adlai

Anyone on here use it? How do you like it?

I might pick one up in the future. Mainly for fun, also to serve as backup in case my main bike for any reason fails.

elemental

Sounds like fun, although when the S3X hub came out there were some concerns about quality. I would rather have a WT5 myself - a three speed fixed gear just seems bizarre. To be fair, I do love bizarre bikes. It certainly is a cheap way to check out the S3X thing.

If BikesDirect offers an S2C Kilo, I don't think I'll be able to resist. It's probably going to cost me $350 just to build an S2C wheelset this summer (to be fair, it's going to be a sweeeeet wheelset. Just need to choose between Aeroheads and PBPs).


Are you listening, Mike?

adlai

I wonder if the WT5 has a fixed gear option.

Also, anyone know if you can affix a freewheel, to make this a 3 speed freewheel? Or with a freewheel is it only 1 speed? I'm thinking about winter commuting.

fuzz2050

the wt5 is free only, but you can thread a freewheel on to the s3x and ride it free.

TejanoTrackie 

Are you saying that the cog on the S3X threads on like a regular track hub? Does it use a reverse threaded lock ring as well? The reason I ask is that I don't like the stock gearing on the BD bike and would want to change the cog size.

lostarchitect 

Wait, I don't get it. It's a 3 speed hub, yes? Do you have to stop and get off, loosen the wheel and move the chain manually to shift? Or can you somehow shift while riding, like a regular geared bike?

antiaverage

It's an internal hub. The gear changes internally, the chain doesn't move.

You can shift even while stopped. They're a lot of fun.

They used to be fairly common, but were all freewheel save for one by Sturmey Archer. It became super rare, but then they released a new version which is on this BD bike.

mihlbach

The S3X hub has what is basically a fixed "freehub body" that appears to be both splined and threaded. The splines and threads are perfectly clear in the picture of the hub...https://www.sturmey-archer.com/products/hubs/cid/3/id/47. The splines intersect the threads....nonetheless it is threaded. I have a splined-threaded BMX freehub that looks exactly the same, except, of course, its a freewheel, not fixed.

With the S3X hub, to ride fixed, it appears that all you need is a normal splined freewheel cog, which is held on by a normally threaded lockring that threads onto the fixed "freehub body" over the splines. At least thats how my BMX freehub works. The lockring threads are standard freewheel threads. From the looks of it, any basic (Shimano compatible) splined freehub cog should fit onto the S3X hub. If that is the case, it should be very easy to regear.

Alternatively, since the "freehub body" is fixed, you could convert it to freewheel by threading on a bmx freewheel. As I said, the threads should be the same.

Bear in mind, that I have never used this hub, so I could be wrong about compatibility, but I can't imagine that Sturmey Archer would use a completely proprietary spline pattern with non-standard thread sizes.

lostarchitect 

Well. That's kind of awesome. I'd never heard of this.

NormanF

The S3X hubs are all out of stock... Sturmey Archer plans to produce more soon.

TheMilford

Bikesdirect.com has the Mercier S3X... I'm thinking about getting although I prefer the color selection of the other Kilos they offer. Not sure what to do. If I could get the "Stripper" edition in the white or the Orange Crush with the S3X hub for the same price or just a little more I would... I'd also consider picking up the S3X hub at a later date but they seem to be out of stock at the moment.

I think also I'd prefer to route the shifter cable along the TT with the cable guides as I don't plan to use the rear brake... so the extra loops below on the S3X for me would be redundant.

It's hard to complain about a bike that costs less than $400 though.

WoundedKnee

https://www.velomine.com/index.php?ma...roducts_id=782

I'm considering buying this for a build for my girlfriend.

tatfiend 

Bikeisland has the S3X wheelset in stock currently. I ordered a set last night and it is shipping today per the tracking number I received.

paktinat

another thread here: https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...S3x&p=10846859

meb

The ASC and many other Sturmey 3 speeds (although not all, but the AB & AW did) used to have an undocument "neutral" you stumbled in between two of the gears-I believe it was between 1 and 2. If you took a Sturmey 4 shifter and hooked it to those 3 speed hubs the cable pull spacing was just right so you could get 1-N-2-3. Does the S3X have this undocumented "neutral" on it?

silver_ghost

The S3X does have a "neutral" between low and middle but don't get any ideas about being able to switch between fixed and freewheel on the go. The first run of S3X shifters had the shift detant in the wrong place, allowing the hub to pop out of first gear into neutral. I had one of these shifters and when the hub popped out of and back into gear, the internals were damaged, leading to a gross grinding feel while pedaling.

To SA's credit, when I emailed the company they were forthcoming about their mistake and sent me a new shifter and entire new hub internals within days. Since installing the new shifter and hub guts everything has worked just fine.

Just to clarify about the S3X driver, it uses a Shimano cassette spline pattern without the big and little spline. Shimano stamped single speed cogs don't fit, but machined Surly or (I assume) Sturmey Archer ones do. The driver is threaded to accept a BMX freewheel.

NormanF

I ordered a S3X hub kit for my Schwinn Madison! Can't wait to test it!

pavement_nyc

What exactly is the neutral gear? You can't pedal either way, just coast on it?

NormanF

S3X hub is solid and surprisingly light. I'm hooked riding my Schwinn Madison with it - its fun!

skut

I ordered a 57cm s3x. The BD website accepted the order, but i got an email yeserday saying it was out of stock. Fair play to them though, they have offered me a $50 discount if I re-order a different bike.

silver_ghost

That's right, but it isn't a "neutral gear", its a space of no engagement between gears.