Sturmey-Archer S3X

[bsandel]

Hello,

I was just given an s3x for my birthday (my wife and kids really enjoyed the look on my face - very surprised!) and I'm trying to read up on it. Your review is extremely helpful. I am also building a 36 hole to an Open Pro but mine is a 130. Am I correct that you built up the 120? Do you have further observations now that you've had it a while? Thanks!

[rogerzilla]

Some unofficial service instructions and a technical description on my blog:

http://rogerzilla.blogspot.com/2010/07/ ... x-hub.html

http://rogerzilla.blogspot.com/2010/07/ ... x-hub.html

And yes, the ratios are closer than an AW or an S-RF3.

[rootes]

Ta for the ratio confirm

[tonycarrigan]

Hi Rogerzilla

you mentioned a roller guide at the top of your seat tube - where did you get it? Any details appreciated. Currently building a 3-speed commuter bike based on an early- '90s MTB frame and might need a roller to reduce friction in my cable run

Thanks

[GavinC]

Hi Rogerzilla

you mentioned a roller guide at the top of your seat tube - where did you get it? Any details appreciated. Currently building a 3-speed commuter bike based on an early- '90s MTB frame and might need a roller to reduce friction in my cable run

Thanks

They're shown at the bottom of page 46 of the latest SA catalogue at http://www.sturmey-archer.com/userfiles ... ow-Res.pdf. You can buy them from oldbiketrader.co.uk on the post-2000 Sturmey Archer new parts page.

Gavin

[john.will.wright]

Sorry to bring this thread back from the grave, but I remembered reading this last year and puzzling over why 3rd gear was direct drive. Then today when I was reading about the old 4 speed transmission in cars. they had top gear (fourth) as direct drive to avoid the counter-shaft and hence two extra cogs; making it more robust.

I could imagine if top gear on the S3X was say +33% then having extra small planetary gears with the strain of forward and reverse torque would add a lot of wear to them, something else to break.

Does this sound like a reasonable explanation to anyone else or am I way off the mark?

[hubgearfreak]

Does this sound like a reasonable explanation to anyone else or am I way off the mark?

i don't know about car gearboxes, other than they're heavy, dirty things that fit between the back wheels.

but the AW, that is the most reliable and longlived of any variable gear system ever for a bike, has 2nd as direct drive.