Classtime 

For a modern 3 speed hub—SA or Shimano?

thumpism 

My plan involved this Pro frameset I got from a buddy who gave it to me after buying it cheap and selling off the Campy bits.


I found this Swiss Condor 3-speed at the co-op and bought it for the alloy 700C wheelset. I've since put bars on it and tuned it up and I'm afraid to take pieces off it for anything. It's too nice an old piece and it should go to an appreciative rider. I can always build up other wheels for the Pro.


No time to work on it anyway, so the pieces continue hanging in the garage until the house is done. Someday.

nlerner

A few reasons: I had seen someone do a similar build on another list and was inspired by the idea. I also had all of the parts on hand; I had built up that frame previously as a 650B conversion with drop bars and an 8-speed drivetrain, but those mechs ended up moving to a different project. So a frame hanging from a hook, an idea, a deep parts bin--Raleigh 3-speed! It's a lot of fun to ride, akin to a single speed with additional range. I actually need to swap in a different thumb shifter as the one that's there is crappy and slips frequently (or do a bar end once I switch to drop bars), but otherwise, I'm quite happy with that build.

Arrowana

My anecdotal experience says if you want it to have a coaster brake, Shimano makes a more reliable hub. If you don't want a coaster brake, then the difference isn't so vast, but I'd probably still pick Shimano to get a hub with a slightly wider gear range.

tcs

A) Sturmey-Archer all the way. Beautiful polished aluminum hubshell, parts support, large selection of shifters, narrow OLD models available for older frames.

2) How about an AW off eBay that's the same year as the frame?

iii) In the old days, you'd use an AW...unless you could get your hands on an FW, then you'd use the four-speed, I mean, duh. In these modern times, I'd probably go with an X-RF4 four-speed hub: hardly any heavier than the S-RF3, 210% gear range in even steps, narrow OLD available w/ inside-the-dropouts shifting.

SirMike1983 

For a modern hub, Sturmey Archer is fine. They have a wide range of pretty well-made hubs for the money.

For pure economy, vintage Sturmey AW hubs going back to the 1950s can be had for not much money and are not difficult to rebuild. You'll only hit difficulty finding hubs if you absolutely need something from before WWII. In that case, you usually have to cast about a bit and wait until something good comes up. But that's the exception rather than the rule. Most people aren't trying to re-build 1930s era bikes these days.

nlerner

For that bike I show the top-tube shifter above, I went with a modern S-A SRC3 hub: 3-speed w/ coaster brake. It works really well.

tcs

Fun fact: With the exception of the new(ish) rotary shift family of 3-speed Sturmey-Archer hubs, 100 years of Sturmey-Archer indexed three-speed shifters will shift 100 years of Sturmey-Archer three-speed hubs. 1918 Type K hub & 2023 SLS30 bar end? Works! 1932 GC-1 quadrant shifter and 2006 S-RF3 hub? Works!

Maybe a cheap shot, but you can really tell Shimano wasn't involved anywhere in this!

nlerner

I recently bought one of these contemporary 4-speed thumb shifters: https://www.sturmey-archer.com/en/products/detail/sls40

I'm hoping it'll work on an FW/FM hub family, but haven't had a chance to test it out yet.

retroshifter

I had a similar thought about a 3 spd on a more "sporty" bike, but instead of a path racer or drop bar bike, I added a modern SA 3 hub to my Trek "Scorcher" that used to be a single speed. This is the second Trek Scorcher that I have made. I use it as an around town bike and gear it with 3rd gear as a cruising gear of around 70 inches. Because I rarely shift it into 2nd or 1st, I tried this not very convenient chainstay shifter location - it gives it sort of a vintage suicide shifter vibe. When I use it for longer rides with some climbing, the big jump between the gears is annoying. I may look into getting an 8 spd or 7sp nexus hub, but I think the 7/8 nexus hubs are pretty heavy (probably heavier than the S/A 3??).

I really like the look of the internal gears on these modern road bike "vintage conversions"

pastorbobnlnh 

Neal, your assignment over the winter semester break: Lace your FM/FW hub. Build a bike for your new wheel (we know you have spare frames in that ancient basement of yours). Add and test ride the SA SLS 4-Speed shifter. Post pictures. Report back to C&V. We will grade you accordingly.

nlerner

Assignment accepted! Actually, I think I already have that wheel laced, but will check the wheel grotto. And several frames on the peg to choose from. Hmm.

Sedgemop 

Posted this one in another thread with a 3 speed conversion in mind. I know some folks here like to do that. This is a good candidate.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...type=top_picks

52telecaster

That's a steal.

tcs

Sturmey actually offers a Seat Post shifter with a 27.2 collar for their indicator-chain-shift three speeds.

Just three gears! Steps between gears vs. overall range - that's the eternal compromise. Try a Sturmey AM: ~15% steps (but remember, that yields 134% overall range).

Heavier than a Sturmey 3? Oooooooh yeah.

Mooo

I didn’t know this, but for a couple years I commuted on a road bike conversion which used a Suntour ratchet shifter mounted to the seat tube (used a downtube shifter mount with one shifter removed). You had to memorize the positions, but for me, it worked really well. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone really dependent indexed shifters or unwilling to re-gut a hub if they get it wrong. Looks really clean though.

This, what you’ve said, would be way better, I think.

mrv 

Investigating the 4spd previously, The website indicates it’s the most gears SA offers 120mm wide.
my question: can the 4spd shifter be adapted to a bar end pod?
the 5spd offers bar ends, but I can’t find an exploded parts view to make a guess on mounting a 4spd to it.

This is all in prep for a spring project I’m ka-niving

cheers

bwilli88 

Gugie grabbed this one for me in Portland and worked some gugificazion on it.

You can see the top tube shifter on the Grandier Sportier.
It is an 8 speed but an IGH
I really like my 5 speed with drum brakes.

gna

I wanted to do something like this earlier in the year--there was an '80s Raleigh Record Ace for sale, complete with fenders, for $50. It was a nice blue color. I thought I could convert it to 700c and have nice lighter sports bike, but it sold before I could go see it. I'm still looking for a suitable bike.

52telecaster

Plenty of old Raleighs out there. You'll get one.

arex

'74 Raleigh Sports frame, aluminum seatpost, stem, handlebars, and crank. AW hub, SA bar-end shifter, 700C Sun rims, Continental EcoContact tires. Ultegra brake levers, Weinmann centerpull brakes. B17 saddle, shellacked Newbaum bar tape.

RootbeerRaleigh

that is very nice. Don't tease us tell us how much fun it is

tcs

The X-RF8 is offered in 120mm OLD.

The bike(s) I posted offended a viewer, so I have removed them.

SirMike1983 

Yes, I have never much liked "all up" gearing. I know it is popular today, but I still gravitate to the old FW gearing for a four speed.

pastorbobnlnh 

What is "all up" gearing?