Antiacus

I've been looking at a few CX frame commuters.

The Nashbar CX single speed and the Mercier Kilo WT.

My commute is only 7 miles, about half bike trails through Springfield & Eugene. I have two short climbs, one is up a bike bridge over the Willamette. The other is about a 200 yard steep climb that i can take in my normal cruising gear if i really hammer on it. Problem is i've got a little knee issue and it's sore for the rest of the day if i put that much torque on it.

Anyway, a full spectrum of gears is wasted on me, but i was thinking something like a two speed hub on a cx bike would be just the ticket. Does such a thing exist?

Cyclosaurus

Maybe you could put a 3-speed internal hub on one of those bikes.

Antiacus

That would be even better i suppose. I'm not a bike mechanic by any stretch but i'm not averse to learning either. Will those things hold up to abuse?

Cyclosaurus

I think the sturmey archer hubs have a reputation of being extremely reliable. I'd recommend asking the question about how to install on the bicycle mechanics forum.

Andy_K 

My commute is mostly flat but with either half a mile of 8-15% or a quarter mile of 12-20% grade just before I get home. When I feel like taking the single speed, I just walk the hill at the end. Our machismo culture has conditioned us to think of things like that as shameful, but it's actually quite a reasonable option. I got over my pride by thinking of it like a run-up in a cyclocross race. Now I'll even do this with a geared bike if I'm feeling tired.

bikemig 

Drop bar bikes with 3 speeds were popular at one time, Pre War Raleigh Record Ace RRA | Three Speed Hub

Soma sells 700c wheels built around 3 speed hubs and bar end shifters.

SnowJob

I like these Sturmey-Archer 2 speed kickshift hubs. You can either get it with a coaster brake or not. So, you get a couple of choices in gearing without worrying about cables or shifters or any of that noise. They seem well built, as well.

Antiacus

That sounds like a more advanced job than i might want to tackle. I don't know. If i can change a rear diff on my alfa spider maybe i could pull it off. Bikes take so much more finesse than cars!

Found this. Seems like it's been out of production for awhile: Save up to 60% off new track and singlespeed bikes, Cycles Mercier Road Bicycles | Five Speed Wide Tire Fits Track Bikes - Kilo WT - Save Up To 60% Off Brand new Bicycles

Antiacus

That looks like exactly the thing. I'm surprised these aren't being used on more applications.

SnowJob

I think the only real source of revenue would be singlespeeders looking for a little extra gearing without all the extra stuff. I just don't think there's enough folks out there who go for that. Plus, for that, I think dinglespeeds are a little more popular, and easier to install as well (at least in my circle of friends).

At the end of the day, if people want more gearing they will generally go with the 3 speed IGH or just stick a rear der on there.

BobbyG

Back in the early 70s when I was around 10, my mother bought a used Schwinn 26-inch, pink and white with a 2-speed. I remember it being called a duo-matic, but that may have been just schoolyard talk. I loved that bike, even though it was slightly big and a pink, girl's bike. If there was any snickering and laughing, it stopped when I'd ride wheelies on it for blocks and around corners. Finally, at 11 years, my curiosity got the better of me and I opened it up to see how it worked, and never got it back together in working order. Mom was not happy. Damn, I loved that bike and that hub.

dynaryder

I've read a few reviews on some of the 2spd hubs out there,and they're not very promising. I rode a bike once with the SA kickback/coaster;was a PITA shifting gears every time I used the brake in traffic(it didn't have a front brake). Shimano,SRAM,and Sturmey-Archer all make 3spd hubs that have proven reliable.

Note,if you're going to add a hub to a single speed bike,check the frame's rear spacing first. Many SS's use 120mm rear spacing,this will limit the choice of hubs you can use.

martianone

Why not just use a 1x8, or 9, or N ?
simple pragmatic easy to care for gearing ?

Gresp15C

My situation is similar. Most of the terrain in my locale is pretty flat, but there are a few hills. Three-speed Sturmey Archer IGH's have served me well. A lower gear is also nice in a strong headwind, or if my bike is loaded with groceries. Is it really better than a 1xN derailer system? Probably not, just a personal preference when all is said and done. I rode a 1x7 this winter, and didn't die of shame.

About building a wheel, it's not really all that bad. I'm not a pro bike mechanic, but have worked on a lot of mechanical things. My first wheel build was not my best, but was good enough to get me around safely for a couple years, and then I spent a few bucks on a new rim and gave it another try. Today, a few wheels later, I'm pretty confident that I can build a good wheel for non competitive daily use, so long as I don't try weird cross patterns etc. The IGH's are not dished, which I think makes life a bit easier because the tensions are equal on both sides.

HardyWeinberg

I like the look of that. Do you have one? I am running a 1x7 crosscheck and that is still more than I need. But I am thinking 3 would be better than 2.

HardyWeinberg

Good job!

SnowJob

I used to have a bike with a 2 speed kickshift/coaster brake. I did not like the brake... But the kickshift worked great. My primary commuter is a singlespeed, and sometimes I wish I could put a kickshift hub on it. But I don't think they make them for 135 spacing.

Gresp15C

I haven't looked at a modern 2 speed hub, but one of my college housemates had the old Bendix. I recall that it had a plain, solid axle. If so, switching to a longer axle wouldn't seem to be out of the question. I don't think it even had flats on the axle for anti rotation washers, as it had a brake arm. Of course, attaching the brake arm securely to the wider spaced dropouts might require some consideration.

Note in edit: I"m leaving this here, but @fietsbob has better memory than me, see below.

fietsbob

Our local ... LBS has kick back 2 speed coaster brake hubs in fat bike Which have wide frames , so the axle width to fit a wider frame is possible..
additionally, There is the 2 cog duplex freewheel from (California) White industries , and freewheel hubs to make a derailleur 2 speed ..

and you can change the cassette to be a straight block which has the cogs only becoming larger 1 tooth at a time ..

and there is the potential to fit a Patterson metro crank https://pattersonbike.com/ and have the 2 speeds there and 1 cog on the back.

white eno hub will compensate for the lack of a chain tension adjustable type dropout see Eric's Eccentric Eno , here https://www.whiteind.com/eno/

the 2 speed freewheel is Here: https://www.whiteind.com/new-page

I use my 3 speed a lot . my middle gear is about 58", but you can make the gear range you like with the cog and chainring pick.


NB internal gear hubs are Planet types , there is 1gear fixed in the center of the axle . It's not an axle interchangeable with derailleur bike Hubs.

you have the Eugene bike works Co Op to help you fit stuff https://plus.google.com/117811738019...04/about?hl=en

Gresp15C

My middle gear is about the same. That means it's geared a lot lower than the typical Schwinn and department store 3-speeds sold in the US before ten-speeds became the thing. My entire commute has an overall elevation change of about 100 feet (to the top of a bike bridge), and I don't think there are any hills in town that are taller than about 50 - 75 feet at most. The whole area was scrubbed clean by glaciers during the ice age.

If I moved somewhere with more hills, naturally I'd reconsider my whole gearing strategy. But one thing about commuter bikes is that they are definitely horses for courses. My horse is practically designed around my commute.
@fietsbob, thanks for the reminder about the planet gear. I forgot about that, or was thinking about my 1 speed Bendix.