# Info needed on Worksman Cycle Wheels With Sturmey Archer Drum Brake



## dave429 (Jan 24, 2016)

Picked up these worksman wheels a while back. They are super heavy duty with thick spokes. The rear has a 5 speed dura ace cassette and the front has a sturmey archer elite vt drum brake. Any ideas on when these were made and what they might have come off of? The front brake has made in England 9 86. Is this a date code?


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## bairdco (Jan 25, 2016)

The sturmey hub was made throughout the 80's and 90's.  

Worksman wheels have been around a while. I have some from the 70's marked "worksman japan."

Yours were probably built in the 80's.  Dunno if worksman ever used those hubs on anything, so they might have been built up custom.

They used Atom drums front and rear, and bendix coasters throughout the 70's, and went to shimano coasters and no-name drums (probably Gremic) from the 80's to present day.

They have geared freewheel options still, but don't know what hubs they use.

You can email them direct and ask.


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## dave429 (Jan 29, 2016)

Maybe I will have to shoot them an email. The Rims are super heavy duty. I would think they would add a lot of weight to a build. I might have to take the front drum brake and re-lace it into a pair of araya 7x's or something. I would love to make a klunker someday but currently don't have the right frame.


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## bairdco (Jan 29, 2016)

Yeah, they're the strongest wheels you can get for bikes. Heavy duty clincher rims with 11g spokes. A friend of mine used one on the front of his custom triumph motorcycle. 

They do make an alloy rim, too, that's the same style.


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## hawkster19 (Jan 29, 2016)

Bizarrely, I just removed a pair of Worksman wheels this evening from a tandem before seeing this post. They look exactly like yours and the specs are the same so perhaps yours are also from a Worksman tandem?


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## dave429 (Feb 1, 2016)

Hmmm, I will have to look up the Worksman tandem bicycles and compare. Thanks for the info! Not sure what to do with them yet but I do hope to incorporate them into a build. Not sure about the rear wheel with the 5 speed cluster. Would rather have a single speed. Does anyone know what type of brake lever and cable combo I would need to get that front drum brake set up?


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## bleedingfingers (Feb 2, 2016)

That is the date it was made on the Sturmey Brake .
I have an older one where they stamped the date  right into the metal .


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## bairdco (Feb 2, 2016)

You can use any brake lever and cable. The brake arm clamp has a slot for the arm and goes around the fork. You can make one yourself, but it needs to be strong. A hose clamp WILL NOT work (I've tried.) There is a tremendous amount of force on the arm while stopping, and if your clamp snaps, the arm will rotate forward, lock the brake, and kill you. Or send you to the hospital.

This is no joke. I had a clamp break on an atom drum on a motorized bike. Locked up at 45mph, sent me over the bars, seperated my shoulder, broke 4 ribs, a wrist, two fingers, and bruised my heart, lungs, and kidneys. Not fun.

The cable attachment fits in the slot, and a barrel holds the cable end.

Here's some pics...


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## dave429 (Feb 2, 2016)

Thanks for the info bairdco. I will make sure that the brake arm is fully secured before using. Do they sell brake arm clamps specifically for this configuration? I would love to make a motorbike sometime but don't really care for the newer bicycle motors. I wish they make a motor that looked older and a little bigger to fill the gap in the frame. I have seen a lot of nice motorbike builds but the motors always seem so out of place. I know there are size limit restrictions in most places. These rims would be perfect for an antique looking board track racer build. Do you have a picture of the full bike you posted above?


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## bairdco (Feb 2, 2016)

You can order them from sturmey archer, or your local shop can.

I've got two bikes with their dyno/drum hubs, which have the same mounting style.

A 79 S&S BMX Newport cruiser, and an 80's Schwinn heavy-duty.


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## dave429 (Feb 2, 2016)

Nice, You run drum on the front and just coaster on the back then usually? How is the stopping power on the drum brakes?


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## bairdco (Feb 2, 2016)

Yup, just a coaster in the back. The front drums from SA usually work great out of the box, and get better as they wear in. And they never wear out. Well, not for 50 years or so.

They stop really well, usually without feeling "grabby," and don't feel like they'll flip you in a panic stop.


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## irideiam (Feb 3, 2016)

That 79 S&S BMX Newport cruiser is sweet.....


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