Sturmey-Archer

Sturmey - Archer was the name of a British company in Nottingham, which established hubs for bicycles and gear and engines for motorcycles.

The company name comes from James Archer (1854-1920) and Henry Sturmey ( 1857-1930 ). Both founded Sturmey - Archer to exploit the invention, the three-speed hub gear of William Reilly ( 1866-1950 ). Reilly could not even apply for a patent his invention because he was prevented due to contractual links with former clients in mind. Sturmey - Archer took over for him, some time later he was urged from the company and paid him any royalties for his invention. One first marketed these shifting for motorbikes. With the further development of motorcycle technology is also provided conventional gear for motorcycles forth. Sturmey - Archer gearbox have been used by a number of motorcycle manufacturers such as Matchless, Royal Enfield or triumph.

The three-speed freewheel hub of the TCW series ( TCW Mark I - Mark IV TCW ) are unreliable, have design flaws and were replaced by the AWC model.

Sturmey - Archer has long been regarded as the world's largest manufacturer of hubs for bicycles. The company was known for his idiosyncratic products of their time were sometimes far ahead. So you had already submitted in the 30s hub dynamos and accumulators ago for the lighting of bicycles. His hubs had a considerable range of variations. For three- and four-speed hub gears were produced with different base ratios in combination with drum and coaster brakes, and with built-in hub dynamo. By far the most successful three-speed hub gear was the model AW, produced virtually unchanged since more than 70 years.

In the 1960s, the launch of the 5 - speed hub was made by a patent that owned the company since the mid- 1920s.

In 1984, production of the hub dynamo has been set.

Mid-1990s was also offered a seven-speed hub gears. Some time later, the company ran into financial difficulties and was forced to declare bankruptcy. The Taiwanese company Sunrace then took over names and products by Sturmey - Archer, the production in Nottingham, however, was shut down.