Need help identifying this part

[miamibiker]

Can someone tell me what this thing is stick out of the rear axle?
The bike is a Hercules one speed.

   

[Jesper]

@miamibiker You actually have a multispeed bike, or at least the hub is. That small chain is attatched to the indicator spindle which is what changes the gears on your internally geared hub (IGH). It might be a Hercules or Sturmey-Archer hub (Hercules bikes used both depending on era); and could be 3 to 5 speeds depending on how old and what model hub you have newer bikes have IGH's with even more speeds).
The threaded part would connect to the end of the thumb shifter cable.
If nothing was connected to it than it would have made the hub operate in high gear (hardest to pedal) if the hub is functioning normally. If you have the cable, cable housing stop, cable guide/guide pulley, and shifter (if not still mounted on the bike) it would not take long to install and set-up with regular tools. Those hubs can be serviced; but many shops do not have the know how so you may have to do it yourself. It's not as hard as it might seem and it is a great way to become intimately familiar with how your bike functions. The hub would not need to be dismantled just to service axle bearings; but I would completely pull it apart if it did not look clean or functioned poorly.
I have a '54 Hercules 3 speed that might have a similar hub. You can clean the hub barrel and probably find a model (common is "AW") and date code for the year and/or month that the hub was manufactured. The bike is often times a year newer than the hub date; or the the hub may not be original to the bike so do not assume the hub year as an automatic dating method.
The community would like to see your Hercules if you have a photo of it.

[miamibiker]

(11-15-2023, 09:03 AM)Jesper Wrote:  @miamibiker You actually have a multispeed bike, or at least the hub is. That small chain is attatched to the indicator spindle which is what changes the gears on your internally geared hub (IGH). It might be a Hercules or Sturmey-Archer hub (Hercules bikes used both depending on era); and could be 3 to 5 speeds depending on how old and what model hub you have newer bikes have IGH's with even more speeds).
The threaded part would connect to the end of the thumb shifter cable.
If nothing was connected to it than it would have made the hub operate in high gear (hardest to pedal) if the hub is functioning normally. If you have the cable, cable housing stop, cable guide/guide pulley, and shifter (if not still mounted on the bike) it would not take long to install and set-up with regular tools. Those hubs can be serviced; but many shops do not have the know how so you may have to do it yourself. It's not as hard as it might seem and it is a great way to become intimately familiar with how your bike functions. The hub would not need to be dismantled just to service axle bearings; but I would completely pull it apart if it did not look clean or functioned poorly.
I have a '54 Hercules 3 speed that might have a similar hub. You can clean the hub barrel and probably find a model (common is "AW") and date code for the year and/or month that the hub was manufactured. The bike is often times a year newer than the hub date; or the the hub may not be original to the bike so do not assume the hub year as an automatic dating method.
The community would like to see your Herciles if you have a photo of it.

Thank you for your reply. As to it being in high gear, that sounds right, as it is difficult to pedal.
I don't have any shifter parts, is there a way to get it out of high gear or otherwise shift the gear?

[Jesper]

(11-15-2023, 03:46 PM)miamibiker Wrote:  

(11-15-2023, 09:03 AM)Jesper Wrote:  @miamibiker You actually have a multispeed bike, or at least the hub is. That small chain is attatched to the indicator spindle which is what changes the gears on your internally geared hub (IGH). It might be a Hercules or Sturmey-Archer hub (Hercules bikes used both depending on era); and could be 3 to 5 speeds depending on how old and what model hub you have newer bikes have IGH's with even more speeds).
The threaded part would connect to the end of the thumb shifter cable.
If nothing was connected to it than it would have made the hub operate in high gear (hardest to pedal) if the hub is functioning normally. If you have the cable, cable housing stop, cable guide/guide pulley, and shifter (if not still mounted on the bike) it would not take long to install and set-up with regular tools. Those hubs can be serviced; but many shops do not have the know how so you may have to do it yourself. It's not as hard as it might seem and it is a great way to become intimately familiar with how your bike functions. The hub would not need to be dismantled just to service axle bearings; but I would completely pull it apart if it did not look clean or functioned poorly.
I have a '54 Hercules 3 speed that might have a similar hub. You can clean the hub barrel and probably find a model (common is "AW") and date code for the year and/or month that the hub was manufactured. The bike is often times a year newer than the hub date; or the the hub may not be original to the bike so do not assume the hub year as an automatic dating method.
The community would like to see your Hercules if you have a photo of it.

Thank you for your reply. As to it being in high gear, that sounds right, as it is difficult to pedal.
I don't have any shifter parts, is there a way to get it out of high gear or otherwise shift the gear?

You can change the gear by pulling out on the chain until it goes into the next gear, but you will then have to secure the chain at that position because it will retract back into the original spot if let go. You could just put a nut and bolt on the chain to keep it from retracting. Just get 2 nuts (one is used as a "jam" nut to keep the other nut tight; you can also use a single nylon locking nut), bolt, and a couple of "star" lock washers wide/large enough to clamp down onto the chain to keep it in place. If it is a 3 speed hub then the middle gear will probably be to your liking for flat terrain and general biking. You can continue to pull on the chain until it shifts into the next lowest gear if you still need it to pedal easier. Regardless of what gear you choose, you may have to tweak it a little to ensure that the gear is properly engaged when under a pedalling load. You can end up between gears which will essentially put the hub into neutral and cause your crank to free spin without any drive.
You are lucky since you do not need to be pedalling the bike in order to shift; normal shifting when on the bike is done while coasting. Once shifted you can try hand turning the crank with the wheel off the ground to see if it has engaged; but once you are on the bike it may not be perfect with full power pedalling so that is when you might need to slightly adjust the indicator spindle in or or a very small amount (+/- 1 mm or so).

Those parts are fairly common used (new parts not so common) since there are many bikes that were made for decades using the same parts. Most IGH Raleighs (and other English brands using Sturmey-Archer hubs) would be suitable donor bikes since they are usually cheaper than buying the parts separately new or used. The main cost would be the thumb shifter ($15-$40) and cable ($20 or so; getting harder to find) with the female threaded end to accept the indicator spindle's male end. The pulley guide and cable stop are quite common (and may still be on the bike; $5-$10 each).

[miamibiker]

(11-15-2023, 09:21 PM)Jesper Wrote:  

(11-15-2023, 03:46 PM)miamibiker Wrote:  

(11-15-2023, 09:03 AM)Jesper Wrote:  @miamibiker You actually have a multispeed bike, or at least the hub is. That small chain is attatched to the indicator spindle which is what changes the gears on your internally geared hub (IGH). It might be a Hercules or Sturmey-Archer hub (Hercules bikes used both depending on era); and could be 3 to 5 speeds depending on how old and what model hub you have newer bikes have IGH's with even more speeds).
The threaded part would connect to the end of the thumb shifter cable.
If nothing was connected to it than it would have made the hub operate in high gear (hardest to pedal) if the hub is functioning normally. If you have the cable, cable housing stop, cable guide/guide pulley, and shifter (if not still mounted on the bike) it would not take long to install and set-up with regular tools. Those hubs can be serviced; but many shops do not have the know how so you may have to do it yourself. It's not as hard as it might seem and it is a great way to become intimately familiar with how your bike functions. The hub would not need to be dismantled just to service axle bearings; but I would completely pull it apart if it did not look clean or functioned poorly.
I have a '54 Hercules 3 speed that might have a similar hub. You can clean the hub barrel and probably find a model (common is "AW") and date code for the year and/or month that the hub was manufactured. The bike is often times a year newer than the hub date; or the the hub may not be original to the bike so do not assume the hub year as an automatic dating method.
The community would like to see your Hercules if you have a photo of it.

Thank you for your reply. As to it being in high gear, that sounds right, as it is difficult to pedal.
I don't have any shifter parts, is there a way to get it out of high gear or otherwise shift the gear?

You can change the gear by pulling out on the chain until it goes into the next gear, but you will then have to secure the chain at that position because it will retract back into the original spot if let go. You could just put a nut and bolt on the chain to keep it from retracting. Just get 2 nuts (one is used as a "jam" nut to keep the other nut tight; you can also use a single nylon locking nut), bolt, and a couple of "star" lock washers wide/large enough to clamp down onto the chain to keep it in place. If it is a 3 speed hub then the middle gear will probably be to your liking for flat terrain and general biking. You can continue to pull on the chain until it shifts into the next lowest gear if you still need it to pedal easier. Regardless of what gear you choose, you may have to tweak it a little to ensure that the gear is properly engaged when under a pedalling load. You can end up between gears which will essentially put the hub into neutral and cause your crank to free spin without any drive.
You are lucky since you do not need to be pedalling the bike in order to shift; normal shifting when on the bike is done while coasting. Once shifted you can try hand turning the crank with the wheel off the ground to see if it has engaged; but once you are on the bike it may not be perfect with full power pedalling so that is when you might need to slightly adjust the indicator spindle in or or a very small amount (+/- 1 mm or so).

Those parts are fairly common used (new parts not so common) since there are many bikes that were made for decades using the same parts. Most IGH Raleighs (and other English brands using Sturmey-Archer hubs) would be suitable donor bikes since they are usually cheaper than buying the parts separately new or used. The main cost would be the thumb shifter ($15-$40) and cable ($20 or so; getting harder to find) with the female threaded end to accept the indicator spindle's male end. The pulley guide and cable stop are quite common (and may still be on the bike; $5-$10 each).

THANKS!