Still trying to find info on this scissor folding bike. Guess dating the hub could be a good start. Screams mid 60's to me but I stand to be corrected by a sturmey expert. 16" cast alloy wheel with sturmey 3 speed drum brake, screw on sprocket and 2 piece indicator chain. Thanks in advance
sturmey archer date
- Thread starter RE CYCLE
- Start date
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fritz katzenjammer
Der Ubergrosserbudgie
- Location
- Canada eh! Your land of back bacon.
A Sturmey Archer hub from the sixties should have a date code stamped on it. A simple four digit code denoting the month and year of manufacture. Every English made one I’ve had has had it.
Chris S
Legendary Member
- Location
- Birmingham
It's got a threaded sprocket, instead of one held on by a circlip. That would suggest the hub is pre-1951. I'll post the photos on the Sturmey Archer Facebook group and see what they say.
Yes but dated on the case, this is built direct into the wheel with no case
Chris S
Legendary Member
- Location
- Birmingham
Here are the answers that I got:
Mystery! Brake is of the early SA style,the hub could be a 4 spd going by the L/H nut. The head/forks etc looks like it's been taken from a Raleigh SW from the 60s. Cast wheels are intruiging.
The sprocket appears to be a 12 splined with a lock ring (available 30s/40s. Not sure when discontinued).
This is an older KB going off the backing plate for the drum brake, it also has a threaded driver which is not exclusive to the K series but it also has a K series right side axle cone.
The hub appears to be a KB that was in production from 1934-38. A similar hub was made under licence by BSA until 1956. It was a much more sophisticated hub than the cut-price 'A' series which replaced it. The front end of your bike is from an RSW which was in production from 1965-74. I think your bike is either home made or a prototype. If it was a production bike then the ends of the X frame would be welded on instead of being attached with heavy bolts. Nobody seems to have seen the cast wheels before so I suspect it's more likely to be a prototype.
Mystery! Brake is of the early SA style,the hub could be a 4 spd going by the L/H nut. The head/forks etc looks like it's been taken from a Raleigh SW from the 60s. Cast wheels are intruiging.
The sprocket appears to be a 12 splined with a lock ring (available 30s/40s. Not sure when discontinued).
This is an older KB going off the backing plate for the drum brake, it also has a threaded driver which is not exclusive to the K series but it also has a K series right side axle cone.
The hub appears to be a KB that was in production from 1934-38. A similar hub was made under licence by BSA until 1956. It was a much more sophisticated hub than the cut-price 'A' series which replaced it. The front end of your bike is from an RSW which was in production from 1965-74. I think your bike is either home made or a prototype. If it was a production bike then the ends of the X frame would be welded on instead of being attached with heavy bolts. Nobody seems to have seen the cast wheels before so I suspect it's more likely to be a prototype.
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Thanks very much for reply, starting to think you could be correct. Lots of bits make me think some kind of raleigh prototype not least the fact that it came from a Nottingham house clearance. As you say forks look like rsw, tyres are rsw, levers are the same as chopper/ grifter etc but welded to bars. Lots of sturmey bits. Crank stamped EA (williams?), Bottom bracket is TDC. Does have a slight homemade vibe but I suppose a prototype would, and extremely well made. Also if home made wheels would have to of come from a production model which is why I thought chasing info on wheels could help. Thanks again and let me know if you have any more thoughts
