1902 Sturmey-Archer 1st Pattern Gear Trigger.

While we are all familiar with later S-A gear triggers, few vintage cycle enthusiasts will have seen this early model, which was only in circulation for a few years.

Though Raleigh fitted 3-speed gears to their bicycles from around 1904, they did not really catch on with the public. It was not until the Model X three speed was introduced in 1910 that the company started their major publicity campaign and gears became popular on bicycles.