Schlumpf Speed Drive

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
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speedsixdave
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Joined: 19 Apr 2007, 1:48pm
Location: Ashbourne, UK

Re: Schlumpf Speed Drive

Post by speedsixdave »

Indexing is famously a bit dodgy on early AMs too, just to add spice, as the mech hanger has rather different geometry to the preferred modern specs. But of course there's always friction, with a decent offer nowadays of good downtube (and thumbshift?) levers, if you are prepared to pay the price.
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simonineaston
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Joined: 9 May 2007, 1:06pm
Location: ...at a cricket ground

Re: Schlumpf Speed Drive

Post by simonineaston »

But of course there's always friction
That's kind-of where all this started off from. My AM started off as a budget project 'cos I was lucky to find a battered-but-complete example the other month, at an attractive price. I was amazed at the silky smooth feel and performance of the SunTour Cyclone / Powershift thumb lever combo and determined to - err - stick with a fraction system. :wink:
S
(on the look out for Armageddon, on board a Brompton nano & ever-changing Moultons)
hoogerbooger
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Joined: 14 Jun 2009, 11:27am
Location: In Wales

Re: Schlumpf Speed Drive

Post by hoogerbooger »

(Sounds like you're heading away from the idea of a speed drive....however me and my Missus have them on our Bromptons. I agree on the drag in overdrive. Yes they add weight. So if you're looking for light and fast . ..not the best. Fine on our Bromptons, but what we wanted was to be able to get up hills and do a little touring over modest distances, without getting in the way of the fold.Having got used to the whir of the hubs it's not that much difference to the feel of the gears for us, but not the same as nice smooth derailleur gears...... when they're clean.

Looking at the Kinetics website seems to be over £600 quid now for a schlumpf.)
old fangled
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[XAP]Bob
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Joined: 26 Sep 2008, 4:12pm

Re: Schlumpf Speed Drive

Post by [XAP]Bob »

I have an HSD, which is a far wider spread than the SD.

I originally had in on a raptobike - where the single chainring was nice, and the virtual 95t chainring was great.
I tried in on my trike and the transition was just at the "wrong" speed for me (i.e. I had to change too often).
I now have it in a velo, and that's probably good - but I still need to fettle the rear gears a bit. Tempted to move to a rolhoff (if I can find an affordable one - fleabay didn't take my final bid on one a couple of months back :( )

It's a very nice, but relatively expensive, way of making a huge gear range virtually invisible.
If I hadn't bought it on the rapto bike then I don't think I would have had it.
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