At 9/9/2007 10:05 PM +0100, ray green wrote:
>Maybe the three speed, known as a cocoa tin, reached its zenith in
>1956 when Ray Booty (The Boot) riding a Raleigh RRA set the
>"straight out" 100 mile record at 3hrs 28 min 40 sec using a SA
>three speed fixed hub gear.
Isn't that great?! Inspiration every time I ride my '48 RRA with an FC hub gear and take her out on the paths around here to introduce the lads in spandex and index gearing to SA hub gears! Did not Booty use an AC hub? Of all of the SA hubs I've used, I must say the AC is the best. Unbeatable on the flat in a roadrace in my experience. I once raced a guy on the W&OD on my '49 Raleigh Clubman with an AC and after three miles flat-out, still bested him.
So yep, take your '58 RRA out, find a suitable rival like a Litespeed and just enjoy riding a classic Raleigh at full flight. You probably will and he will say "wow, it's 'just' a three speed" Sure it is.
Peter Kohler
Washington DC USA