Repairing an AW hub

I have worked on a number of bikes with Sturmey Archer AW hubs, some over 30 years old, but this is the first time I have had to disassemble one. That fact alone is a testament to the quality of the design of the AW three-speed hub.

The hub in question is from a bike belonging to a good friend of mine, who received it as an Xmas present in 2010 and is now in the process of learning to ride. A lot of the work I did on the bike before Xmas was getting the gears to shift, due to a problem with the shifter it came with, meaning I missed the problem with the low-gear pawls as the bike was stuck in high gear until near the time it was ready for delivery.

Cutaway diagram of the AW hub, taken from Sheldon Brown’s excellent AW article. The low gear pawls have been highlighted in red, these engage with the hub shell in 1st gear, and are disengaged in second and third gear, leading to the characteristic Sturmey Archer “tick” when in higher gears. The high gear pawls are highlighted in green.

To disassemble an AW, you first need to remove the nuts and bearing cone on the left side of the hub. Once you have done this, the innards can be removed by unscrewing the right-hand ball ring, which is the bit behind the sprocket which screws into the hub shell. To do this you will need a hammer, a screwdriver and brute force.

Everything from the left-hand side of the axle (the washer should be between the two nuts for them to be in their proper order). The 1st gear pawls and pins can be seen to the left, as well as the remains of the pawl springs

The AW internals with the 1st gear pawls removed

Upon disassembly of the hub, the problem became clear, one of the pawl springs for the low gear pawl had come loose and been ground into dust. The other one was in bad shape too. Luckily I was able to order some replacements cheaply online. Whilst I waited for delivery, I decided to completely dismantle the hub and clean the rusty grease away, re-assemble and re-lubricate it and replace the missing/broken pawls.

The locknut, washer, cone from the right hand side of the axle, next to the spring and washer which push the mechanism into 3rd gear by default when the gear cable is allowed to go slack

Left to Right, the planet cage (top left), gear ring, right-hand ball ring and driver

Left to right, the clutch sleeve, sliding clutch, axle key and thrust ring

Here is how it all fits together, the AW, shown as an exploded diagram, courtesy of hadland.me.uk (click image to enlarge)

The innards of the AW hub are not overly complex making servicing one a lot less daunting than you’d expect. Completely disassembling the hub allowed me to overhaul the bearings, of which there are three sets in the AW hub.

The three sets of bearings in the AW hub, highlighted here in red.

The parts of the AW hub after cleaning

Here it is after being re-assembled, oiled (thanks to Jim for the oil tip) and screwed back into the shell.

I also took the opportunity to install the white-wall Delta Cruisers which were requested by the bike’s owner

And here is the bike re-assembled with new Delta Cruisers front and rear. I think he should get a Brooks B66/67 next

It is difficult to take many/good pictures whilst doing this kind of job, because the filth and grease inside a 30 year old hub can make it undesirable to handle a camera. Despite this, I hope that this post helps others out there whose AW could use a bit of a tune-up, but have been put off by the fear that the innards would be too complex to deal with.

Yuba Mundo: Version 3

When I bought my V2 Yuba Mundo back in 2009 I was aware that there was a new and improved model in the pipeline. The V3 came out a few months after I got my V2, thankfully at a higher price point which helped to minimise any sense of buyer’s remorse caused by the shiny new model. Whilst at Practical Cycles, I decided to take a few pictures of the V3 Mundo and discuss the improvements made since the V2.

The V3 Yuba Mundo (Basil Newspaper panniers, Yuba child seat and Bread Platform are not included as standard)

The frame has been altered slightly, including several new threaded bosses in various positions to facilitate any home-made additions you may wish to use

The side rails have been redesigned too, attaching to the frame in the manner of a threadless steerer’s stem, as shown the the picture above. In addition to this, they are now constructed from cromoloy steel for added strength/reduced weight. Having occasionally removed the side rails from my V2, I imagine (and hope) that this new system is easier to re-install than the previous design.

In addition to the threaded bosses, there are strap loops on various parts of the rack to facilitate carrying items using cam straps. A welcome addition.

The V3 Yuba Mundo fork, now with IS disk brake mounting tab. I came up with my own solution to the absence of this on the V2

The rear OLD has been increased from 130 mm to the more common 135 mm which will simplify upgrades for V3 owners by removing the need to cold-set the frame. In addition to the new front and rear disc brake mounts and the disc brake wheel option now available from Yuba, the wheels have been upgraded to cartridge bearings to decrease maintenance.

The transmission has also been upgraded, with Shimano front and rear derailleur gears for a 21 speed stock set-up, versus the 6 speed standard set-up on the V2. Sadly it is still unlikely that Yuba will be offering a hub gear option any time soon, if ever, due to the unusual 14 mm rear drop outs, and the additional costs of hub gearing.

There are numerous other small upgrades to the spec all over the bike; the seat post is now a micro-adjust affair, mudguards are now included in the spec, the stem has been upgraded to an adjustable version and the handlebar grips are higher quality too.

The V3 is a noticeable improvement in spec over the V2, and the frame has a number of improvements too. All this comes at a price however, with the V3 costing more than my V2 (even factoring in two VAT rises and inflation), and the loss of Schwalbe’s excellent Fat Frank tyres as part of the standard spec. Overall the improvements are welcome, making the Yuba Mundo an even more attractive proposition for prospective cargo-bike buyers.

Carradice Pendle Review

As I previously hinted, I have recently acquired a traditional saddlebag. I have always liked the look of the traditional saddlebags which I have seen on various bikes over the years, generally lugged steel touring bikes owned by men of a certain age.

Traditional saddlebags attach to the loops found on the back of most older saddles, modern leather saddles and the standard Brompton saddle (to name a few). I bought a Carradice Pendle with the intention of using it mainly on the DL-1, as I have long wanted some luggage which is aesthetically complementary to its looks.

The Pendle sat on my desk at work

The bag consists of a large main compartment (big enough for a large U-lock, cable and a jacket) and two side pockets which are ideal in both size and position for things like cameras, hip flasks or snacks. The pockets and main compartments close via leather straps and buckles, which will become easier to fasten and unfasten as they age.

The bag includes a handy loop for clipping an LED light to

The attachment system is straightforward but the back does not attach/detach quickly enough to make it worthwhile to do each time the bike is locked. Two leather straps wrap around a wooden dowel in the main compartment and through the loops, and a third strap is fed through a leather buckle on the rear of the bag and through the seat-post or rear-rack.

Carradice also sell a quick-release system for those who do not wish to leave the bag attached to the bike. I rarely leave the DL-1 locked up in public for long periods of time, so this shouldn’t be an issue for me. As an alternative, the black strap seen on the flap for attaching a light could equally be used for threading through a cable lock if extra security is desired.

Over the weekend I used the bag on the Brompton as I needed some extra carrying capacity. When riding the bag does not interfere with my legs and for the most part I simply forgot about it, the position of the load means it doesn’t really affect handling whilst in the saddle. On the DL-1, even when loaded the bike is easier to pick up and carry than when the equivalent load is placed in a single pannier.

A tin of tomatoes inside the bag for scale

Traditional-style Carradice saddlebags are handmade in Lancashire, mine was made by Christine

The side pockets are useful for storing items you want to have quick access to on a ride, such as a camera

Traditional saddlebags are not as popular as they once were, but they are a viable alternative/addition to panniers and a definite improvement over a rucksack. I would definitely recommend.

By fixing to any saddle with bag loops, saddlebags such as the Pendle can be used on multiple bikes when the need arises

Who asks for this crap?

Anyone who cycles in the UK will have encountered our unique cycling infrastructure, which is truly in a class of its own. I, like many other have often wondered who asks for this useless, inconvenient and dangerous infrastructure? How does it come to be?

Warrington Cycle Campaign’s Facility of the Month, January 2011

The answer to this became clear to me whilst I was reviewing the report on the Greater Manchester LTP3, a consultation with the public and relevant organisations on the future of transport in Greater Manchester. These kinds of consultations are relatively common activities run by local authorities all over the UK.

When I was reviewing the LTP3 report, I noticed an interesting disparity between the organisations’ responses and the individuals’ responses. Individuals frequently asked for cycle lanes, but understandably they did not go into detail with respect to design standards of these lanes (except for me in my individual response). Organisations claiming to represent cyclists, such as the CTC and British Cycling asked for things such as 20 mph zones*, workplace showers, cycle parking and cycle training, but not separate infrastructure.

By ignoring cycle infrastructure, or ranking them as the “less preferable” options as the CTC’s Hierarchy of Provision does, councils are left with individual respondents asking for cycle lanes with this request not being mirrored by cyclists’ organisations and no guidance or lobbying on the standards of lanes** forthcoming from these organisations. The DfT does offer some reasonable guidance for cycle facilities, but because historically the national cyclists’ organisations have focussed their energy doggedly on vehicular cycling, these remain advisory and are treated as unattainable ideal standards rather than as the absolute bare minimum.

There is a definite disconnect between cyclists’ organisations such as the CTC and the needs and wishes of everyday cyclists and the millions of potential cyclists, who are put off by having to cycle in close proximity to huge volumes of fast traffic. Individuals continue to ask government for cycle lanes in consultations and cyclists’ organisations continue to ignore the elephant in the room. The result is Facility of the Month.

* 20 mph zones are a great idea in residential and dense urban areas. They are not going to achieve any meaningful rise in cycling alone though. As long at they are surrounded by fast A and B-roads without any separate infrastructure for cyclists, they are little more than isolated islands of safety.

** Hopefully this will change at a national level with the launch of the Cycling Embassy of Great Britain, offering a voice for separate infrastructure, technical guidance and an umbrella for local cycling campaigns whose goals are the same.

Ride Report: Surly Big Dummy

During my recent visit to Practical Cycles I was able to test ride a number of bikes including the Surly Big Dummy. I will be posting ride reports for the other bikes I test rode throughout the course of this week.

The concept behind the Big Dummy is essentially the same as that of the Yuba Mundo, the wheelbase is extended to allow an extra-long rear rack to be incorporated into the frame. The Big Dummy differs however in that the rear rack is not part of the frame, instead the frame is built to use the Xtracycle platform which can be used to convert most 26 inch/700C bikes into long-tail cargo bikes.

The Big Dummy is a significant step up in price from the Yuba Mundo, but this is reflected in the componentry included, and the cromoly steel used to construct the frame. By using the Xtracycle platform, all of the Xtracycle accessories are compatible with the Big Dummy. This was a big advantage over the Yuba Mundo a few years ago, but Yuba have since caught up and offer a much larger selection of add-ons and accessories.

Zaynan, the owner of Practical Cycles poses with the 8-speed Alfine geared Big Dummy

The standard spec complete Big Dummy comes with derailleur gearing, but Zaynan offers customisation options, the model I test rode was equipped with a Shimano Alfine 8-speed hub gear, complete with high-end trigger shifters.

I was particularly taken with the lovely Sturmey Archer chainset (this picture sadly does not do it justice, someone else has done better). At first I thought it was the hugely expensive SA chainset recently reviewed on Road.cc, but I was please to learn that it is actually only around £36. Now all I need is a bike which it will be appropriate for.

Sadly Yuba have stopped specifying Fat Franks for the V3 Mundo. Thankfully the Big Dummy still comes with this excellent tyre. The Xtracycle rack (unpainted tubing) fitting point can also be seen here, with the optional Wide-Loader stored away in the right Xtracycle bag, being installed in a similar manner to the main rack.

The model I test rode was also equipped with a front B&M dynamo light powered by a Shimano Disk-brake dynamo-hub. This is effectively the same light as my DL-1’s Lumotec Retro but in a more modern-looking package.

Using the Xtracycle platform enables Big Dummy owners to use the full range of Xtracycle accessories, including their heavy-duty kickstand

As for the ride, the bike felt instantly familiar to me. The steerer had thankfully been left at full-length and the bike had been equipped with moustache bars to give a more upright posture than the standard spec Big Dummy. The handling was almost exactly the same as the Yuba Mundo, but the rider position was more reminiscent on the Brompton M-type. For me this was perfectly pleasant, although the geometry and componentry of the Big Dummy are likely to appeal to someone who wants a cargo-bike which feels more like a cross-country mountain bike.

The Alfine hub was slightly smoother than the Nexus equivalent, the shifting was very precise and fast, even under load which is usually a problem for hub gears. The shifter was of the dual-trigger variety with one lever for shifting up and one for shifting down. This is the first time I have used this arrangement with a hub gear and I found it worked rather well. The Shimano disk brakes were as good as any of the cable-actuated discs I have used elsewhere and are an appropriate choice for a bike designed for load carrying and reasonable speed.

My impressions of the Big Dummy were favourable, but is it worth double the cost over the Yuba Mundo? If you are likely to spend a lot on upgrading the Yuba Mundo, the Dig Dummy may become more competitive price-wise. The frame is of a higher build-quality and higher-grade steel, but its load rating is lower. The standard rear dropouts (as opposed to the odd 14 mm dropouts on the Mundo) are more conducive to installing hub-gears, making any future hub-gear upgrades easier for Big Dummy owners than Yuba Mundo owners.

The upgraded specifications of the V3 Yuba Mundo do reduce the competitiveness of the Big Dummy in my opinion, although these have also increased the price. Personally, I enjoy the process of tinkering with, and upgrading my bikes. However, I understand that many people do not feel the same way. If you want the best componentry on your long-tail without the need to do a lot of upgrading, the Big Dummy could be for you.

Zaynan from Practical Cycles will be at the Chorlton Green Festival on Saturday the 16th of April. Amongst the cycles he will have with him will be the Surly Big Dummy, so if you want to have a closer look or a test ride, head down there.

Circe Helios Tandem & Cargo Bike

Today I visited Practical Cycles to test ride a variety of exciting cargo bikes, and the test ride impressions will be published over the next week or so.

One of the bikes which caught my eye, but which I didn’t  test ride myself was the Circe Helios Family Tandem. I had already seen this bike on several websites, the design is particularly clever; a tandem with 20 inch (406 mm) wheels, with a telescopic seat-post allowing either an adult or child stoker.

The Helios tandem with added mudguards and bottle cages

The clever part is that the stoker seat-post can be removed when it is not needed, and replaced by an extended cargo rack similar to that of the Yuba Mundo:

The tandem can also become a cargo bike for one (this one thankfully has hub gears instead of a derailleur)

However, when I saw the bike in real life, one very small feature (which I can understand the manufacturer not going out of their way to promote) really impressed me:

The Helios in the Practical Cycles showroom

A close-up of the headtube. Looks familiar, no?

The headtube has threaded bosses for a Brompton luggage block. This is a very clever little addition, increasing the luggage capacity, especially when the bike is used as a tandem. I doubt there are any patent issues with this, two screw-holes on a headtube are unlikely to be granted any IP protection. Circe have very cleverly managed to provide owners of their bikes with the option of wide range of existing Brompton luggage without the expense of making their own proprietary luggage system.

Sometimes it is the little extra touches which can impress the most.

Manchester to Macclesfield: Traffic Free

I have been looking for a way to make my regular journey from Macclesfield back to Manchester without having to ride on the excessively fast road route, the speed and volume of traffic prevent the road route from being enjoyable and the speed of the traffic effectively means I have to ride faster too, which is tiring and prevents me from being able to ride this route with most other people.

The Middlewood way offers a traffic-free route from the centre of Macclesfield to Marple near Stockport. The only problem with this is that the most direct road from Marple to Manchester is particularly hilly, has a high volume of fast traffic, parked cars and HGVs thanks to the nearby situation of Offerton Sand and Gravel LTD. However, a canal does head North from Marple, eventually meeting the Ashton canal near Ashton town centre. This then leads back to Manchester city centre, ending near Manchester Piccadilly railway station.

The route is mostly very nice, except for a few less appealing sections, particularly near the Ashton end of the Ashton-Marple section of canal. When studying the map, there are a few sections where the canal cannot be seen on this map, heading from Ashton to Marple, the first of these is a long tunnel where a towpath is provided. The second is a tunnel which requires a detour, which is roughly drawn on the map. The route ends at Macclesfield Tesco, the railway station is not far from there and could be walked if preferred. Just across the road from Macclesfield Station is The Waters Green Tavern which I would recommend due to its decent selection of cask ales and Belgian beers. If any of you do try the route I have provided, please feel free to share your experiences in the comments.