3 Speed Roadbike
03-24-21, 11:54 AM
#1
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Thread Starter
3 Speed Roadbike
Got this as a fixed gear about 4 years ago. First new bike I had purchased in over 25 years. Back home, in Texas, I enjoyed it as a fixed. But moved to Kentucky a little over 3 years ago, and riding fixed was whopping me bad. So, build an wheel with an AW Sturmey hub.
This made the bike pleasant to ride again.
it is not classic or vintage in any way, except the hub and shifter, but it works well for me around the. Ft. Knox area.
This made the bike pleasant to ride again.
it is not classic or vintage in any way, except the hub and shifter, but it works well for me around the. Ft. Knox area.
Last edited by imabeliever1; 03-24-21 at 12:09 PM.
03-24-21, 12:11 PM
#2
feros ferio
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Bikes: 1959 Capo Modell Campagnolo; 1960 Capo Sieger (2); 1962 Carlton Franco Suisse; 1970 Peugeot UO-8; 1982 Bianchi Campione d'Italia; 1988 Schwinn Project KOM-10;
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Nice work. I'll take an IGH over single speed any day.
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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069
"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069
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03-24-21, 12:20 PM
#4
The dropped
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I have a 40 hole AW hub I unlaced from a steel rim with the chrome about gone. I've been thinking about doing just this kind of thing with a fixie frame. Finding that 40 hole 700C rim cheap is quite the challenge though.
03-24-21, 05:50 PM
#5
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I built a Kabuki up as a 3 speed with 27 inch wheels a few years ago. It was mainly just a proof-of-concept, so, after a while, I rebuilt the bike back to a derailleur gears. I still have the wheels, so if I find the right frame, I'd like to build another one. I used a Shimano hub, since it was a Japanese frame. I geared it to mainly use the middle gear, with low for hills and headwinds, and high for tail winds.
1970-something Kabuki 3 speed
1970-something Kabuki 3 speed
03-24-21, 06:06 PM
#6
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I built a Kabuki up as a 3 speed with 27 inch wheels a few years ago. It was mainly just a proof-of-concept, so, after a while, I rebuilt the bike back to a derailleur gears. I still have the wheels, so if I find the right frame, I'd like to build another one. I used a Shimano hub, since it was a Japanese frame. I geared it to mainly use the middle gear, with low for hills and headwinds, and high for tail winds.
1970-something Kabuki 3 speed
1970-something Kabuki 3 speed
03-24-21, 07:04 PM
#7
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I like it! I have several sets of wheels in the closet with IGH rear hubs, 27”, 700c, and 650b. Might have to hang them on frames at some point.
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03-24-21, 08:06 PM
#8
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Bikes: 1984 Miyata 310, 1986 Schwinn Sierra, 2011 Jamis Quest, 1980 Peugeot TH8 Tandem, 1992 Performance Parabola, 1987 Ross Mt. Hood, 1988 Schwinn LeTour, 1988 Trek 400T, 1981 Fuji S12-S LTD, 197? FW Evans
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The Shimano hub worked fine. Some say it isn't as durable as the SA hub, but I never had any problems. I think the ratios are the same or close to the SA. I used an 18 tooth cog with the 42 tooth inner chainwheel for 47, 63, 84 inches. Those ratios worked well for me in flat NW Ohio.
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03-24-21, 10:33 PM
#9
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Sheldon Brown says that the older Shimano 3 speeds didn't hold up well and would break pawls and other parts. I think that they improved it through the years and the later hubs are better. I have a Shimano of the later version that I will eventually put in a 27" rim on and find a frame for. Perhaps the Fuji Espree. There were a lot of bikes sold with Shimano 3 speed IGH back in the 70's and 80"s. They were on Ross's, Sears Free Spirits and many other bikes of the day. I don't remember getting too many of them into the shop for repair, but we also didn't get too many Sturmey Archers either. I believe both held up well, however, I will say that you can get parts for the Sturmey Archer. The best bet for the older Shimano is buy a complete hub or wheel.
The shifters on these Shimano 3 speeds are getting rare too. Most often the problem is the plastic cover is also used for retaining the cable housing. It tends to crack where the cable housing enters.
I like your shifter location Pompiere . This is not a common location on a 3 speed road bike, but it is good especially when you ride mostly on the hoods and the top of the bars.
Back the main topic. 3 speed road bikes give the bike the look and much of the simplicity of a single speed with the bonus of a low and high gear. What is not to love? No jockey wheels for a cleaner look. Low maintenance almost like a single freewheel.
There are two negatives that the new Shimano hub solves. 1. the slip into neutral, that I understand was an issue on both of these vintage hubs and 2. this might just be me, but having gotten used to freewheels and freehubs, I don't like how much I must rotate the crank sometimes before the pawls engage on the old Sturmey Archer. I heard the new one is the same. The Shimano seems to be better from my share bike rental experience.
Please correct me if I am off on these details of the newer IHG 3 speed hubs.
On topic, jackbombay has a number of nicely finished 3 speed road bikes with S-A hubs and custom cable routing.
The shifters on these Shimano 3 speeds are getting rare too. Most often the problem is the plastic cover is also used for retaining the cable housing. It tends to crack where the cable housing enters.
I like your shifter location Pompiere . This is not a common location on a 3 speed road bike, but it is good especially when you ride mostly on the hoods and the top of the bars.
Back the main topic. 3 speed road bikes give the bike the look and much of the simplicity of a single speed with the bonus of a low and high gear. What is not to love? No jockey wheels for a cleaner look. Low maintenance almost like a single freewheel.
There are two negatives that the new Shimano hub solves. 1. the slip into neutral, that I understand was an issue on both of these vintage hubs and 2. this might just be me, but having gotten used to freewheels and freehubs, I don't like how much I must rotate the crank sometimes before the pawls engage on the old Sturmey Archer. I heard the new one is the same. The Shimano seems to be better from my share bike rental experience.
Please correct me if I am off on these details of the newer IHG 3 speed hubs.
On topic, jackbombay has a number of nicely finished 3 speed road bikes with S-A hubs and custom cable routing.
03-25-21, 09:52 AM
#10
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@imabeliever1 Is that black bracket with the integrated cable stop a modern sturmey archer part?
03-25-21, 12:14 PM
#11
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Thread Starter
Yes, it is. It worked out real well in my situation.
STURMEY ARCHER HSJ-842 FULCRUM LEVER CLASSIC
STURMEY ARCHER HSJ-842 FULCRUM LEVER CLASSIC
Last edited by imabeliever1; 03-25-21 at 02:03 PM.
