For more bike repair videos hit the subscribe button 🛑 and click the notification bell ►

I did this solo about 35 years ago and I literally had to draw an exploded view of every single part with every hole and notch and spring etc because there was no way it was going back together otherwise! This time - with the very SAME hub, mind you - I can just pull up this video and throw all the pieces together into a can of degreaser. Thank you RJ.

Some years ago, I did a Level 2 EAL cycle maintenance course - that's a UK intermediate pro-level vocational qualification. My crowning achievement on the course was a complete rebuild of a Sturmey-Archer 3-speed hub just like this. I was both amazed and delighted when it worked just fine after my rebuild, but I'm not in a hurry to do that job again - it's definitely not for the faint of heart. Watch out for those teeny pawl springs - they are incredibly easy to lose and the hub won't work at all without them!

…love this video, but, I can’t read 450 comments… thus, I ask my question…:)… I have a 1963ish, Raleigh, with 3 speed sturmey that gives the bike a pedal brake… I made the mistake of an ole school trick of putting a small cotton rope,( clothes line), so the rear axle would remain clean… (it was common in the fifties, with my old Columbia Roadmaster ). Using the bike for a week, I didn’t notice the rope dislodged a rubber boot, for oiling the axle, and the bike began grinding… I took the bike to a bike shop, and asked for a rebuild… they said, they had one repair man experienced with old Raleigh’s… he disassembled it, reassembled it and told me a couple parts were destroyed… he said he had no access to replacement parts, a new wheel was $450.00… and my best bet, was, find an ole beat up Raleigh, with a good wheel. (That was 10 + yrs ago)… now, I found one, on Marketplace, $25.00… I tried it, it works great, except, it’s a ladies… figured I’d just switch my whole wheel… today, I realized the ladies bike (not certain what yr), has the sprocket on the wrong side… is it likely, parts in the 2nd bike can replace my missing parts of my old bike…?

this is giving me anxiety

I'm a good bike mechanic, but this video absolutely saved me on this job. I typically work on modern race bikes, but this walked me right through the sturmey job. thank you so much!!

That little hub has more parts than an entire Ford Model A.

Oh my...too many parts to dismantle at this point....though want to try one out too but better not...save me headache

No autocad helping

RJ, you're the Sheldon Brown of KZfaq.

The sequencing as always was perfectly addressed. You've succeeded in making a relatively complex assembly very straightforward and due to the parceling out of the sub-assemblies brought this project into one quite approachable and simple to compartmentalize procedure-wise. The camera work was excellent as always and no aspect of the disassembly, or re-assembly was ever obscured, or compromised as to clarity. Especially valuable to the novice is your attention to various parts' orientation and the importance of cleaning the components thoroughly. This is one for the permanent library and I commend your dedication and principled mechanical discipline that always makes your videos a genuinely entertaining and informative experience. Thanks on behalf of cyclists and mechanics everywhere. Mike Kirwan - Kenmore WA.

Najlepszy tutorial. Nawet laik dałby radę 🙂 Thank you. Greetings from Poland!

Whenever working on a sturmey 3 speed i marvel at the engineering that went into all these intricate parts and assembly, and all just for a bicycle hub

I think you have done an excellent here. I'm a 75 YO retired tool maker and have been messing with AW hubs for many years now.YOU GUYS ROCK.

Thanks much for this RJ, I'm rebuilding an old Phillips 3 speed that a relative had as a lawn ornament. The hub is a Sturmey Archer AW numbered '67-11' and has a pretty rusty planetary gear assembly. One of the springs on the pawl has lost it's 'bounce' but since they're hard to get (or make) it'll be alright with some TLC. I've always wanted to know exactly how these hubs work and it's a pleasure to disassemble, clean and reassemble to get it working as if new. Your video of the process is perfect, and the audio is great! You must be quite adept at audio/video work! Thanks very much.

Another excellent RJ video. I’ve taken apart, cleaned and rebuilt several of these SA hubs now, I always come back to this video to refresh my memory. The design of these gears is nearly 100 years old, it’s extraordinary that the design is still being used on Brompton bikes, all be it with a few tweaks and cheaper materials.

I have some vintage toys that need maintenance and occasional repairs, things such as jukeboxes, Schwinn Stingrays, mini-bikes and at least one old car at all times. I'm constantly tinkering or fixing one thing or another, I've never tried taking a 3 speed hub apart. Eventually, I'd like to learn. In the meantime I think I might be paying someone to do this, watching you do this is impressive. You have some serious skills, thanks for posting this..👍

Not serviced one of these in 30 years, it brings back memories...

I've cleaned all the parts, ready to put everything back together, so excited, really fun to do! Sturmey should put your video on the Heritage website, so clear in your explanations.

Thanks for this video. Though here in Germany Sachs hubs were more common, I like this hub, have one on my folding bike. I service it every few years, in the same way you show it, and it is still a runner- no pittings, no wear on the gears. I don´t like the small pawl-springs who are likely to desappear suddenly, but if you pay attention, this should be no problem.