Sturmey threaded cogs. The Sturmey Archer three-spline cog also was reasonably well-made. It's a little bright if you're putting it on a really old or worn bike, but it will work.  

If you want to run a threaded driver and cog and you are running an old school roller chain (Perry, Union, Raleigh, Diamond, etc.), then I'd lean toward the Action cog. If you're running a modern chain (e.g., SRAM, KMC, etc.), then either threaded cog will work. With a modern chain the Vuelta would run a little smoother, but either would be alright. With either of the threaded cogs discussed here, you need to get your chain line right the first time, or else have to pull the driver, remove the cog, and start over with the set up (a real pain!).

The main issue is these threaded cogs are much more expensive than the Sturmey. I was easily able to find three-spline Sturmey cogs for around $10 new. Even the more expensive sellers were in the $15 to $18 range. The threaded cogs both were in the $20 range or so (Vuelta a little less, Action a little more). The lock ring in the Vuelta set is nice if you have a fixed gear hub, but a basic AW type hub won't really benefit from that. 

But at least you have a couple decent, affordable options for cogs if you really want to use that old school Sturmey Archer AW with a threaded driver. It's easier to swap to the three-splined driver, but why not also put those threaded drivers to good use?