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Vent: Had to choose between a full hub overhaul and a straight replacement on a vintage 3-speed
A customer brought in a 1970s Raleigh with a sticky Sturmey-Archer hub, and the parts were so worn I had to decide between a 2-hour rebuild with NOS parts or swapping in a whole modern hub. I went with the rebuild to keep it original, but it took almost 4 hours and the customer wasn't thrilled with the final bill. For a daily rider, would you have just done the swap to save labor time?
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rowank6910d ago
Totally get that feeling. You made the right call keeping it original, that's real craftsmanship. Those old hubs are worth saving when you can. It's a tough spot when the labor adds up, but explaining the value of original parts sometimes helps. For a daily rider, a swap is faster, but you preserved the bike's soul.
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jesse8410d agoTop Commenter
Rowan, I see this same fight between quick fixes and real value in my own garage projects.
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