I've posted up some of their imagery because it is kind of interesting - and explains also a little of our logic.
We are building 'new' wheel sets for our vintage bikes based around period front hubs and a trio of aged Sturmey Archer AW three speed hubs. Though having said that, Gav and Craig will use an alloy high flange hub of classic styling to match front and rear spoke lengths and ensure total reliability. I'll use a 32 hole front hub from the period made by the English Hub Company.
AW hubs may have been used in competition in those early years - though I've never come across a direct reference. Certainly SA's AM fixed three speed was a popular time-trialling piece in the the early years of multi-gear cycling.
We've chosen the AW because they were designed in 1934, we own and will use one from 1939, they are pretty readily available on the black ( ebay ) market, most spares are easily obtainable, and they will go some way toward saving our 42+ year old legs.
I know I'm making excuses, but we aren't pretending to be professionals, or ex-TdF riders. Far from it.
Our gear selection will offer more than just a one-tooth gap luckily. According to Sheldon Brown's excellent web resource, the AW hub provides straight through in second, 133% top end and 75% reduction for low gear. With the bikes on 700c rims and set with a 48 tooth 'ring and 18 tooth sprocket, straight through will equate to about 74 gear inches. Just a shade above the ratio used by Oppy in 1931 ( his autobiography says 72 inches - but this would have been on bigger diameter rims ).
I'm also eyeing up the 'quick release shown above, and thinking that it might make a good solution for our own rear wheels. Its agricultural, pragmatic and completely workable - maybe we can just do a slightly neater job.
Some images of our build are to follow.
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