Hub gear adjustment?

[chris@illustration-online]

I've been asked to check over a couple of old bikes with hub gears for a friend. One is a five speed hub with two cables entering the hub from each side, the other bike is three speed with only one cable. I'm not sure what make they are but the bikes originated in Germany. Any tips on how to set up these gears. I only have experience using a Sturmey Archer 5 Speed Sprinter on a Brompton.
Thanks.

[CJ]

You need to scrape some of the dirt off them and tell us a bit more about the hubs. At least what make, Sachs or Sturmey.

[chris@illustration-online]

There is no name on the hub, but the handlebar shifter is Sachs. Is there a general rule of thumb with hub gear adjustment or are each type completely different?

[CJ]

That'll be the original two-cable Sachs Pentasport I tested in 1989. So I must have the instructions somewhere ...

[chris@illustration-online]

It would be great if you did have the instructions. What are the general principles with hub gear set-up? why sometimes one cable, sometimes two?

[Naylor]

I have had over the years some five SA5 hub gears. Up until the early '80s they had two cables as you describe. The r.h. one was just like a 3 speed gear with high, medium and low positions. The other had two positions: when tight the 3 speed had a wider range, when slack a narrower; but the middle gear was the same for both positions. Thus there were really 6 gears with two the same. Adjust by trial and error: the pedals should spin freely with the r.h. gear between top and middle. My last gear of this type was the only one of the five which didn't give me trouble! I think a friend is still riding it. Good luck! David

[Geoff of the Moors]

Help..!

I need Torpedo 5 instruction too...!

[Tim Cox]

I have an SA5 twin cable gear on my Moulton. It was very troublesome to start with as it came with a special single-lever control thatwas always going out of adjustment. I replaced it with an old twin-lever control and had much less trouble. When adjusting make sure that you just about have the slack out of both cables.

[chris@illustration-online]

Thanks for the advice, I'll have a play with the gears again this weekend.

If CJ does have the instructions though or knows where to locate them on the web, this would be appreciated.

[CJ]

I found the instructions, in German, for the Sachs Pentasport. Here's a liberal (extra explanations where I think you might need it) translation:

The initial setup or resting gear for this hub is number 4.
a) Screw the control rods into the hub axle as far as they'll go (shorter one on the chain side), then back off just far enough that the small connector chains and ridged connector rods may be aligned with their cables without sideways straining the chains.
b) Before attaching the cables to the hub, turn the pedals and rotate the wheel to ensure the hub is at rest.
c) Put the control in gear 4.
d) Push both cable connectors onto their ridged connector rods, until the cable is just taut. Check that the small chains (which join these rods to the hub) do not pull out of their axle-nut chain guides.
e) Shift into gear 1 and turn pedals to allow the hub to engage gear 1.
f) Check both sides to see if either small chain can be pulled any further out of its axle-nut guide.
g) If so: go back to step (c) and retighten the cable concerned.
h) Finally check the operation of all gears.
Sachs hubs have no between-gears slip. If wrongly adjusted this will instead be indicated by a brief jerk when starting up and/or a slight cracking noise when pedalling.

[Geoff of the Moors]

Thanks, I'll give it a go tonight.

I shall post the results.

[Geoff of the Moors]

That appears to have done the trick...!

[chris@illustration-online]

My turn! I'll try the adjustment tonight. Thanks for searching for the info.