OK, the photo is awful... too bright and too many reflections. I'll try again in better conditions.
But even then you're not going to see a date on this Sturmey Archer hub. There's a tiny mark that sometimes looks like a 9 and sometimes looks like a nick in the steel. Other than that, I can find no date on this hub, which is on my Raleigh Superbe.
Anybody see something I'm missing?
Posts
if it *were" just a '9' this would suggest 1939. In years 1936/7/8/9 they just used the last letter, thence two letters; 40 41 etc;
ReplyDeletehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/8728562@N06/4414293056/in/set-72157623572509816/
yeah, it's clearly not '39. And the alleged "9" in question is not in the box near the AW, but outside it and at a 90 degree angle. I'm kind of thinking it has no date and the "9" thing is just a nick of some kind.
ReplyDeleteI think that may have been the date stamp and they just missed it. FWIW I only see a few inside the box and those are usually on the older hubs.
ReplyDeleteAaron
Aaron,
ReplyDeleteIs there a way to date the bike besides the hub? I think your initial guess of late 70s is pretty close, though. What's different about the cranks from earlier models?
I have a hub that is like that too, as if it just wasn't stamped evenly. I can just make out what looks like a 9 on mine which is on a Raleigh built AMF Hercules, so I'm guessing 1969.
ReplyDeleteMike,
ReplyDeleteThe older cranks (pre 1974) had an additional brace in them, between the Herons. Also the auto adjusting brakes were introduced in 1974. Other than that it is just a feeling based on having seen many of these bikes over the years.
Aaron
I am still searching for catalog archives (that include the Sports/Superbes) from '72-'74. It may be as early as 1973, but no later than 1975. It is possible that someone swapped out the crank for a later model, or swapped the brakes levers for an earlier set. Yours does not have the auto adjusters. Also most Superbes seem to have come with a dynohub and lights. Again may have been swapped out.
ReplyDeleteAaron