his article gives the lengths of indicator spindles for Sturmey-Archer internal-gear hubs. There is much more compatibility than you might think. Though a shorter spindle may be more difficult to install and adjust, it will work unless its chain sinks all the way in when the cable is loosest. A longer spindle will work unless its chain pulls it sideways when the cable is tightest.

The table below lists the various indicator spindles, along with the hubs with which they are meant to be used. Please read this article in connection with the article on tech tips for Sturmey-Archer hubs, which gives advice on how to install and adjust indicator spindles.

Older spindles are thick, and are identified by 1 through 9 hash marks. The effective length is from the base of the threads to the shoulder before the first link of chain (points of the green arrow in the image below).

Newer spindles are thinner, as shown in the image below. Each model of these newer spindles has a different-colored painted mark, which may be on the rod, or on the chain. Check the color of the mark under sunlight, because the blue and purple colors can easily be confused under indoor lighting. The red arrow indicates the length from the base of the threads to the mark. No matter where the mark is, the length which most affects compatibility is from the base of the threads to the shoulder, indicated by the green arrow.

If you are using a spindle which is not standard for the hub, you will have to adjust it by testing operation of the gears, rather than be aligning the mark. That is a good idea anyway.

Thick or thin spindles work in any hub, if the length is OK. We still need measurements for a few spindles. Please feel free to send them in. We will credit you for your contribution.

Spindle lengths are rounded to the nearest millimeter. Thanks go to Jan Blaha, Dan Burkhart, Tony Hadland, Elton Pope-Lance of Harris Cyclery, Howard Sutherland, and David Prosser of Sturmey-Archer for some of these measurements.

Click on the link below to switch the order in the table between part number and spindle length. You may have to double-click the first time. Some part numbers are duplicated,. because the same spindle length is identified by different numbers or by a hash mark.