2014 Recap

I've learned a ton about old internally geared hubs this year. For 2015 I think I will try to learn a little bit more about the newer IGHs on the market. Alfine, Nexus, Rohloff, and some of the newer Sturmey S3X stuff. Heck, Shimano even has an electronic shifting option for some of their IGHs now! I did their S-Tec training on that Di2 shifting but need to refresh myself on it.

Over the next few next days I'll be listing lots of small hub bits on eBay that are super hard to find. I will be listing some Normandy hub cones and nuts and some rare NOS Shimano 333 nuts, cones, and washers. I can't quite tell you what hubs the Shimano parts match but I have the part numbers and good descriptions. I think part of my purpose with this venture is to be a source for obsolete, yet pertinent, parts to keep an old machine humming. To me, that is more valuable than pocketing money. I just broke even this year, but it was sure fun and I made lots of folks happy.

Happy New Year

Fitchel & Sachs Torpedo Tools

Found a tool for the F&S Torpedo hubs that I haven't seen before, and picked it up for $10. It was sold from rideyourbike.com or Aaron's bike repair in the Northwest. The tool is used to turn the round double-keyed cone locknuts that you see on those hubs.

And I also have a small tool I carry when I ride these hubs. It has a 8mm, 10mm, and 15mm open end wrenches and a rounded slot with a key for the same nuts. It is a great tool for quick hub adjustments or when you need to take your nutted wheel off for a flat tire. That square hole in it also fits the square nuts they used on the Torpedo dreigang shifters. I think I've seen 3 different layout versions of this mini tool under other manufacturers names (Perry & Bendix) which were Sachs Torpedo copies.

I've been tinkering

Made a little noisemaker using parts from a coaster brake hub, veeder root counter, and an altoids-style tin.

Part of the Week: Shimano Lubricator Oil Port (part 3210400 or 101)

This week's part of the week is the elusive lubricator oil port (part # 3210400 or 101) that is on older Shimano 3 speed hubs. They attach in the middle or the hub shell in small hole and allow someone to squirt clean oil in them. Many of the old hubs I come across are missing the oil port or an intact one is usually damaged. The original white plastic Shimano one is shown in the photo below. I just got ten of them in New Old Stock condition, and last time I had a few I I sold out in two days... so if you need one, hit my eBay account (planetarypedalworks) now! These can probably be used on some other hubs if needed.

Part of the Week: Fichtel & Sachs Indicator Toggle Chain

The week's part of the week is really the part that got me started with this small part nonsense. The Fichtel & Sachs indicator (toggle) chains are hard to come by in the US, but there are a lot of the Sachs hubs floating out there that need them during restoration projects. As far as I know, they come in three lengths:

1 short one for the traditional 3 speed torpedo hubs
1 medium one for the 3x7 hubs
1 long one that is specific for the pentastport (5 speed hubs - and I believe it additionally uses a short one, as the 5 speed hubs use two chains)

If you have any info on this, let me know! Below is the photo of the short Sachs indicator chain.

Part of the Week: Shimano Coaster "D" Type Brake Shoes 2831000

This part of the week is small but mighty!
These are the Shimano brake pads for their "D" type coaster hubs, part 2831000. You will need two per hub and are cheap enough to replace whenever you repack a Shimano coaster D hub. And who knows, maybe you want to race on one of these Shimano coaster brake hubs, like the nuts over at atomic cycles. Yes, you'll probably need to repack it every year for the event. Be sure to watch their videos and check out their photos.

Part of the Week - HMW127 Sturmey Archer Sprocket Spacing Washer

This week's part of the week... might look weak... but this is truly a special washer in vintage cycling. Sturmey Archer's HMW127 is a sprocket spacer for their internally geared hub sprockets to adjust your chainline from the rear hub. However... it also happens to be the perfect size to space an English or French bottom bracket. Just install it between the bottom bracket shell and the bearing cup... and there you have it. It will move the bottom bracket to the left or right depending on which side you install it on. Works with square taper style and external out-board bearing style.  And many of us know how a poor chainline can wear parts out faster, lead to a noisy drivetrain, and worst of all - cause chain suck.

Part of the Week: Raleigh Spoke Rim Nipple Washers PMW399

Nipple washers are something we rarely see in the cycling industry these days. They are a wheel building product of from the past, but are making a return with some carbon rims. These little washers are curved and sit on the inside of the rim so the nipple pulls against it instead of the rim. They disperse pressure from the spoke tension and prevent that spoke from pulling through or damaging the rim. If you've ever seen non-eyelet style rim fail at the spoke hole with cracks or deformation, then you understand how that can be the demise of a wheel.

Part of the Week! Sturmey Archer Strengthening Pad HSH401

We have the Sturmey Archer Stengthening Pad part HSH401. It goes on the left chain stay of the bike, just under the Brake Arm Clip Assembly (HCB 103 or HCB 104) on the S3C Coaster Brake hub. The third photo shows what it would look like with a brake arm clip on it. I assume it's main function is to distribute the force of that coaster brake arm into a bigger area, reducing paint damage and fatigue on the clip.

Part of the Week! Sturmey Archer Axle Key HSA295

Starting a new segment on the blog, very arcane but totally fun for me.
Just a short post to introduce you to a part that I have available on eBay.
HSA 295, the Sturmey Archer Axle Key!

Nothing much to it. This is the part that accepts the indicator (toggle) chain that you see from outside the hub! Pretty small, super powerful. From some internet sleuthing I've figure out the thread pitch is 3/32 x 48TPI. This is a British Standard Whitworth fine thread. The threads DO NOT match a Fichtel & Sachs indicator chain, but a Sachs indicator would thread in there if you absolutely had to use one. The Fichtel & Sachs key has a 2mm x .25mm thread and is rounded on one side:

See you next week with a new part!

Cycling in the US

From a Dutch Perspective

Rohloff Hub Magic

THIS is how you make planetary gears a revolutionary part of today's cycling world.

Bicycle Tire Savers & Sheldon Brown Nuts

I've come across some well-priced bicycle tire savers by Bicycle Research, and I have a ton listed on eBay. They've been selling pretty well, and I figured I'd make a quick post about them.

These are one of those bike parts that you are unlikely to find in your cycle local shop, and you'd probably be the butt of the day's wrench jokes if you asked for them. (Heck, most of your bike technicians probably have no idea what they are.) They are certainly a device of yesteryear, but would be revolutionary for today's road cyclists. They simply mount off your brake caliper bolt and sit close enough to your tire that they knock embedded glass away before it has a chance to push deeper through the tire. And at a whopping 16 grams, I think you should install them instead of changing a flat tire in the Texas sun. Not to mention, your set of $140 Vittoria 320TPI Open Corsa tires will thank you.

These tire savers or "flint catchers" were much more popular during the days of long brake caliper bolts with exposed nuts on the back of the fork and seat stay bridge. Nowadays, it's rare to see that style of brake bolt on a quality bike, but there is a work around. Check out Sheldon Brown's "Sheldon Fender Nuts" which also allows a fender-mount on frames & forks with recessed brake nuts.

Cleaning the Sachs 3x7

Recently I picked up an older Sachs 3x7 hub, and I really love the machining on it. I haven't worked it into a project yet, but I will hoard it until I figure out what it's going on. It was still sticky from really old nasty grease in it, so last weekend I bathed it. I took the time to disassemble, soak in a degreaser overnight, and scrub. Be nice to your hubs and they will be nice to you!

I love the copper pawls!

Afterward I gave it an oil bath, regreased the bearings, and reassembled! Just waiting for the right frame to come around for my next project.

Shiny Gazing & A Reminder to Cut Your Toenails

I frequently search eBay for unique hubs, bikes, and cycling memorabilia. A good friend told me it is called "Shiny Gazing" if you do it in the wee hours of the night. While shiny gazing I did come across a cool little bike with a Sachs Duomatic "kickback" hub, which has a single cog but will change to a secondary gearing when pedaled backward for a moment. No shifter required for 2 gears. Pretty cool. Though the bike looked pretty sweet: an older lugged steel frame with a dynamo for lights, a rack, and a sprung leather saddle.

 

AND HERE IS A REMINDER TO ALWAYS CUT YOUR TOENAILS BEFORE TAKING PHOTOS FOR THE INTERNET

A Yahoo!Groups for All Things Internal

There is a Yahoo! Group that you NEED TO BE ON if you are interested in any of this internal stuff:
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Geared_hub_bikes/info

The group has some of the most experienced internal enthusiasts commenting daily: including both John Allen (who now oversees www.sheldonbrown.com) & Aaron (of Aaron's Bicycle Repair, aka www.rideyourbike.com). 

They have an archive of great info, from how to give a proper oil bath to your hub to how to prevent hub issues by gearing properly. I love it.

To think... it all started here...

$20 Project

Came across this little gem for $20. Last night I took it apart and greased the headset & bottom bracket, cleaned the frame, and started reassembly. It needs new cables, housing, and a trigger shifter. I had always seen these things on eBay but never wanted to pay for such a heavy clunker. The rear hub is a Shimano 3 speed. The bike is a Bugatti Royale 20" folding bike. The frame is heavy and the collapsing technology is downright scary on the handlebars and stem. When you tighten the quick release on the stem it compresses the slotted steerer tube so that the headset top cap loosens. SCARY! I might just remove all the front quick releases all together.