A Sturmey Archer Dynohub for the Sports

Hello and welcome. I had planned to replace the incorrect front wheel on the Raleigh Sports from the beginning. After searching and not finding anything I liked, I contacted Darrell from Bent Wrench Restorations. I was hoping he could point me in the right direction. He did better than that. He actually had two suitable wheels he was willing to sell. The first was a perfect match. But the other was even better, a perfect match with a Sturmey Archer Dynohub. After giving it some thought, I decided to purchase both of them. I really wanted the Dynohub for myself. And I know that if I ever do sell this bike I would want to keep the Dynohub for my next classic Raleigh.

Above: I am not exaggerating when I say, I had no idea how to hook up the headlamp wiring to this dynohub. All the old Sturmey Archer lamps I found on e bay and elsewhere had two wires coming from them. But all three of my salvaged headlamps have only have only one wire. I did manage to find a UK bike shop online that had some Sturmey Archer headlamps for sale. However I could not complete the purchase on their site. The site kept asking for my "security code" but gave me no place to enter it. After three tries I just gave up. I e mailed Darrell again asking if he knew of some directions or tutorial online that might help. He explained as basically as he could what I needed to do and gave me the URL of a bicycle lighting blog. Between Darrell's description and looking at some pics online. I got an idea of what I need to do.

Above: Even though I was not able to get the lamp to work by wiring it to the hub and spinning the wheel by hand, I decided to mount it on the bike anyway. Once I had the headlight mounted I checked the wire length and cut off the excess. Then with one post on the hub grounded to the frame I connected the headlamp wire to the other and spun the wheel. Then the least expected thing happened, The damn thing lit up! I think I probably had it wired properly "off the bike" but when I shortened the wire and stripped away the cover on the end of the wire I now had a good connection. Either the wire had a short in the part I cut off or the connector was no good. Maybe the lamp itself needed to be mounted to be grounded? So basically I don`t know 100% "for sure" why it is working. But I do know that it is, and that is good enough for now.

Above: The headlamp is actually a "Schwinn Approved" model. However it does look very much like the Sturmey Archer headlamp I was looking at the other night. And knowing that Schwinn imported many parts and accessories from England and France back in the day... I would not be surprised if it really is a Sturmey Archer.

Above: Today I decided to rewire the headlamp. The wire I used was very old and had several spots where it had been kinked. Also the connectors I used did not fit properly and were also tarnished badly. So this morning after coffee I headed to Peter's True Value Hardware to purchase some new low voltage wire and small wire connectors. I began by cutting the headlamp wire about 3 or 4 inches below the lamp. I also removed the wire cover for about the last 3/8 inch on both wires. I inserted the bare ends of the wire into the connectors. Then with the new wire properly inserted into the connectors I crimped on the male and female ends of the connector.

How I insert the wire depends on how much room for the wire there is in the connector itself. If it is too tight I will just insert the copper wire, folded over if necessary for a tight fit. (like the one above) If it is loose I will fold the (exposed copper) end of the wire over the wire cover, running back up the wire. Then insert the cover with the copper exposed on the side into the connector. The main thing is that is is tight and that the copper inner wire makes good contact inside the connector.

Above: Here from the opposite end of the wire I have slid a small piece of shrink tube over the new connection. This should protect the connection from corrosion. Shrink tube comes in many sizes. I chose a size that fits fairly snug over the connectors. To large of a size and the tube wont shrink down tightly. And the connection will not be secured and protected properly.

Above: To shrink the tube I wave a small flame from a Bic lighter back and forth underneath and around the tube as much as I can. (the above pic is actually the new ground wire) I need to keep the flame moving so I do not melt or ignite the shrink tube. Using a torch is not a good idea as it will make too much heat. I imagine a heat-gun would be the proper way to do this. But the Bic is faster and works well enough.

Above: You can see the shrink tube is now pretty snug to the connection. I will heat the ends a little more and try to get a better seal around the wire. If I ever want to access this connection I can remove the shrink tube using a razor knife.

Above: This time I chose to run the wire down the left or back side of the head tube. This will make it less noticeable when I photograph the bike. And I will secure it to the back side of the fork using black zip ties. Again to make the wire less noticeable. I have seen stick-on wire hangers on bikes before, but I have no idea who sells them. If you know where they can be purchased, please post it on the face book page or leave a comment.

Above: First thing I slid a small piece of shrink tube over the white wire. I then used a bare hook connector. (it has no plastic insulation) I strip about a 1/4 inch of the wire and fold it over the side of the wire cover so it is running back towards the lamp. Then I insert it into to connector and crimp it tightly with needle nose pliers. Then I slid the shrink tube into place and warmed it up. Then I just loosened the nut on the Dynohub and slipped the hook in behind it and re tightened it. You can see the connection on the left looks much cleaner than the connection on the right or red wire. The hook connector on the right is called an insulated connector. This is the ground wire and it should be black. Tomorrow I will pick up some bare hook connectors and scrounge up some black wire and replace it. Then it will look cleaner and be sealed up better too. This is why I grabbed a few different type connectors today at the hardware. I wanted to see what would work and look best. And now I know.

Above: Another change I will make tomorrow is the white wire should be outside the fender strut. With it behind the strut I had to add another zip tie to keep it from rubbing the hub. I might shorten the white wire a bit tomorrow as well. Quite often studying my photographs I notice things that I could have done differently or that just need a little tweaking.

Above: Here I have made up a new black ground wire using uninsulated connectors and protecting the connections with shrink tube. I also moved the headlamp wire to the outside of the fender strut and shortened it up a wee bit as well.

Above: I was having trouble trying to find this thin low voltage wire at Hardware Stores. Then it occurred to me that Radio Shack would be the place to go. And yes they had this 3 small spool set for $8.49 Another thing they have that could prove useful is a pretty good selection of flashlight bulbs.

Above: This 3 speed Raleigh has been a lot of fun to work on. And between this "Sports" and Brian's Raleigh "Sprite" I have learned a lot. I will be ordering the correct fork decals for the Sports. To me the modern ones just would not look right. And I did notice after riding the Sports that the left pedal spindle was ever so slightly bent. So for now I have vintage (1960's) English road bike pedals on it. So I will be changing those back to block pedals eventually. I thought the saddle would require a break in period but so far it has been very comfortable. I did read somewhere that Brooks uses a softer leather on their touring type saddles.

Above: Now it is the evening of the day after rewiring the headlamp for the last time. I ordered these NOS (new old stock) vintage Raleigh Pedals from the UK last night. As you might imagine they were "a little pricey". But after close inspection of the other pictures of the above pedals, I could see they are a perfect match both thread wise and spindle end wise. The threaded post ends are slotted for a large screwdriver just like the originals. I have read that, When European bicycle manufactures were attempting to standardize thread type (and I imagine metric sizes as well) Raleigh resisted. This was because Raleigh manufactured all their own parts. So there was no need to justify the cost of doing so. I think my pedals (1964) might have been made before Raleigh complied to the standards. (if they ever actually did) Because "In my opinion" the modern Raleigh 9/16 threading is just a little different than the old. The TPI (threads per inch) looks really close. But the angle of the threads looks different to me. I may be wrong about this, but I don't think so. I will look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas on the subject.

CAUTION!! The Modern Dynohubs are much more efficient. And the L.E.D. lights are brighter and better. But I almost never ride in the dark. This was done basically for the "Cool Factor". My Specialized and my flip/flop single speed both have bicycle LED head and tail lights. LED is the only to go if you are riding in the dark or anytime on the road or bike path.

Above: This is the other vintage wheel I purchased from Darrell. Unless someone is willing to pay a "boat load of money" for the Sports with the Dynohub wheel. This is the wheel that will be on it, when and if I sell it.

Above: When I do switch the wheels I will install one of theses vintage bolt on generator headlamp combinations. Please do not ask to purchase one of these from me, as they are among my most prized possessions. Along with my Schwinn "dog bone wrench" and my vintage Schwinn "pen type" pocket air gauge (Made in England). There are some things I will never part with.

I think on the "L.L. Bean" bike I will try to do a step by step on rebuilding the threaded headset. Seems like I am always focusing on the crank, probably because that is what people ask me about the most. Other than the pedals, which are on their way from the UK there is nothing else to talk about concerning the Raleigh Sports.

Until next time, Please RIDE SAFELY and Remember to Always...RESCUE, RESTORE & RECYCLE!! Cheers, Hugh

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Assembling the 1964 Raleigh Sports

 Hello and Welcome, The Raleigh Sports project was interrupted by our badly needed holiday on Mackinac Island. Also when the new bearings arrived the headset bearings were missing. They had been oddly packaged in a folded cardboard folder, and the ends were unsealed. Being these bearings were packaged in a little plastic bag (like a bean bag) I have no doubt they worked their way out through the unsealed flaps during shipping. Enough with excuses, lets get on with it.

Above: The frame has been painted and allowed to dry for 72 hours plus an extra 24 for the gold detail. That is allowed to dry 72 hours after the final coat. I did add another coat after 48 hours. normally I would spray the second coat after 24 hours, but due to the cooler weather I gave it an extra 24 hours. The Paint used is Rust-Oleum Professional Enamel.

Above: The gold detail paint is Testor's Enamel from Tower Hobbies as are the camel hair brushes. The low odor Mineral Spirits should be available at any good Paint Store or Paint Department. The other bottle is glossy black fingernail enamel for touching up any mistakes or scratches. The secret to the gold detail paint is always rest your hand on something when painting. And avoid caffeine. Doing the pin stripe or detail might not be a good idea after hanging out at Starbucks drinking high octane coffee all morning.

Above: Although having been cleaned out I am still seeing and feeling something on the inside of the drive side cup. Nothing serious probably just a little grease residue.

Above: I cut a small piece of med fine automotive grade wet sand paper about 1 inch by 1&1/2 inch and fold it lengthwise. I will fold this over my finger tip and sand the inside of the cup all the way around then re check.

Above: Here I am sanding the inside of the drive side cup. This will only work for light scratches and hardened grease residue. If the cup is scored I will need to replace it. If you I need to remove it I will need to remember the drive side cup is reversed thread (clock wise to loosen) If I do have to replace it I may have a little trouble locating a replacement cup with the correct threading. I try to make sure my supplier or e bay seller knows the model year of my bike and where it was built. If a Raleigh is "Made in Nottingham England" it should say so on the head badge.

Above: Once the cup is clean and dry, I grease it pretty heavily so the bearings will stay in place. This is a little tricky feeding the bearings in from the outside one at a time while I have a finger inside to push the bearing into place. I usually smear a little grease over the bearings to hold them in place when finished. Before I insert the bracket spline or axle, I will have the left side bearing cup all ready with bearings in place and within easy reach. I will also have the Teflon tape and scissors at the ready and within reach. I like to get this done in short order while the drive side bearings are still in place. I will avoid bumping into the frame or bracket, I don`t want to knock any of the drive side bearings out of the cup.

Above: Once I have the bottom bracket axle in place I carefully turn it by hand applying slight pressure. If all the bearings are seated properly it should feel smooth. Now I can let it go (without pulling it out at all) while I grab the left side bearing cup which is all ready to go.

Above: Now I can carefully thread the left side cup in while making sure I do not pull the spline away from the drive side cup. The left side cup has normal threads, (clockwise to tighten). Now if you are satisfied with the condition of the threads and you prefer not to use Teflon tape. You can thread this cup all the way into place. I will only thread mine in a enough to hold it in place then stop.

Above: By wrapping the Teflon tape in the opposite direction that the cup is turning the tape will not bind up when the end of the tape is threading into the housing. It is just one of those little things that can save you some unneeded aggravation. Teflon tape has been known to stop that creaking sound that bad threads on the housing can cause. It also seals and protects the threads.

Above: Once I have threaded the left side cup in all the way and I am satisfied with the proper torque or tightness. I usually tighten the left side cup until I feel just a little grind when I turn the bracket spline or axle. Then I back it off just a hair. As always with bearings I am looking for "no grind and no play". If I can`t achieve this, a tiny bit of play is better than the bearings grinding. With high speed Automotive wheel bearings you need to leave a tiny bit of play. If you do not when the bearings heat up and expand they will burn up from being to tight. Point being "In my opinion" a wee bit of play is always better than the bearings grinding. I like to recheck mine after a few rides as sometimes they loosen up a bit after the bearings are seated. Same goes for head set bearings. Also Important NOTE: I am holding the cup in place with an adjustable wrench while tightening the lock ring using my Hozan bottom bracket tool. If I do not do this, the cup is likely to turn and over tighten.

Above: The crank went back together without a hitch. When I am installing my cotter pins I need to hammer them into place. The nut and washer will not hold the crank or arm in position if I do not do this. I always tell people the nut and washer is only there so you do not loose your cotter pin if it should loosen up while riding. Just remember the crank goes on the right ..LTMS A while back, late one night in the shop I found myself putting the left arm on the drive side. Message here is: When your tired, get some rest.

Above: The rear mudguard or fender went on without a problem. I used the time while the paint was drying to install new rim strips and mount the tires on the rims with new 26 x 1 3/8 inner-tubes (schrader valve). I have already cleaned up all the fender mount nuts and bolts. This bike has no rear caliper brake which made installing the rear mudguard much easier than normal.

Above: I really like the rebuild-able pedals. Breaking them down was simple enough and being the plating is high quality they cleaned up nicely. I ordered the replacement blocks on e-bay. And I must admit the blocks look much better that I thought they would. I did trim about 1/8 inch off each block.

Above: I did this by placing the blocks in the vise horizontal leaving about 1/2 inch sticking out, then cut off the 1/8 with a hacksaw. For the clean-up on the pedal frames I used the fine brass wheel brush on the low speed drill. And did the touch-up with a toothbrush size brass detail brush. I polished all the chrome pieces with "Turtle Wax Chrome Polish & Rust Remover". This was done before installing the new blocks of course.

Above: I replaced the chain with a Schwinn Single and 3 speed 1/8 replacement bicycle chain. And I once thought only single speeds and fixed gear bikes used a 1/8 inch chain.

Above: The chain guard took a little finagling to get it in the proper position so that the crank side pedal arm would clear it. I did revert back to some pics I had taken to make sure I installed the clamp-on front guard mount bracket properly. I think the guard might still be a wee bit high in the front. I might readjust that latter on down the road.

Above: I rebuilt the headset installing new grade 25 ball bearings. There are 50 ball bearings in the headset. That makes for a very smooth feel when turning. If you would like to see pics of "yours truly" rebuilding a headset, just enter "re-build headset" in the "Search This blog" feature in the right column on this page. It is located just below The Followers thumbnail images. The cork grips I installed, after the brake levers and shifter of course. I did shorten up the grips using a single edge razor blade. This allowed me to mount the front brake lever in the proper position. To hold the grips firmly in place (after I am sure everything is mounted on the bars correctly) I used Permatex # 2 "hardening" gasket sealer . Do not smear the Permatex on the handlebars. It is much cleaner if you smear it inside the grip. (using surgical gloves) About the same amount a tooth brush will hold should be about right.

Above: I was not able to reuse the original front brake caliper. The long mounting bolt was bent but I managed to fix that "pretty much'. Then I could not get the cable knarp to work. My knarps were the wrong shape and would not stay in the pocket. If you are wondering what the #### a knarp is ??? You know the little ball on the lever end of a brake cable? Well a knarp is like that, but it is removable and has an inset screw to secure it. In reality I like the replacement caliper better, It is lighter and takes a modern brake cable. Also the spring on the original caliper was giving me fits. But that was my fault, I took it apart 3 years ago. It took me a while to figure exactly how it attached to the caliper. Definitely nothing like the side-pull calipers I am most familiar with. So this is an upgrade I would have made eventually anyway.

Above: The front fender or mudguard took some adjusting so that it would not rub. I suspect this is because the front wheel is narrow compared to the original. This gives the 26 x 1 & 3/8 tire a little higher profile. In other words the tire is taller than it would be with the wider stock wheel. But although really close, the tire is not rubbing the fender or struts now. The front wheel will be replaced in the near future. But that will be another post in itself. I`m talking Dyno hub wheel here!

Above: Thanks to the late and Great Sheldon Brown, hooking up the three speed shifter was actually quite simple. The man had a wonderful way of making things that seemed very confusing quite understandable. After reading his tutorial and looking at the photographs, I felt like I had hooked up a hundred of theses 3 speed shifters. If there really were "Bicycle Gods" I am sure he would be with them now.

Above: The rear fender or mudguard decal and the new rear reflector really finished off the stern end nicely. But it still needs something?

Above: The Brooks Millbrook holdall bag and the Brooks Flyer Saddle finish off this bike beautifully. As I mentioned there may be a front wheel and lighting change in the future. But for now the 1964 Raleigh Sports 3 speed is finished. So here are some more pics of the finished project.

Above: The Sports from the drive side front. I rigged up the 1919 Buddy lantern/flashlight for photographs only. However, I have ridden it a few times with the light in place with no problems. I think I will leave it on there for the time being.

Above: I do not think I have ever owned a bike that photographed this well from the left side, well done Raleigh!

Above: Another shot of the stern. I am glad I decided to paint the lower rear mudguard white. I did not want it to look exactly like Brian's Sprite.

Above: A close shot of the shellacked cork grips, bell and Buddy lantern. The leather strap is a left over from the tool bag. The bag was not designed to strap to the seat post when using a springer saddle I guess. I have the bag secured to the spreader below the saddle springs with a "zip tie". It is pretty much invisible and makes the bag a little harder to steal. If you look closely I have also zip tied the lantern to the handlebars to the right of the strap.

Above: I really like the way the lantern/flashlight looks up front. I hope I can find something equal to it too hook up to the Dyno Hub.

Above: It should read "Made in England - Restored in the USA" I can really understand why there are guys out there who only restore old Raleighs and other British bikes.

Above: *Not the bike shown above, but the same model and color.* Yesterday I inquired about a lavender Raleigh Competition. I think it might be the first year for that model, around 1972? They had it priced pretty high for it`s condition So I doubt they will take my offer. In retrospect I should have waited a couple weeks before making the offer. Give reality a chance to settle in. Until next time Please RIDE SAFE and Remember to Always.......RESCUE, RESTORE & RECYCLE..........Cheers,Hugh

ATTENTION AMAZON SHOPPERS! You can help Support This Blog by simply shopping on Amazon dot com using the Amazon Search Box located at the Top Right Corner of This Page. It will not effect your cost and I will receive a very small commission. Thanks for Your Support, Hugh