The Rollfast Project

Is this turning into a bicycle blog? No, but my newest project is another bike.

I've been looking for an English three-speed ever since I saw this picture of a Rollfast bike on Etsy. For some reason I really liked the look of the fenders and the chain guard.

I spent a couple of weeks checking thrift stores and creepy Craigslist, but I couldn't find any three-speeds. I checked the Etsy ad again for inspiration, and the Rollfast was 20% off. Plus, shipping from New Jersey was $50, and that's actually reasonable. Hmm...

I knew the Rollfast wouldn't look as shiny in person as it does in the ad's pictures. The seller had sprayed the bike with water, and it was still wet when the pictures were taken. That's a parlor trick that I've seen before. The saddle looked rough, and the handlebars weren't correct, but I have parts sitting on the bench that would love to get into game... Sold!

I bought this after parent-teacher conferences last Monday (that might explain the purchase), and it arrived on Friday afternoon. That was pretty fast. When I opened the box, I knew the bike wouldn't be on the road that quickly.

I tentatively assembled the bike. It was better than I thought it would be in some spots and worse in others. I wanted a project, and that is exactly what I got.

 The drop-style handlebars were put aside. I'm using a tourist-styled handlebar from a Murray 5-speed.

My first job was drilling out the head of the bolt on the kickstand. The stand didn't work, and it weighed about five pounds. Bye for now, stand.

I didn't bother installing the grungy, rubber block pedals. They don't even match.

These aluminum pedals have a rubber block vibe, so I'll go with them for now.

I haven't removed crank cotters before.

To make a cotter press, I drilled and hacked a chain breaker tool from Harbor Freight. I'll save about $60 if it removes and installs the cotters.

I couldn't tell from the Etsy pictures if the fenders and/or the chain guard were rusted out. They have their scratches and dents (don't we all), but they are solid.

I also couldn't see the head badge in the pics. It doesn't look too bad. I might swap out those brakes calipers for something more interesting.

"Guaranteed Genuine English Lightweight" - you'll just have to trust me.

If the New Jersey bike license (1977) sicker was straight, I would have left it. But I thought the crooked sticker was a bit of an eyesore. 

Three layers of license decals were gone after an hour with a hair dryer.

The saddle is not without its charms, but this seat is beat. That's too bad, actually.

The red reflector on the rear fender was missing. I went looking for something to fill the void at a flea market. I bought a Saint George of England medallion for a buck. Saint George is the patron saint of England. That seems perfect for an English bicycle. The medallion popped into place, and I tapped a small nail it the hole at the top of the medallion to keep Saint George from turning.

This is what it will look like. (I hope using the medallion like this isn't disrespectful.)

The Rollfast is stuck in 3rd gear. The seller didn't have the cable or the indicator chain for the 3-speed hub. I knew that going in. The Sturmey Archer hub is marked AW, so I ordered parts for that style of hub from Amazon. If the hub is original to the bicycle, then the Rollfast was manufactured sometime around 1966.

There's a broken spoke on the rear wheel, so that will have to be dealt with. 

I've got a lot of work ahead of me, and I hope I have fun. I'm excited to see how this guy turns out.