Getting a Vintage Three Speed Bike Ready to Ride

Any bicycle that has been stored unused or hasn't been lubricated recently will need attention before it is ridden. Being a bicycle mechanic I get to the testing of a bicycle by test riding it sooner than someone who isn't as familiar with the mechanical aspects of bicycles probably should. I check the wheels for tightness to the frame and that they turn freely but are not loose from the axle, that the wheels have enough lubricant by listening to what sounds they make when spun, that the handlebars are tight, that the chain isn't about to break, that the brakes will stop the bicycle, check the tires and put the air pressure to what the tires will safely hold, check that the saddle is sound and then go for a short ride. What I can't tell you is how to make all those evaluations without picking up a tool. In time it is learned. So don't ride an old bicycle until you are sure you won't harm yourself or the bicycle.

If you are good at repairing and adjusting things you can probably learn what you need to know to successfully get an old bicycle ready to ride. One of the first things you may need to learn is patience. If any of its parts are rusted in place you will need to learn how to free them without doing more harm than good. If that is the case, you may even want to take your bicycle to an experienced bicycle mechanic. To find an experienced bicycle mechanic who can handle the repair you should go to various bicycle shops and ask the mechanic if he is familiar with the repair on that type of bicycle. To do so you will still need to know something about bicycles and you will have to know what type of bicycle you have so you may want to read the rest of this page to find out what needs to be done and other pages at this site and others to find out what kind of bicycle you have even if you are going to take your bicycle to a professional rather than trying to repair it yourself.

Find a mechanic that can help your bicycle. If you have an old bicycle it will be harder to find someone who can repair it. Don't trust any mechanic who doesn't allow you to interview him about his ability working on the type of bicycle that you have. You won't need to take much of his time, so he has no reason to object unless he doesn't have the right answers. Find out if he knows what you are talking about. Explain to him what brand of bicycle, its approximate age, where it was made, and how many gears and what type of gear system it has. See, I told you that you will need to know something about your bicycle even if you take it to a professional for repair.

Be patient. You may not be explaining it to him sufficiently well. But if you tell him the brand, age, where it was made, and what kind and number of gears it has he should at least have an idea what it is. If he seems to still wonder what you are talking about, be polite and thank him but go to the next bicycle shop and try again. Keep trying until you find someone who recognizes your bicycle by description. You may need patience and searching. Remember that you may have a bicycle that most bicycle mechanics have never seen. Worse yet, many have never worked on a bicycle like yours. They no longer need any experience with three speed internal hubs to get a job repairing bicycles. Three speed internal hubs are very rare today. If you have used tools to repair an automobile, a washing machine, a clothes dryer, or a computer you may be better suited to repair your vintage bicycle, after a little instruction, than many of the bicycle mechanics who are working today.

Most repairs of vintage three speed bicycles are not very difficult if you first find out how to do so properly. There are some excellent repair manuals available. The hard part is to find ones that are going to apply to bicycles that were made years ago. My favorite, even though I don't agree exactly with all of its advise is "Glenn's Complete Bicycle Manual" copyright 1973. But even though I don't agree with every procedure explained within its pages, they are all useable, even if I have what I consider to be a better way in a few instances. Most of the time I agree completely. Much more often than I agree with many of the other manuals available. It is probably still available as a used book. I bought mine used through Amazon.com. There are others that are also excellent. The "Raleigh Maintenance Handbook", c 1950 and the "Hercules Maintenance Tips", circa 1960, are the first two, other than "Glenn's Complete Bicycle Manual", that come to mind. If you have successfully repaired bicycles previously or if you are handy with repairs to other machines, you may want to tackle some to all repairs and adjustments that might be needed.

Where to start.

Every part that moves on a bicycle needs to move freely or it has the potential to hurt you or the bicycle or the part itself. What follows will be expanded upon as time allows. I want to eventually have my own instructions for repairs on this page. But for now here is some general guidance. It would be wrong for me to say where the most important place to start is because every part has to work together and any bicycle that doesn't have every part working properly is potentially dangerous.

The wheels.

Now that I have that said, I start with the wheels. If a wheel does something wrong you could stop abruptly, get thrown to the ground, or get thrown in front of another vehicle. Any one of those possibilities is a very unpleasant circumstance and very dangerous. The spokes should be checked for proper adjustment. They should all be straight and tight, but not over tensioned, with no visible corrosion that could compromise their strength. The tires should be checked for wear, cracking, weather checking, punctures, and any other faults in their structure. Tubes should be able to hold air for a considerable time, at least days with no pressure loss. The hubs in vintage three speed bicycles use ball bearings to allow the wheel to turn freely. There should be no binding or strange noise when the wheels turn. The Sturmey Archer three speed hub makes a regular clicking when it is coasting and in second and third gears also when you are pedaling. Other internally geared hubs also click when turning though some of them only make semi regular clicks. Glenn's Manual is a great place to learn how to open, check bearings, cones, and cups and lubricate the axle bearings.

The crank pedals and bearings.

The crankset. pedals, and bearings carry the greatest stresses placed on a rotating part of the bicycle. Any extra resistance to rotation in the crank bearings or pedal bearings will make the ride more difficult than it needs to be. Most vintage bicycles have a separate crank axle and crank arms. They are almost all held together by crank cotter bolts, also known as crank cotters or crank cotter pins. They need to fit your crankset as they come in different sizes. There are also different profiles within the sizes. The taper and length of taper varies typically by country of manufacture. It is usually sufficient to match the size and country of origin. Italian to Italian, English to English etc. Japanese and Taiwanese and others match English quite closely as English became the predominant standard. With bicycles, when someone mentions the "standard" it is usually necessary to find out which "standard" as for most parts there are so many. The crank cotters need to be inserted from opposite directions one side to the other.

Headset bearings.

The headset bearings should be opened only over someplace that you can keep track of falling bearings as these are almost always not in a retainer and gravity will invariably spill half of them out unless you are very organized and careful. Most bearings will probably be in good condition if there is even a coating of grease or oil left on them. In most cases it will be better to reuse the old ones if they are in good condition. If they are round and shiny and have no pitting you can be pretty sure the bearings are ok to reuse.

Before going for a ride you should check that all components are securely attached every time you get ready to go for a ride. A bicycle has a great advantage over most other forms of transportation because you can see almost every part of the machine. Very little is hidden from your view or reach. Check especially that the handlebars, wheels, saddle, fork, crank, pedals, and brakes are properly attached, that the tires are properly inflated, and that the brakes are working properly before you ride.

This page is not a substitute for having an experienced bicycle mechanic inspect your bicycle to certify that it is safe to ride. (An amateur or professional experienced bicycle mechanic - as long as he knows what he is doing.)

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