HISTORY: EARLY BICYCLE HUBS & GEARS

1904_sturmey_archer_01

The freewheel was introduced in 1898 and revolutionised cycling. Coaster hub brakes and two speed hubs followed soon after, and within just a few years the bicycle had evolved into the form which still remains today: diamond frame; freewheel; front & rear brakes; gears…

Start Guided Tour

Items in this Collection

1880s Mergomobile Wooden Bicycle 4 copy copy

1880 Mergomobile Wooden Bicycle

View
1880s Facile Geared Front-driver replica 05

1880s Facile Geared Front-driver (Replica)

View
FOR SALE NEW HUBS FOR 1880s:1890s SAFETY BICYCLE WHEELS 2

1880s/1890s Hubs (Re-fabricated) for 30″ Safety Bicycle Wheels

View
1884 Facile 05

1884 Ellis & Co ‘Facile’

View
1884 Ellis & Co FACILE 5

1884 Ellis & Co FACILE Lever-operated ‘Safety Bicycle’

View
1884 KANGAROO Dwarf Safety Bicycle

1884 KANGAROO Dwarf Safety Bicycle VIDEO

View
1893-Columbia-Model-32-1-

1893 Columbia ‘Century’ Model 32 …with Ellipictal Gear

View
1894 Crypto No 3 Bantam 0

1894 Crypto FD Safety ‘Bantam’ No. 3

View
1895 Crypto Bantam’ F.D Safety 5

1895 Crypto Bantam F.D Safety

View
1896 Crypto Bantamette 5

1896 Crypto Bantamette

View
FOR SALE Screenshot

1896 Simpson Chain D-I-Y Kit

View
1897 BSA Fittings Machine with Simpson Lever Chain 5

1897 BSA Fittings Machine with Simpson Lever Chain

View
1897 BSA Fittings Machine Simpson Lever Chain 05

1897 BSA Fittings Machine with Simpson Lever Chain

View
1897-Crypto-Geared-Front-Driver-05

1897 Crypto Bantam 2-speed Geared Ordinary

View
1898 Humber Light Roadster 03

1898 Humber Light Roadster (‘The Hub’ Two-speed gear)

View
1901-Beeston-Humber-Gents-Tricycle-27

1901 Beeston Humber 3-Speed Light Roadster Tricycle

View
1901 Beeston Humber Tricycle 04

1901 Beeston Humber Convertible Tricycle (Cordner 3-speed gear & Band Brake)

View
1902 Centaur Featherweight 05

1902 Centaur Featherweight (Hub 2-Speed Gear)

View
1902 Sunbeam 05

1902 Golden Sunbeam for Gentlemen (27″ Frame)

View
1902 Quadrant Chainless Road Racer 3

1902 Quadrant Chainless Road Racer 

View
1902 Sturmey-Archer 1st Pattern Gear Trigger 1

1902 Sturmey-Archer 1st Pattern Gear Trigger.

View
1903 ‘The Hub’ 2-speed gear 1

1903 ‘The Hub’ 2-speed gear #8074

View
1904_Brillant_05

1903 Machine ‘Brillant’ No 1 (Dursley-Pedersen 3-Speed Gear)

View
1903 The Gentleman’s Elswick Popular Truss Light Roadster (Fagan 2 speed) 5

1903 The Gentleman’s Elswick Popular Truss Light Roadster (Fagan 2 speed)

View
Dursley_Pedersen_3_Speed_Hub_2

1903-1914 Dursley Pedersen 3-Speed Frictionless Gear

View
1904 Chater Lea X Frame Raleigh Pattern 5

1904 Chater Lea X Frame Raleigh Pattern

View
1904 Dursley Pedersen 3 speed 25

1904 Dursley Pedersen Gentlemen’s Royal Roadster (Size 6)

View
1904_Royal_Enfield_Girder_08

1904 Royal Enfield ‘Girder’ Lightweight Roadster (Fagan 2-Speed Hub)

View
1904_sturmey_archer_01

1904 Sturmey Archer 3-Speed Hub (First Pattern)

View
1905 Magnat Debon 3 Speed 05

1905 Magnat Debon ‘Modele G’ 3-Vitesse (dans le pédalier)

View
1905 Rudge Whitworth 05

1905 No 2 Aero Special Rudge-Whitworth

View
1905_Sunbeam_03

1905 Royal Sunbeam for Gentlemen ‘Six-Speed’ Roadster

View
FOR SALE 1905 Sturmey-Archer Tricycle 3 speed gear #46584 5 copy

1905 Sturmey-Archer Tricycle 3 speed gear

View
1906_James_Bicycle_01

1906 James Gents with 2-Speed Bottom Bracket

View
1906 Raleigh 3-speed X frame Tricycle 3

1906 Raleigh 3-speed X frame Tricycle

View
1 1905 BSA Springframe 3-speed

1907 BSA Spring Frame Roadster (3-speed)

View
sturmey-archer-tricoaster-copy

1907-1908 Sturmey Archer ‘Model C’ Tricoaster

View
1908 Ariel Crabbe 2-speed gear 0

1908 Ariel Crabbe 2-speed gear

View
1908-CENTAUR-Featherweight-X-Frame-35

1908 Centaur Featherweight Ladies

View
1908_Raleigh_07

1908 First Grade Raleigh Model No 4 with 1st Pattern Sturmey-Archer Tricoaster

View
1908 Golden Sunbeam Six Speed ‘Model A6’ 3

1908 Golden Sunbeam Six Speed ‘Model A6’

View
1908-Lea-Francis-1

1908 Lea-Francis 27″ Three-Speed Men’s Cycle

View
FOR SALE 1908 ROYAL SUNBEAM FOR GENTLEMEN 6-SPEED

1908 Royal Sunbeam for Gentlemen ‘Model A6’ Six-speed

View
1908 Sturmey Archer Model V 3-speed gear 1

1908 Sturmey Archer ‘V Type’ 3-speed gear #V54838

View
1 copy

1909 Bicyclette TERROT La Retro-Directe

View
1909-Dursley-Pedersen-3-speed-06

1909 Dursley Pedersen ‘Cantilever Standard’ (3 Speed)

View
1909-Dursley-Pedersen-3-Speed-56

1909 Dursley Pedersen Three-Speed Cantilever Standard

View
FOR SALE 1909 Lea Francis Men’s Cycle 40

1909 Lea-Francis Men’s Cycle (with Dursley Pedersen 3-speed gear)

View
1909 Lévocyclette Terrot 05

1909 Lévocyclette Terrot

View
1910-Lea-Francis-03

1910 Lea-Francis Men’s Cycle (LF Three-Speed)

View
1907 Magnat Debon ‘Modele G’ 5

1910 Magnat Debon ‘Modele G’ (3 speed bottom bracket gear)

View
1910-SINGER-06

1910 Singer Modele de Luxe Tourist (Armstrong 3-speed gear)

View
1910_Sturmey_Archer_X_Hub_1

1910-1914 Sturmey Archer ‘Type X’ Three-Speed

View
1911_Dursley_Pedersen_55

1911 Dursley Pedersen Cantilever 3-Speed No 4 Gents

View
1911-Golden-Sunbeam-05

1911 Golden Sunbeam for Gentlemen (3 Speed)

View
1912 Ariel Ladies with Biflex tubing 000

1912 Ariel Ladies with original Dunlop tyres

View
1912 Sunbeam 6-Speed 05

1912 Golden Sunbeam Six Speed ‘Model A6’

View
1912 Premier Gents Irish Shamrock Belfast 1

1912 Premier Gents Irish ‘Shamrock’ with green paintwork

View
1913 Royal Sunbeam 3 Speed 05

1913 All-Black 3-Speed Royal Sunbeam for Gentlemen

View
1913 Golden Sunbeam for Gentlemen Green 28 inch frame 05

1913 Golden Sunbeam for Gentlemen, Green Enamel, 28″ Tall frame

View
1913 Triumph Gloria 05

1913 Triumph Gloria Three-Speed Roadster

View
1913_Royal_Sunbeam_08

1914 All-Black 3-Speed Royal Sunbeam for Gentlemen

View
1915_Sunbeam_03

1915 Golden Sunbeam for Gentlemen ‘6 Speed’ Model A1

View
1916 Golden Sunbeam for Gentlemen 05

1916 Golden Sunbeam for Gentlemen ‘6 Speed’ Model A1

View
1915 BSA WW1 05

1917 BSA Three-Speed with WW1 Territorial Fittings

View
1918 triumph gloria 05

1918 Triumph Gloria Three-Speed Roadster

View
1920s_Hermes_Gearbox_01

1920s Hermes Roadster with Gearbox

View
1920s Le Chemineau Bicyclette Dame 6 copy

1920s Le Chemineau Bicyclette Dame

View
1920s-Le-Chemineau-with-Derailleur-06-copy

1920s Le Chemineau Bicyclette Tourisme (3 speed Derailleur)

View
1921 JAMES Royal Tricycle 0

1921 James Royal 2 speed Tricycle

View
1923_Sunbeam_44

1923 All-Black Royal Sunbeam for Gentlemen 3-Speed

View
FOR SALE 1920s Le Chemineau Bicyclette Tourisme 5

1924 Le Chemineau Bicyclette Tourisme

View
1925-raleigh1-

1925 Gent’s Standard 3-Speed Raleigh WW2 ARP Transport

View
1927 Rudge Whitworth No 5 Aero-Special 05

1927 Rudge-Whitworth ‘No 5’ Aero-Special Speed Iron

View
1929 Manufrance 4 vitesses Reto-Directe 05

1929 Manufrance Hirondelle 4-Speed Retro-Directe Ladies

View
1930s Poirier Voiturette a Volant Tricycle

1930s Poirier Voiturette a Volant Tricycle

View
1933-Hirondelle-à-2-Vitesses-Rétro-Directes-Enfant-Fillette-54

1933 Hirondelle à 2 Vitesses Rétro-Directes No 60 pour Fillette

View
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

1935 Cycles ‘Hirondelle’ 2-Vitesse Retro-Directe

View
1935_Retro_Directe_04

1935 Cycles Hirondelle a 2 Vitesses Retro-Directes

View
1935_Hirondelle_02

1935 Manufrance Super Hirondelle Retro-Directe Model 32 Two-Speed

View
1

1935 New Hudson Twin Tube Tandems (Ladyback & Double Gents) + Sidecar

View
1936_Adler_155_03

1936 Adler Drei-Gang Typ 155

View
1937_Adler_Driegang_02

1937 Adler Dreigang Type 157

View
1930s HELVETIC Mutaped Phoebus 3 speed 05 copy

1937 HELVETIC Mutaped Phoebus (3 Speed in Bottom Bracket)

View
1937 Hercules 05

1937 Hercules ‘Model QD’ Two-Speed

View
mutaped_phoebus_02

1938 Phoenix Mutaped Phoebus 3-Speed Bottom Bracket

View
1938 Sunbeam Royal Tandem 5 copy

1938 Sunbeam Royal Tandem

View
1939 Condor 3-Gang 1

1939 Condor 3-Gang (3-speed in bottom bracket)

View
1939_Hercules_05

1939 Hercules De-Luxe 3-Speed Roadster

View
1940s Cazenave with Nivex 2 speed gear 01

1940s Cazenave (Nivex 2 speed gear in Bottom Bracket)

View
manufrance_hirondelle_01

1950 Manufrance Hirondelle 6-Speed Tandem No 39

View
1954_Hermann_Klaue_05

1954 Hermann Klaue 3-Speed Cross-frame

View
1963_Moulton_06

1963 Moulton Standard M1 Three-Speed

View
1965_Gazelle_05

1965 Gazelle Gent’s 3-Speed

View
1965 Moulton 05

1965 Moulton Standard M1 Three-Speed

View
1980-hercules-cavallo

1980s Hercules Cavallo ‘Swing Bike’

View
1980s Hercules Cavallo 1

1980s Hercules Cavallo (Pump Action)

View
EADIE-COASTER-1-copy

CYCLE BRAKES: c1908 Eadie Coaster Brochure

View
1896-Raleigh-261

EARLY FREE-WHEEL HUBS & GEARS

View
1901-fagan-hub-patent-41

Fagan Hub & Patent & Other Early Variable Gears

View
GEARED FACILE IN MOTION

GEARED FACILE IN MOTION VIDEO

View
hubs and gears

HUBS & GEARS

View