baldilocks

Does anyone use a 3 speed internal gear hub cruiser as a winter bike? I normally ride a Mountain bike. I don't know if I'd like the geometry of a cruiser, but it would be easier than buying a single speed Mountain bike and converting it to a three speed. I won't ride my good bike in the winter. I live in Indiana and get my fair share of snow. So is any one doing it and how has it worked for you?

jimmie65

I don't have much (well, any) opportunity to ride on snow but I don't think a cruiser would handle well at all on snow and ice, especially with any hills or curves. I assume because you want gears, you're dealing with at least some hills.
Why a 3-speed internal gear?

You could pick up a cruiser with a 3-speed internal gear and just move that wheel over to a mountain bike (along with the shifter and cables, of course.)

baldilocks

That would involve finding a single speed mtb with 26 inch wheels. Everything I find is either 27.5 or a 29er. Also, if I buy a mtb, I would put jones h loop handle bars on it and I wonder if I wouldn't like the stock cruiser bars.

Philphine

I've seen the discussion before, but on the commuter and winter cycling forums when I was kinda browsing out of curiousity. I know the internal gear theory is to keep the mud/snow/muck out of the derailleur system. I did recently find a 3 speed cruiser(haven't tried it in the snow though), but I don't see them very often. usually they're the English 3 speed style.


on a guess, working on the assumed easier chainline maintenance theory ('cause I don't really know if that's your concern) I think I'd look for a cheaper mongoose single speed fatbike, and find a sturmey archer wide 3 speed hub to build into the rear wheel.

fietsbob

Original geometry Stump jumpers were Repack styled, based on cruisers..
BITD Tom Richey was hand making his, Specialized Imports hired a company in Japan..

I have an old Stumpie Sport as my winter bike with studded tires, my Sturmey Archer 3 speed is in my Brompton..

but the Drum brakes that make the old MTB work so well, in Any Weather* are offered integrated with several S-A IGH models..

Sturmey-Archer | XL-RD3 / Sturmey-Archer | X-RD3

and a 5 speed/drum brake Sturmey-Archer | RX-RD5

and there are front hubs with drum brakes too , a special model from them incorporates a dynamo, for lights needing no battery..
battery performance drops quickly when cold.
you have to get wheels like that built , I did. (I'm a Mechanic) it is an investment.. Go for it. mine have seen 30 years of use..

* When Rim brakes are quite in effective..


[Oh, You want easy, jump on and ride.. never mind ]



.....

jimmie65

Grab an old MTB off CL. Doesn't need to be a single speed; just pull the derailleurs. You might have to use a half-link chain though, because of the dropouts.

As for the cruiser bars, there are numerous configurations with different sweep. Some are almost perpendicular to the bike, others don't have any more sweep than the Jones bars do. The perpendicular ones suck for anything. As for those with less sweep, it depends on your riding style and how much flex (in all directions) you can handle. There is a reason cruiser bars don't appear on mountain bikes.

Bob and Phillipe are telling you the best way to do this. For a cheap way, buy a cheap MTB and a cheap cruiser with an IGH, and just switch out parts.

If you do buy a cruiser, look for one with less of a crank-forward design. I had a Mango key Largo and could not ride it more than a few miles. Definitely did not handle climbing or sharp curves well at all. The Macaw looks to be more crank-forward (it's hard to be sure from the pics) so I'd look elsewhere. (The Mango also looks like the bars are the almost-perpendicular ones.)

jimmie65

On a crank-forward bike with flexing handlebars... lots of fun.

baldilocks

I thought about trying a sun cruiser, and putting studded tires on it.

https://https://www.sun.bike/bikes/revolutions/#3-SPEEDINTERNAL26

Arrow over to one of the men's bike.

bicyclridr4life

Before "Mountain Bikes" were invented, people rode what are now called "beach cruisers", "3 speed English Racers" and 27" 5 and 10 speed bikes in the winter.
My friends rode their Schwinn Stingrays year round. (Those 20x2.125 "Slicks" on the back were loads of fun in snow and on glare ice ...) I had a standard 26" Schwinn baloon tyre bike that I rode year round.
(Studded bicycle tyres had not been invented yet, either. Nor had bicycle helmets, as far as I know.)
Get the "cruiser". It'll work just fine.

baldilocks

Thank you, that was what I wanted to hear.