English Rat, anyone?

[Michcruiser]

Picked up this Armstrong 3 speed the other day for the Sturmey Archer hub I need on another project I have. Well, you know how it goes....... another project starts!! Maybe..

Chick to enlarge pictures.

First day home..



Second day..I did the usual stuff, tighten, repair, replace.



Then today... It hit me!! More to come.



I now have a craving for a sup of tea.

 

[Michcruiser]

Tomorrow I plain to straighten the forks. I noticed that tonight. I also have a bent crank. Can that be bent back without it breaking? 8)

 

[Juggler]

Cool bike! I like what your doing with it too! 8)

 

[Markm]

cool....same bars?

 

[Michcruiser]

Yep, they are the same bars. I think I'd like to get some that are a bit wider but close to the same shape as these.

 

[OUTLAW]

oh yeah, ya gotta luv these bikes. i really like riding my Raliegh Superbe. it just has this great feel to it. nice job

Outlaw 8)

 

[kingsting]

English bikes make great riders with a few mods. Here's mine:

It's a 51' Rudge with cheapo alloy 26" mountain bike wheels and 1-1/4 sliks. It's a fun ride!

 

[JoKeR63]

I'm doing one for the buildoff, see the Partridge.
Glad I'm not alone.

That Rudge is sweet!, gotta' love that sprocket.

 

[kingsting]

That Rudge is sweet!, gotta' love that sprocket.

Thanks!

Funny you mention the sprocket...

The bike was a mess when I bought it. I just wanted it for the nice B-66 leather saddle it had. As I was dragging the sad looking machine out of the flea market, one of my collector friends saw it and said that the "rat bike" people would really like the crank on the bike. That kind of gave me an idea...

 

[Michcruiser]

I got to do some more work on the bike this afternoon. I took the fork off and spilt ball bearings EVERYWHERE!! :roll:

Lucky for me I had just swept the garage floor. Cleaned everything and straightened the fork too. Greased everything and put it back together with ALL those bearings too!! (first time I've run across loose balls)

I added some oil the the hub and it seems to be shifting better but it wants to pop out of gear and free spin sometimes. I'm thinking the old cables need to be redone.

Kingsting, that sprocket is real kool. I'd like to run across one someday myself. I'm thinking of getting new aluminum rims for it and new skins. If I could find someone that was re-poping the old Armstrong decals I think I'd paint the bike.

 

[JoKeR63]

I added some oil the the hub and it seems to be shifting better but it wants to pop out of gear and free spin sometimes. I'm thinking the old cables need to be redone.

This is usually a cable adjustment problem. Put it in 3rd gear, and adjust the cable so it's just going to slack.
New cabling may be hard to find, you may have to go to the Bay.

 

[MadMick]

Put the shift lever in 2nd then adjust the toggle chain until the flat end of the rod aligns flush with the end of the axle.

Glad you Yanks are enjoying our old Push Irons!

I'm about 3% into an Armstrong racer rebuild, it'll take me several years at the rate I'm going.

 

[Michcruiser]

Thanks guys for the help. I will try it tomorrow.
I'm really trying to make this work but I'm thinking it is just to small of a frame for me. I'm 6'2" with a 35" inseam. I would have liked to made a rusty racer out of it but I'm now thinking of using it for what I bought it for.

I need to lace that S/A hub into an S-7 wheel. 8) My Spitfire is beggin for it.

 

[slacker]

Really like both of these builds. Had an Hercules English 3-Speed recently, but let it go. Too many irons in the fire, as it is. And all of them 3-Speed freewheels.

And the sprocket? It friggin' says Hercules. Managed to sell it to a British collector for decent scratch.

 

[ArtGeco]

Dope.