Originally Posted by
Sixty Fiver
"A internal geared hub is really nice and a three speed can be built up cheap."
My primary winter bike uses an SA 3 speed with a 39/52/70 gear inches... the low is low enough to get me up short 12% grades and has handled longer and steeper than this when it was dry.
It is a sweet set up and I run an AG which is an AW (wide ratio) with a generator.
As far as cheap goes, you are looking at about $130.00 - $140.00 to have a decent 3 speed wheel built up with a vintage hub and you can add another $30.00 for a new SA 3 speed.. the benefit of the vintage hubs is that they are oil lubricated and with synthetic oil they will run smoothly at the coldest of temperatures.
The break down on the build is $30.00 for the hub, $40.00 for a DW rim, $40.00 for spokes / washers, and $30.00 for the build.
Modern spokes are a lighter gauge and as such, should have spoke washers used on an SA hub which has a narrower flange.
If you're willing to run around with a tensioner and a little extra chain, you could use a double or triple ring up front and really widen out your gearing. to the 220% region. I've never had a front derailleur fail (or at least not from the cold and snow), and the AW is... well, it just Always Works.
I was gonna do a copy/paste from Kstoerz.com/gearcalc, but I'm posting this on my mom's Apple and it's just p1551ng me off, I guess I'm Gates' beeyotch and not Wozniak's. Anywhoozle, if you use an AW with an 18-tooth cog, the magic number for a 6-speed setup is 42/48; for a triple, it's 40/45/50. This gives you 12-13% jumps for the 6-speed and like 8-9% for the 9-speed combo. Yeah, the tensioner kind of spoils the clean look, but to my mind the functionality makes up for it in spades. Plus, if you want to get all retro about things like I do, the low difference in tooth count means you can use a Simplex Prestige front derailleur and the Simplex chainguard that mounts on it for a nice clean install and you can keep your socks and cuffs a little cleaner this year.
Just a thought.