Cycling UK Forum

Three speed hub. One gear for uphill, one for the top and one for down.

pete75 wrote: ↑7 Jul 2023, 10:40pm Three speed hub. One gear for uphill, one for the top and one for down.

I prefer Sheldon gearing: start, uphill and flat. If it's downhill, freewheel

mjr wrote: ↑7 Jul 2023, 11:18pm

pete75 wrote: ↑7 Jul 2023, 10:40pm Three speed hub. One gear for uphill, one for the top and one for down.

I prefer Sheldon gearing: start, uphill and flat. If it's downhill, freewheel

That’s one of the joys of three speeds, with a bit of adaption and customisation there’s something about them that supports the core needs of nearly everyone. I suppose that’s a case of use your three speed in a way that suits you.

When I was younger and fitter I’d have powered along with a higher overall gearing (got to keep up, got to do the journey in less time, etc.), now I’m happy to cruise and coast along. Powering along? Whatever for, what’s the hurry and why strive to constantly be pushing the most power out? Why not just set off a little earlier, don’t aim to go so far and focus on enjoying the journey rather than just getting it ticked off?

rjb wrote: ↑7 Jul 2023, 8:20pm my Moulton 4 speed fw and 3 speed kingpin and twenty are set up with gears which span on average 34-62 inches. My10 yo grandson often rides the Raleigh 20 when visiting and the gears suit him very nicely too.

My 11yo loves to 'pinch' my folding 20" wheel Raleigh, even going to the trouble of finding the spanner to adjust the saddle height. Occasionally he'll use it for a shorter ride instead of his own bike if we're not on the tandem, easily keeping pace. Mystified by the gears and asking how they fit everything in such a small place, we took one apart together last summer.

Biospace wrote: ↑8 Jul 2023, 1:53pm

rjb wrote: ↑7 Jul 2023, 8:20pm my Moulton 4 speed fw and 3 speed kingpin and twenty are set up with gears which span on average 34-62 inches. My10 yo grandson often rides the Raleigh 20 when visiting and the gears suit him very nicely too.

My 11yo loves to 'pinch' my folding 20" wheel Raleigh, even going to the trouble of finding the spanner to adjust the saddle height. Occasionally he'll use it for a shorter ride instead of his own bike if we're not on the tandem, easily keeping pace. Mystified by the gears and asking how they fit everything in such a small place, we took one apart together last summer.

What I’m noticing here is an unknowing appreciation of the three speed hub by minds that have not yet been spoiled by external cycling influences. Three gears gives them one for up slopes, one for moving and one for going faster; and the trigger control with its instant action gives thoughtless gear change whilst the overall arrangement gives total fit and forget reliability - the toy that never breaks. Such young minds just want better mobility than walking and are glad of the easy movement that a three speed bike gives them as they travel around and play near(ish) to home - joyous activity. Many older folk play near(ish) to home too but we wouldn’t call it that .

We can all learn from each other and, with an open mind, it’s surprising what our children and grandchildren can show us, remind us of and teach us .

There are many pre-conceived ideas in adult minds which together with self-awareness, prompt decisions which are not always logical. Children cut through this nonsense so effectively. My lad appreciates not just the SA 3sp on the Stowaway, but the way it rides - he says he can't quite put his finger on what it is, just that it's so easy yet not in the slightest dull.

I remember regularly cycling the 18 miles to my grandparents when 10-11yo with a 3 speed bike, a small-framed Raleigh with 26" steel wheels and drops. The route was either on hilly-ish unclassified roads which had a couple of sharp hills which necessitated walking, or on B-roads which were gently undulating. Low was fine for all these up-gradients, middle gear perfect for most of the rest and top great for tailwinds and any descent. My daughter is fed up with too many gears on her present bike, her next one will be built with hub brakes and gears.

Occasionally there a gear between low and middle would have been appreciated, but riding a little slower for a few metres until the gradient changed was hardly a problem, and forced you to rest the body. One particular headwind necessitated the low gear for mile after mile when a slightly higher one would've been good - but it was a one-off and only existed when on the complete level. I doubt an additional gear would have improved journey time by more than five minutes, I recall deciding it wasn't worth turning on to the high hedge-sheltered, hillier back roads for.

Mines a Raleigh Stowaway too with the 3 speed twist grip. Very handy as I've got my concessionary bus pass.

Carlton green wrote: ↑9 Jul 2023, 11:08am[...] and the trigger control with its instant action [...]

Does no-one else have a delay between the trigger click into top and the gear actually shifting? Do I need a new spring in the hub?

Biospace wrote: ↑9 Jul 2023, 1:51pm [...]
I doubt an additional gear would have improved journey time by more than five minutes,[...]

You've probably saved more than those five minutes many times over with the reduced maintenance and not faffing about trimming the indexing to align 9 or more gears at once.

Most of this joy seems to come from the state of mind rather than the gearing. I like to mix it up, but a good bit of my cycling is pootling along and I have a bike more suited to that than my others. OTOH, I know 3-speed riders who ride like they've something to prove, I don't know who too, like with most cycling, others are less interested in what you do than you think they are.

mjr wrote: ↑9 Jul 2023, 2:52pm You've probably saved more than those five minutes many times over with the reduced maintenance and not faffing about trimming the indexing to align 9 or more gears at once.

I probably did, although the derailleur gears came with the lightweight bike which replaced it were relatively bomb-proof - a friction lever and just 5 beefy sprockets. The chain was replaced once, the alloy chainwheel was more badly worn than the sprockets by the time I replaced the bike.

For commuting I built a 3-speed AW hub into a 26" MTB wheel, re spaced the chainstays of my mid 90's steel MTB frame to make it fit and because the chain kept flying off on the bumpy off road part of my commute, cobbled together a home-brewed chain tensioner. This bike is good fun to ride and characterful! Very low maintenance compared to a derailleur geared bike. The hub gear looks great when cleaned up but I really prefer the look of it when covered in oil and filth......and yet ......it continues to work perfectly like that.

mjr wrote: ↑9 Jul 2023, 2:52pm

Carlton green wrote: ↑9 Jul 2023, 11:08am[...] and the trigger control with its instant action [...]

Does no-one else have a delay between the trigger click into top and the gear actually shifting? Do I need a new spring in the hub?

I'm not attempting to teach my grandad to suck eggs,
But..
It may be more to do with the gear cable. Perhaps a bit draggy within the outer ? Or a crimp in it somewhere ?

FWIW, I like to have as short a length of outer as possible. I run the bare gear cable from the toggle chain up the seat stay, passing in front
of the seat stay bridge and over the top plate of the seat stay. From there it runs along the top tube to a SA cable stop. and thence within the outer to the trigger.
It is essential to make sure that there are no kinks in the cable - even on the bare section.
IMHO, the best gear lever for the three speed is the top tube mounted 'quadrant' changer.
For the four speeds, we are stuck with the SA item which requires a bit of technique to select first.
For the Five speed, two trigger shifters work better than anything that SA designed for the application.
I like to install a stop in the left hand trigger to disable the 'first' position. This is to prevent over-tensioning the cable which might stretch it
and cause mal adjustment if first position were accidentally engaged.

This fellow enjoys his 3speed

mjr wrote: ↑9 Jul 2023, 2:52pm

Carlton green wrote: ↑9 Jul 2023, 11:08am[...] and the trigger control with its instant action [...]

Does no-one else have a delay between the trigger click into top and the gear actually shifting? Do I need a new spring in the hub?

Biospace wrote: ↑9 Jul 2023, 1:51pm [...]
I doubt an additional gear would have improved journey time by more than five minutes,[...]

You've probably saved more than those five minutes many times over with the reduced maintenance and not faffing about trimming the indexing to align 9 or more gears at once.

The hub that I’m using is a one of the later ones with an alloy shell, so likely made in Taiwan. I have a few spare hubs of the older type, one even built into a spare wheel, and would guess that over decades of use the springs would weaken. The bearings have grease in them but the gears run in lots of light oil, grease can slow movement down so if the spring is weak …

Journey times with a three speed are, I think, a small fraction longer than with bikes equipped with more gears. On the other hand I really do hate to think of the many hours of time taken fiddling with derailleur gears and trueing (their) back wheels. To my estimation the SA AW has saved me time overall, and if I’d had to pay someone to look at derailleur gears and true the back wheel, etc., then they’d have cost me quite a bit too.

For the four speeds, we are stuck with the SA item which requires a bit of technique to select first.

My grip shift is still working well with my 4 speed FW. I've marked the positions with a dab of idiot ink (Tippex).

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