Accessories	Bicycles	Parts	Specials	Tools

sheldonbrown.com sheldonbrown.net sheldonbrown.org WWW

Sturmey-Archer Bicycle Hubs

by Sheldon "Epicyclic" Brown

Cable Replacement | Cone Adjustment | Dating | 4- & 5-Speeds | Gear Adjustment
Gear Ratios | Lubrication | Planetary Gearing Explained | Links | Taiwan/England

New! On-line Gear Calculator for Internally-Geared Hubs

Quick Reference to older models (Links to individual models at the bottom of the table are mostly for older models. Information on all current models is accessible through the links by number of speeds at the top of the table, and identified by cells with a colored background.
2-speeds				3-speeds				4-speeds
Older 5-speeds				Newer 5-speeds				7-speeds
8-speeds				1-speed brake hubs				Front hubs
AB	AB/C	AC	AG	AM	AR	ASC	AT3	AW	AWC	BF	BFC
BF/C	BFT	BR	BRC	BRT	FB	FC	FG	FM	FW	GH6	K
KB	KBC	KS	KSW	KT	KTC	S5	S5-2	S3C	SAB	SBF	SBR
Spr.5	Spr.7	ST	SW	T	TB	TBC	TBF	TBFC	TCW	TF	VT

 

Sturmey-Archer Internal-gear Hubs

lmost all English 3-speeds have Sturmey-Archer rear hubs. They made many different models since the company started in 1903. Sturmey-Archer was a division of Raleigh Industries until autumn, 2000, when the parent company ran into financial difficulties. The land the factory stood on was sold, and Sturmey-Archer was nearly liquidated by a corporate raider. Fortunately, a Taiwanese company called SunRace came to the rescue, and bought the company assets more or less intact. The machinery and stock have been moved to Taiwan. SunRace has resumed production of Sturmey-Archer hubs -- some pre-existing models, many new ones.

In 2010, after 10 years in Taiwan, Sturmey-Archer's selection of multi-speed hubs is much wider than that of the other manufacturers, and includes useful specialty hubs. Sturmey-Archer makes a number of internal-gear hubs which are relatively light in weight, being small in size and having aluminum shells. Many Sturmey-Archer hubs -- even the 8-speed -- can fit the narrow dropout spacings of older bicycles. Have a look on the Sturmey-Archer Web site and be sure to scroll down at the left side of the page -- there are evengearboxes with a reverse gear and a secondary sprocket to use on the intermediate shaft of a tricycle. Other hubs have a disk brake or band brake/sprocket fitting on the left side. Sturmey-Archer also makes front hubs, including a track hub, dynamo hub and drum brake hubs.

Most older Sturmey-Archer hubs have two or three-letter model codes, which are usually stamped onto the hub shell. Conveniently, they also usually have the month and the last two digits of the year of manufacture stamped onto the shell. This is the easiest way to date a 3-speed bicycle, if it has its original rear wheel.

Jane Thomas has kindly posted excerpts from the 1956 Sturmey-Archer service manual at:

http://www.toehead.plus.com/st_main.htm

All current Sturmey-Archer Models, and most others produced since the 1930s:

Internal-gear hubs
Model	Speeds	Range	Gears(%)	Features
2-speeds
S2	2	Wide	100 71.4	1950s model with kickback shifting
T	2	Medium	100 75	A rare 1930s model, made for club bicycles and tandems. If you have a fast connection, you can see sales brochures for this model.
TB	2	Wide	100 75	A rare 1930s two-speed hub with cable/rod-operated drum brake. Similar to TBC If you have a fast connection, you can see sales brochures for this model.
TBC	2	Wide	100 75	A rare 1930s two-speed hub with cable-operated drum brake. Similar to TB If you have a fast connection, you can see sales brochures for this model.
TBF	2	Wide	100 75	A rare 1930s fixed gear two-speed hub with cable/rod-operated drum brake. Similar to TBFC If you have a fast connection, you can see sales brochures for this model.
TBFC	2	Wide	100 75	A rare 1930s fixed gear two-speed hub with cable-operated drum brake. Similar to TBF If you have a fast connection, you can see sales brochures for this model.
TC	2	Close	100 86.54	A rare 1930s model, made for club bicycles. See: sa-1938f2.jpeg (176k) If you have a fast connection, you can see sales brochures for this model.
TF	2	Medium	100 75	A rare 1930s fixed gear model, made for club bicycles and tandems. The fixed-gear version of the T If you have a fast connection, you can see sales brochures for this model.
3-speeds
AB	3	Wide	133.3 100 75	With cable-operated drum brake.
AB3	3	Wide	133.3 100 75	With cable-operated 90 mm drum brake. Still sold in 2010.
AB/C	3	Wide	133.3 100 75	With cable-operated 90 mm drum brake.
AC	3	Close	106.66 100 93.3	A rare model, made for club bicycles, time trials.
AG	3	Wide	133.3 100 75	Basically, an AW with a built-in Dynohub generator.
AM	3	Medium	115.55 100 86.54	A rare model, made for club bicycles.
AR	3	Ultra Close	107.24 100 93.24	A very rare 1930's model, made for club/racing bicycles. If you have a fast connection, you can see sales brochures for this model.
ASC	3	Close	100 90 75	Fixed gear. Extremely rare, and lots of fun! This site has two separate pages devoted to this hub: See the main ASC Page for general info, and the ASC Tech Page for service instructions, cutaway and exploded diagrams. In 2010, Sunrace/Sturmey Archer has introduced a new 3-speed fixed gear hub, the S3X
AT3	3	Wide	133.3 100 75	"Elite" 70 mm drum brake. "Elite" indicates a hub with an aluminium shell.
AW	3	Wide	133.3 100 75	This is far and away the most common model, introduced in 1936. No-neutral-gear version still sold in 2010 --75th anniversary is coming up in 2011!
AWC	3	Wide	133.3 100 75	Three speed coaster brake. No-neutral-gear version. Steel shell. Still sold in 2010!
K	3	Wide	133.3 100 75	The immediate predecessor of the AW If you have a fast connection, you can see sales brochures for this model.
KB	3	Wide	133.3 100 75	With rod-operated drum brake. (Similar to the KBC If you have a fast connection, you can see sales brochures for this model.
KBC	3	Wide	133.3 100 75	With cable-operated drum brake. 1930's predecessor to the AB If you have a fast connection, you can see sales brochures for this model.
KS	3	Close	112.5 100 89.9	A rare 1930s model, made for club bicycles and tandems. If you have a fast connection, you can see sales brochures for this model.
KSW	3	Medium	116.6 100 85.7	A rare 1930s model, made for club bicycles and tandems. If you have a fast connection, you can see sales brochures for this model.
KT	3	Wide	133.3 100 75	Tandem hub with cable/rod-operated drum brake. Similar to KTC If you have a fast connection, you can see sales brochures for this model.
KTC	3	Wide	133.3 100 75	Tandem hub with cable-operated drum brake. Similar to KT If you have a fast connection, you can see sales brochures for this model.
QS-RC3	3 + reverse	Wide	133.3 100 75	Coaster brake, aluminum shell, reverse gear and second sprocket, made for a tricycle. This is a gearbox, not a hub and must be used in an intermediate position on the frame, with two chains, because the secondary sprocket attaches where the spokes would.
RS-RF3	3	Wide	133.3 100 75	New version similar to the AW, with an aluminum shell. Rotary shifting interface inside the dropout; no brake.
RX-RD3	3	Wide	133.3 100 75	New version similar to the AW, with an aluminum shell. Rotary shifting interface inside the dropout; 70mm drum brake
SAB3	3	Wide	133.3 100 75	Steel shell, 70mm drum brake. Still sold in 2010
SBR	3	Wide	133.3 100 75	"Steelite" 70 mm drum brake. "Steelite" indicates a hub with a steel shell.
S3C	3	Wide	133.3 100 75	Coaster brake. After Consumer Reports rated the TCW IV "unacceptable" because the brake would fail completely if the shift cable was misadjusted, Sturmey-Archer completely redesigned their Tricoaster, so that the braking was independent of the gear-change. This model is safer than the TCW series, but is still prone to failure.
S3X	3	Mid	100 75 62.5	Sunrace/Sturmey-Archer's new-production 3-speed fixed gear, supplanting the rare ASC. A matching front hub, the HBT, is available.
S-RC3	3	Wide	133.3 100 75	Aluminum-shell version of the AC3, with coaster brake.
S-RF3	3	Wide	133.3 100 75	New version similar to the AW, with an aluminum shell. Improved pullchain interface; no brake.
SW	3	Super- wide	138.4 100 72.23	This model was intended to replace the AW in 1957, but was so troublesome that it was withdrawn, and the AW re-introduced in 1958. The SW uses a unique 3-prong driver, and has crescent shape pawls that don't use pawl spring. When they work, they're very nice. They are light, nearly silent, and efficient. None of the internal parts are interchangeable with other models. See Brian Hayes's article on this site.
SX-RB3	3	Wide	133.3 100 75	Widebody 3-speed (for wide dropout spacing) with threads on left side for band brake drum or sprocket.
SX-RK3	3	Wide	133.3 100 75	Widebody 3-speed (for wide dropout spacing) with fitting for brake disk.
TS-RC3	3 + reverse	Wide	133.3 100 75	Coaster brake, high-polish aluminum shell, reverse gear and second sprocket: made for a tricycle. This is a gearbox, not a hub and must be used in an intermediate position on the frame, with two chains, because the second sprocket attaches at the spoke holes on the right side.
TCW	3	Wide	133.3 100 75	Coaster brake. Mark I, II, III, IV. Unreliable, replaced by the S3C.
XL-RD3	3	Wide	133.3 100 75	90 mm drum brake, aluminum shell.
TS-RC3	3 + reverse	Wide	133.3 100 75	Coaster brake, high-polish aluminum shell, reverse gear and second sprocket: made for a tricycle. This is a gearbox, not a hub and must be used in an intermediate position on the frame, with two chains, because the second sprocket attaches at the spoke holes on the right side.
TS-RF3	3	Wide	133.3 100 75	No brake, high-polish aluminum shell, reverse gear and second sprocket: made for a tricycle. This is a gearbox, not a hub and must be used in an intermediate position on the frame, with two chains, because the second sprocket attaches at the spoke holes on the right side.
X-RD3	3 + reverse	Wide	133.3 100 75	70 mm drum brake, aluminum shell.
4-speeds
FB	4	Wide	126.6 100 79.9 66.67	With cable-operated drum brake.
FC	4	Close	109.1 100 90 75	A rare model, made for club bicycles.
FG	4	Wide	126.6 100 79.9 66.67	Basically an FW with a built-in Dynohub generator. I have one of these on my 1954 Superbe Roadster
FM	4	Medium	112.5 100 85.7 66.7	A rare model, made for club bicycles.
FW	4	Wide	126.6 100 78.9 66.67	The most common four-speed model.
Older 5-speeds
5-speed alloy	5	Wide	150 126.6 100 78.9 66.67	An S5-2 with a beefy alloy shell; late UK production.
AB5	5	Wide		Steel shell, 70 mm drum brake, introduced ca. 1999
AT5	5	Wide		Aluminum shell, 70 mm drum brake, single cable; introduces in 1993
S5	5	Wide		The earliest 5-speed hub, a modified FW. The original S5 used two cables, a conventional 3-speed type on the right, and a bell crank/pushrod unit on the left. The right lever/cable has 3 positions, and works as a normal 3-speed hub. The left lever/cable converts the hub from a medium ratio to a wide ratio 3-speed. Since the middle gear is direct drive, the left control has no effect on the middle gear. Most, if not all Sturmey-Archer 4-speeds can be converted to 5-speeds. The planet cage is the same but the axle and large sun gear must be replaced so they engage in both directions. See additional information.
S5/1	5	Wide		Replaced the S5; used two pullchains rather than having a bell crank on the left side. Unreliable, tended to pop out of low gear.
S5-2	5	Wide		Improved, reliable version of the S5/1. The S5-2 has a bit more internal friction than the plain S5. Axle assembly and axle gears are different.
Sprinter S5	5	Wide		5-speed single-cable; introduced 1993-1994
Sprinter S5 Elite	5	Wide		Aluminium shell 5-speed single-cable, introduced 1993-1994
Sprinter S5C Coaster	5	Wide		5-speed single-cable with coaster brake, introduced 1993-1994
X-RD5	5	Wide		Newer no-neutral-gear mechanism ca. 2000, drum brake
X-RF5	5	Wide		Newer no-neutral-gear mechanism ca. 2000, no brake
2009- wider-ratio 5-speeds
QS-RC5	5+ reverse	Wider	160 133.3 100 75 62.5	Wider ratio, introduced 2009, coaster brake, reverse rear and second sprocket. This is a gearbox, not a hub, and must be used in an intermediate position on the frame, with two chains, because there is a bracket that goes across where the spokes would be.
S5C(W)	5	Wider		Wider ratio, introduced 2009, coaster brake, steel shell.
S-RC5(W)	5	Wider		Wider ratio, introduced 2009, coaster brake, aluminum shell
S-RF5(W)	5	Wider		Wider ratio, introduced 2009, no brake, aluminum shell
XL-RD5 (W)	5	Wider		Wider ratio, introduced 2009, 90 mm drum brake, aluminum shell
X-RC5(W)		Wider		Wider ratio, introduced 2009, coaster brake, large-flange aluminum shell
X-RD5(W)	5	Wider		Wider ratio, introduced 2009, 70 mm drum brake, aluminum shell
X-RF5(W)	5	Wider		wider ratio, introduced 2009, no brake, large-flange aluminum shell
7-speeds
AT7	7	Wide	168 145 124 100 80 69 60	7-speed single cable with drum brake. See also my article on newer internal-gear hubs
Sprinter 7	7	Wide		7-speed single cable
Sprinter 7 Elite	7	Wide		7-speed single cable
Sprinter 7 Coaster	7	Wide		7-speed single cable
X-RD7	7	Wide		Taiwan production, different appearance, same mechanism as the AT7.
8-Speeds
XRF8	8	Mid	305 238 210 186 164 145 128 100	Discontinued, no brake.
XRK8	8	Mid		Discontinued, fitting for disk brake
S80(W)	8	Wide	325 250 220 192 169 148 130 100	Current model, 2010, no brake, steel shell. Only gears up, especially suitable for small-wheel bicycles.
X-RF8(W)	8	Wide		Current model, 2010, no brake.
X-RD8(W)	8	Wide		Current model, 2010, internal drum brake.
X-RK8(W)	8	Wide		Current model, 2010, fitting for disk brake
Other Rear hubs
Model	Features
BR	Drum brake for rod operation (similar to BRC) If you have a fast connection, you can see sales brochures for this model.
BRC	Drum brake for cable operation (similar to BR) If you have a fast connection, you can see sales brochures for this model.
BRD	Drum brake for rod operation (derailer-compatible version of BR) If you have a fast connection, you can see sales brochures for this model.
BRCD	Drum brake for cable operation (derailer-compatible version of BRC) If you have a fast connection, you can see sales brochures for this model.
BRT	Tandem drum brake for cable operation (similar to BRC) If you have a fast connection, you can see sales brochures for this model.
SAB	"Steelite" 70 mm drum brake for cable operation
ST	"Elite" 70 mm drum brake for cable operation
X-RD	Freewheel hub with 90 mm drum brake, 2010 production
X-RDC	Cassette hub with 90mm drum brake, 2010 production
Front hubs
Model	Features
BF	Formerly, d rum brake for rod operation (similar to BFC) Now this name is used for a 90mm cable-operated drum brake. If you have a fast connection, you can see sales brochures for this model.
BFC	Drum brake for cable operation (similar to BF). If you have a fast connection, you can see sales brochures for this model.
BF/C	90 mm drum brake for cable operation (current model)
BFT	Tandem drum brake for cable operation (similar to BFC) If you have a fast connection, you can see sales brochures for this model.
HBT	Front track hub to match the S3X fixed-gear hub. Available in several colors.
GH6	Front hub with built-in Dynohub generator.
SBF	70 mm "Steelite" drum brake for cable operation (current model)
VT	70 mm "Elite" drum brake for cable operation (current model)
X-FD	Front hub with 70mm drum brake.
X-FDD	Front hub with 70mm drum brake and new-model Dynohub generator.
XL-FDD	Front hub with 90mm drum brake and new-model Dynohub generator.
X-SD	Front single-side (tadpole tricycle front) hub with 70mm drum brake.
XL-SD	Front single-side (tadpole tricycle front) hub with 90mm drum brake.

The Sturmey-Archer AW 3-speed hub

any mechanics are scared of 3-speed hubs, and think of them as being impossibly complicated. The most common model, the Sturmey-Archer model AW, is quite easy to overhaul with the aid of Sutherland's. Other models, especially those with coaster brakes, can be tricky or impossible to repair, due to parts un-availability.

Even if you are too chicken to try taking a 3-speed hub apart, that shouldn't stop you from working on 3-speed bikes. The AW hub is the most reliable gear shifting mechanism ever made, and rarely needs anything more than a bit of medium weight oil every so often. 95 percent of shifting problems on 3-speeds are related to the control cable or the handlebar trigger unit.

When you remove and re-install a 3-speed rear wheel, pay particular attention to the axle washers. The axles are flatted, and there are special anti-rotation washers keyed to the flats on the axles. These washers have tabs that must face into the drop-outs to help keep the axle from twisting under load. The axle nuts are easy to strip because of the interrupted threads on the flatted axle, so you should lubricate them with medium-to heavy oil or grease. They do have to be tightened quite securely.

3-speed cable adjustment

here is a little chain coming out of the right end of the rear axle, to which the end of the control cable attaches. This chain (called an "indicator spindle" by cognoscenti) screws into an internal part of the hub by rather delicate threads. When you install an indicator spindle, screw it in finger tight, then back it off 1/2 turn. It should not be bottomed out on its internal threads, so that it can swing freely to face the cable. This adjustment must be checked every time the cable is re-attached.

The fine adjustment of the cable tension is accomplished by how far the end fitting of the cable screws onto the end of the indicator spindle chain. The official manuals tell you to adjust it by visual examination of the end of the indicator spindle shaft, but this doesn't always work, especially if the indicator spindle is not original equipment. For best results, adjust the cable by tension. When the trigger is in high gear position, the cable should be totally slack. Shift down to middle gear, while watching the indicator chain-it should clearly move as you make the shift. Then shift to low gear; again, you should see more chain coming out of the end of the axle. Sometimes the internal parts line up in such a way as to prevent downshifting. If you have trouble getting the hub to downshift, turn the pedals slightly forwards. Once you are sure you are in low gear, take hold of the indicator spindle chain and try to pull more of it out of the axle. If the adjustment is correct, you should be able to get just a tiny bit more movement from the chain. If it is completely taut, the cable is too tight. Make sure to tighten the knurled locknut on the indicator spindle so that the adjustment will stay as you have set it.

Double check the adjustment in all gears. In low gear, you should be able to see that the sprocket moves faster than the wheel, and the hub should not make a ticking sound while being pedaled forward. In middle gear, the sprocket should move at the same speed as the wheel, and you may hear a slow ticking as you pedal. In high gear, the wheel should turn faster than the sprocket. The same slow ticking may be audible in high gear.

If you hold the trigger halfway between middle and high gear, the hub should disengage so that you can spin the pedals forward without going anywhere. If it freewheels forward in high gear, the cable is to tight or has too much friction to release properly. If it freewheels forward in middle gear, the cable is too loose. Be sure you keep the cable correctly-adjusted; if the hub pops out of gear, especially when you are standing to pedal, you could crash, or bang a knee on the handlebar.

3-speed cone adjustment

one adjustments must only be made on the left side of the hub. A properly adjusted 3-speed wheel will have very slight play at the rim. If the cone adjustment is too tight, the pedals will tend to turn forward as the wheel turns. (This same symptom may result if the chain is too tight.) The most sensitive test of bearing adjustment is to try to rock the sprocket -- one side out, opposite side in, then the opposite. When there is very slight play at the sprocket, there3 will be no discernible play at the rim, yet the wheel still turns freely.

Gearing

he Sturmey-Archer AW hub provides a direct drive middle gear, a high gear that is 4/3 of the middle gear, and a low gear that is 3/4 of the middle gear. (The principle of operation is explained below.)

By modern standards, the typical 3-speed is geared rather high. Most have 46/18 gearing, which gives gain ratios of 3.83, 5.11 and 6.81 (50, 66, and 89 inches; 4.00, 5.28 and 7.12 meters.) If you cycle in a hilly area, you can make things a lot easier for yourself by customizing the gearing. 20 & 22 tooth sprockets are readily available, as well as smaller sizes for speed demons or small-wheel bicycles. It is also possible to modify Shimano cassette sprockets with a Dremel grinder if you need something bigger. This is not particularly difficult to do.

The gear ratios for other models are listed in the table above.

Oil Lubrication

odern bikes use grease for lubrication. This is good, because grease lasts a long time, but it is bad because grease can usually only be renewed by dis-assembling the parts involved.

Older 3-speeds were intended for oil lubrication. A bike meant for oil lubrication will have an oil hole in the front hub, covered by a spring clip around the middle of the hub barrel. The bottom bracket will also often have an oil cap. Bikes so equipped should be oiled regularly with a moderately heavy oil, such as Phil Wood, or automotive automatic transmission fluid. Don't use too much, or you will make a mess, and don't use thin oils or sprays, because they don't last long enough.

Oil that runs down the spokes of a wheel onto the rim can make brake shoes grab,dangerous with a front wheel. Lay the bicycle on newspapers on one side, then the other after oiling it, so the excess oil can clear out. Or, better, use grease in a front hub. The problem is much less serious with a rear hub and with sticky oil such as Phil Wood.

Internal-gear hubs benefit from oil lubrication, even on a bicycle that is otherwise grease-lubricated. The pawls of the hub need to move freely; and oil seeping out of the mechanism flushes out wear particles.

The sound of the ticking pawls is a good indicator of the state of lubrication of the hub. If the pawls have a loud, bright tick, the hub may be dry or may have been oiled with too light an oil. A very dull, quiet tick may indicate a hub that has become gunked up with old, dried-up oil. In extreme cases, a hub that has sat unused for a long period of time may get its freewheel pawls stuck, so that it freewheels forward, particularly in low gear. This can often be corrected by lubricating with a fairly light oil and letting it work in.

When rebuilding an oil-lubricated hub, drip oil onto the moving parts. Grease the bearings: grease will help keep dirt and water out.

Grease-lubricated internal-gear hubs require a special non-sticky grease that does not gum up the pawls.For coaster brakes, yet another, high-temperature, grease is required. Some hubs require two kinds of grease; follow manufacturer's instructions when rebuilding.

Sturmey-Archer discontinued the oiler on its internal-gear hubs in the mid-1980s. Currently, only the Rohloff hub is oil-lubricated, but any internal-gear hub with a hollow axle can be oiled by removing the indicator spindle or pushrod and squirting oil into the hollow end of the axle. But, remember, oil can make a coaster brake malfunction -- same with a drum brake.

One kind of plastic Sturmey-Archer oiler of is threaded into the hub with 1/4" s 28 TPI threads. An oiler may easily be scavenged from a trashed wheel and installed in an aluminum hub shell -- after disassembling the hub to know where drill the hole, and to clean out the chips from drilling and tapping.

A drop or two of oil on the moving parts of a 3-speed trigger should also be part of regular maintenance.

How A 3-Speed Works

Internal-geared hubs work on the principle of "planetary gearing."

The basic 3-speed hubs have a single "sun" gear solidly attached to the middle of the axle. A set of 3 or 4 identical "planet" gears mesh with and revolve around the "sun" gear. The "planet" gears are surrounded by (and mesh with) a"gear ring" with its teeth on the inside (an inside-out gear).

As the planet gears, attached to a part called a "planet cage" revolve, the gear ring revolves 4 times for every 3 times the planet cage goes around. (Some models have different ratios.)

• Low Gear has the sprocket driving the gear ring, while the planet cage drives the hub. Thus, the wheel turns 3 times for every 4 revolutions of the sprocket, lowering the gear by 25%.

• Middle Gear has the sprocket still driving the gear ring, but has the gear ring drive the hub. Thus, the drive is direct. Although the internal gears are always rotating when the sprocket is in motion, they don't have any effect on the drive in middle gear.

• High Gear shifts the sprocket's drive to the planet cage, while the gear ring continues to drive the hub shell. Thus, the hub turns around 4 times for every 3 sprocket revolutions, giving a 33% gear increase.

There is a more detailed explanation of this on the Sturmey-Archer Web site, from which I lifted the image above.

Four- and Five-Speed Models

The four- and five-speed versions have two sun gears, which can slide back and forth, so that one of them is locked to the axle, while the other freewheels. The planet gears are stepped gears, with different numbers of teeth at each end. The large end of the planet gears engages the small sun gear, and the small end of the planet gears engages the large sun gear and the gear ring.

Depending on which sun gear is locked to the axle, these hubs are, effectively 3-speeds with a choice of wide or narrow range.

The older, 4-speed versions used a single cable, and only used the wide-range sun gear setting to provide a lower "low" gear. The shift from normal "low" to super "low" ("2" to "1") requires a very strong pull on the gear cable to overcome the spring that controls the sun gears.

The 5-speed versions use two cables:

• The normal one on the right side works as a normal 3-speed.

• There is a second cable on the left side that operates the sun pinion shift.

The original 5-speeds used a "bell crank" to push a rod inward to accomplish the sun pinion shift.

Later 2-cable versions reversed the spring loading on the sun gears, and used a conventional indicator spindle/chain to shift the sun pinions.

Current5-speeds use a single cable, and rather different internals.

It is not too difficult to convert a 4-speed into a 5-speed, if you can obtain a suitable bell crank.

The S5 was sold with three different types of bell cranks. Only the sturdy, forged kind with internal threads is reliable, but it is rare. I've had some success modifying Shimano bell cranks to fit. I did this by re-threading them to fit the Sturmey-Archer axle. Taps for this purpose are not readily available, so I made a tap out of an old axle.

The pushrod must have a head like a nail. One may be made from a ten-penny nail. The head may have to be somewhat reduced in diameter to fit inside the bell crank.

The S5 must be pedaled forward when shifting down from second to first gear. The S5.1 and S5-2 need not be.

5-speed Controls

The weak point of the 2-cable 5-speed hubs was always the shift control units. Sturmey-Archer went through a number of top-tube mounted models, which were never very satisfactory mechanically. The left side cable needed to be very carefully adjusted, and the actual mechanics of the click stops in the two-lever controls were too weak, so they were quite unreliable, even though there was no real problem with the hubs.

There was also a problem in that unsophisticated cyclists had trouble mastering the shift sequence of the two separate levers. Sturmey-Archer later made a large and very complicated single trigger control that would operate the two cables, but these were also very temperamental and required a lot of force to operate.

If you wish to use a 2-cable 5-speed hub, the best control arrangement is to use a standard 3-speed trigger for the right cable, and a friction-type derailer shift lever for the left cable. The use of the friction shifter on the left gets around the problem of critical adjustment of the left cable, since you just pull it until it stops.

Taiwan vs England: Quality Timeline

Sturmey-Archer quality had been on a downward slide since the early 1960s, as the company's engineering efforts shifted from trying to make a better product, as they had been through the first half century, to finding ways to make an acceptable product cheaper. Sturmey-Archer's quality peaked probably in the late '50s.

Around the turn of the millennium, Sturmey-Archer (U.K.) was rendered homeless by various corporate maneuvers. For a while it appeared that it would disappear entirely into bankruptcy. A Taiwanese company, SunRace came to the rescue and bought Sturmey-Archer's assets.

They didn't get as good a deal as they thought they were, however!

SunRace spent a great deal of money moving the machinery from England to Taiwan, but when it arrived, it turned out that most of the machinery was worn-out junk, no longer capable of manufacturing parts to the degree of precision appropriate to the 21st century.

I heard an interesting anecdote from a Sturmey-Archer veteran employee, now with SunRace/Sturmey-Archer:

Back in the day, sometimes a batch of internal parts would be just a bit out of tolerance, maybe a bit too small, or a bit too large, whatever. The production people would take a sample to the engineering department, where a grey haired engineer would check it out and often say "Well, it is a bit out of spec, but not really enough to cause failure, so let's let it go."

SunRace didn't have those engineers who had grown up with Sturmey-Archer in their blood, so when they found a batch of out-of-spec parts, they would say "That's out of spec! Melt it down, and make new ones, and do it right this time!"

In any case, the quality of Taiwanese production from SunRace/Sturmey-Archer so far has been excellent, generally better than the quality of later English production. They have also made design improvements, including eliminating the chronic forward-freewheeling issue that used to arise when the shift cable was misadjusted.

Some folks don't believe that the Taiwanese can make stuff as well as the British did, but there's no factual basis for that belief, and in many cases this attitude may be traced to racism.

Links

Official Site
Three-Speed Parts from Harris Cyclery
English Three Speeds, Care and Feeding.
Sturmey-Archer 1902-1952
Sturmey-Archer 1935-38 Catalogues
Evolution of the Raleigh Sports
My old Robin Hood
Martin Hanczyc's roadster pages.
Tony Hadland's Sturmey-Archer Pages
Hubstripping web site
Retro Raleighs
SW Hubs by Brian Hayes
Jane Thomas's site with Sturmey-Archer service manuals.
Menotomy Vintage Bicycles Chat forum on English bikes.

Feedback? Questions?

Articles by Sheldon Brown and others
Harris Home	Beginners	Brakes	Commuting Lights	Cycle- Computers	Do-It- Yourself	Essays
Family Cycling	Fixed Gear Singlespeed	Frames	Gears & Drivetrain	Bicycle Humor	Bicycle Glossary	Bicycle Links
Old Bikes	Repair Tips	Tandems	Touring	What's New	Wheels	Sheldon Brown

Accessories	Bicycles	Parts	Specials	Tools

Copyright © 1998, 2008 Sheldon Brown

Updated and revised March 7, 2010 by John Allen

Back to Harris Cyclery Home Page

If you would like to make a link or bookmark to this page, the URL is:
http://sheldonbrown.com/sturmey-archer.html