Interlude with Gear Hub

For the record, a gear hub is a little device which replaces your rear wheel hub and gives you 3 gears instead of just 1. British roadsters often had them. The firm of Sturmey-Archer made most of them and you occasionally see them on Chinese bikes too. See the Panjiayuan post for how I acquired it.

First off, there is NO logo whatsoever on the Mystery Hub. Hence, the Mystery. The hub is very thickly chromed with a very, very heavy under layer of copper. It might even be solid copper. It doesn't work, but I think I can fix it with Sturmey Archer parts.

But can I really? I disassembled it to to take a look, but not before spending the better half of an afternoon pouring over Sturmey-Archer literature on Tony Hadland's excellent site.(Included in the link section)

Then, I operate and...

Wierdness sets in.

The hub has no clutch, no clutch spring, and a one part driver and planetary gear cage. The axle isn’t hollow and the sun gear and right side cone are one piece. All different than a Sturmey gear hub.

Say what?

What language is that?

For those of you who dont know what I am talking about, which is probably everyone including myself, let me put it this way: There are mechanical parts, however, there doesn’t seem to be anyway this thing could actually work.

It’s incomplete at best and a bodge job for sure…but maybe, just maybe I can still swap the WHOLE gearbox side for Sturmey Archer innards.

So… I managed to find a Sturmey Archer AW hub locally and disassembled it to compare: NOTHING WILL INTERCHANGE in the gear hub side except maybe the pawl springs. The Mystery Hub innards are diminutive in comparison to the AW and the AW pasrts won't fit inside the Mystery shell.

So I think my idea of repairing the hub with Sturmey parts is forlorn. Mystery not solved...but over anyway, I think. Unless I can find another!! Uh oh. Sounds like another quest.

Pics of the gear hub are located on the left side.

Comments

[John Timbes]

Are you sure it is not a two-speed backpedal-operated hub?
John

[JS]

John-

Possibly...But I am not certain of anything as I cannot understand how it could possibly operate and I am unfamiliar with the type of gearhub you refer to.

[John Timbes]

I have only read about them. No visible way of gear change, but you backpedal to change between two gear ratios.
John

[Thomas]

Hi, luv what you've written. I accidentally stumbled onto your website and after reading what you've said about the 'Flying Pigeon' and Sturmey Archers, I was all fired up and decided to search my neighbourhood for it. You knw what? What used to be a common sight has now been 'classified' obselete and when I tried looking for parts, it's like searching for the 'holy grail'! But lo-n-behold! Luck was on my side and I bought myself 2 set of Sturmey Archer AB hubs! Although in used condition...

[Martin Hartley]

I believe that this may be a 2-speed hub where the gear change is actuated by a kick-back. Typical 2-speed hubs had direct drive for high gear and low gear was either 66% or 75% of direct drive.

[Jamie]

Hello, I was hoping to jump into this conversation if you guys don't mind. I recently purchased a Flying Pigeon and love it! I have to work with the front breaks almost every time I use it but being that the bike is so easy to work with, it's not a big deal. However, I'm in New York City and there are a lot more hills that I ever realized walking. SO, I want to convert my bike to have gears. Do you guys know of any methods minor or major? Also, if I am able to find one of these hubs mentioned above. Would I be able to have someone but it on for me and then when I ride, simply kick back (like breaking on a beach cruiser) and it will switch from the low gear to the high gear on the Pigeon (believe the manual said there are two gears encased under the cover that can be switched with a wrench). Any info or advice would be greatly appreciated! I don't want to switch to an old 3 or 5 speed bike, I love the Pigeon!