Vintage Shifters Shifters Bike DriveTrain Sturmey Archer Bike The Original Since 1902In 1888, Sir Frank Bowden purchased a bicycle factory on Raleigh Street, Nottingham, England. He was approached by Henry Sturmey, a journalist and by an engineer, James Archer. Both had ideas about the design of a 3 speed hub and this resulted in1902 in the world's first patent for a 3 speed internal gear hub. That tradition continues with Sturmey Archer's current range of products.