I'd like to swap out my single speed rear wheel from my dahon boardwalk and install a 3 speed internal hub. As always, cost is a consideration.

I think it's unlikely though you might want to check with a dedicated Dahon dealer. You could consider picking up an old english 3 speed for pennies and then get the hub from that swapped into your existing rim, though this in itself will cost unless you know of a source of cheap spokes (they will be a different length as the 3 speed will be bigger) and someone that can re-build the wheel for you.

I think it's unlikely though you might want to check with a dedicated Dahon dealer. You could consider picking up an old english 3 speed for pennies and then get the hub from that swapped into your existing rim, though this in itself will cost unless you know of a source of cheap spokes (they will be a different length as the 3 speed will be bigger) and someone that can re-build the wheel for you.
If you do it that way, do make sure the number of spoke holes in the hub matches available rims in 20 inch. You might meet with problems otherwise.

SA hubs come in a variety of spoke hole numbers from about 40 down to 28.

me too - i like the single speed (calms my riding style down) but it'd be nice to be able to get up that hill in the park.

i've wondered the same question. i just watched a vintage but unused sturmey archer 3spd coaster hub go for $46 plus s/h on ebay.

i thought about writing and asking sheldon brown. i wonder if the cost of rebuilding the wheel would outweigh the costs of the hub itself, and so what the tradeoff would be between price, weight, and desirability of the 3sp, 5sp, or even 8 sp nexus.

i'd like to hear if you make any progress. i think folder fanatic did this too - through an lbs? - but i don't know what the cost was.

me too - i like the single speed (calms my riding style down) but it'd be nice to be able to get up that hill in the park.

i've wondered the same question. i just watched a vintage but unused sturmey archer 3spd coaster hub go for $46 plus s/h on ebay.

i thought about writing and asking sheldon brown. i wonder if the cost of rebuilding the wheel would outweigh the costs of the hub itself, and so what the tradeoff would be between price, weight, and desirability of the 3sp, 5sp, or even 8 sp nexus.

i'd like to hear if you make any progress. i think folder fanatic did this too - through an lbs? - but i don't know what the cost was.

Good point about the higher speeds. I never thought about going higher and the cost effectiveness. As evil pointed out, have to make sure the spoke holes fit the old dahon wheel. That's the problem with going the ebay or craigslist route to find a bike with an SA. I imagine most sellers wouldn't want to bother giving you the info about the # of holes.

How bout this: Take out the SA from this cheap xmart bike:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3596787
and put it on the dahon. Still, I haven't seen this hub. It may not have the right number of holes...Got about 3 walmarts in my area and have to make sure they have this bike in stock. I can probably sell the cruiser on craigslist if I convert that to single speed.

I'd like to be able to do this myself (I'm thrifty!), but am not above going to an LBS if I find this is above my expertise level. Will keep you posted.

???

Antique hub? Strip one off a new bike? Why wouldn't you just buy a brand new Sturmey S-RF3 (aluminum shell, modern improved AW-NIG mechanism) hub? They go for less than $55USD + shipping, including a shifter and cable.

HTH,
TCS

Thanks, TCS. AEbike has em.

Thanks, TCS. AEbike has em.
this is the one:
http://aebike.com/page.cfm?PageID=30&action=details&sku=HU2209
now to find 36 spoke 20" wheels...

Looks like the Downtubes have 24 spokes. Anyone good at math who can tell me if one can skip some holes to thread a 36 hole hub with only 24 spokes?

???

Antique hub? Strip one off a new bike? Why wouldn't you just buy a brand new Sturmey S-RF3 (aluminum shell, modern improved AW-NIG mechanism) hub? They go for less than $55USD + shipping, including a shifter and cable.

HTH,
TCS


I'm thinking the same. the new SRF-3 is better than the earlier hubs. It has no possibility of false neutrals and is tough as hell in its construction. The old ones were tough too, but the false neutral problem could be tricky. The new one is bomb proof and dirt cheap. While many serviceable old hubs are around, they could have been horribly neglected in the wrong hands and are as like as not thirty years old. Who knows what might have been done or not done to them in that time?

I'd like to swap out my single speed rear wheel from my dahon boardwalk and install a 3 speed internal hub. As always, cost is a consideration.

It is not a major cost for a good Sturmey-Archer three speed hub even new. The real problem I had when I converted my own Dahon Boardwalk S1 was the rather hidden cost of labor. Unless you are planning to keep the bike for at least several years, do the conversion yourself, being your only bike you have, and are really into internal hub gears, I think you should leave your bike as it is now and save for another bike with everything already on the bike that you want-like the three speed hub. I am speaking from experience here (see below):

Looks like the Downtubes have 24 spokes. Anyone good at math who can tell me if one can skip some holes to thread a 36 hole hub with only 24 spokes?

You definitely can. My Downtube Mini front wheel has 24 spokes; I rebuilt it with a Shimano Nexus dynamo hub, 36 hole... which was a little funky: all spokes to the outside, skip one hole in three; and I twisted the spokes to make 'em a little shorter. It looks a little scary, but it's got about 1100 miles on it and I haven't had to true it yet.

But the same bike came with a 28 hole rear wheel... so you might want to check on that.

I recently found a 36 hole aluminum rim BMX wheel in the trash. The hub was toasted, and I had to take the freewheel off with a hammer, but once that was done I unscrewed the spokes and reused the rim and spokes to lace a 36 hole SA 3 speed hub into it. Again, the spokes were a little too long for the job, so I twisted them into a snowflake pattern (if you don't know what that is, search posts for "snowflake"). If it didn't work, I figured, I'd have to spring for new spokes; but if it did, then no problem. And it did -- no problem!
Total cost of the wheel, umm let's see...
36-hole hub off trashed bike................free.
Spokes and rim off trashed wheel........free.
labor............an hour or two, but it was fun!

This is from another post but this is what Bike Friday has done from the begining. "If it was me I would make them 24 spoke wheels. Skip every other hole in the rim and every third hole in the hub. I have a very early Bike Friday Pocket Rocket with 24 spoke rims/wheels and 36 spoke hubs. Got it in 93/94 and still working on the original wheels. No spoke breakage so far and I am in the 200 lb range. The advantage of 24 spokes is they are all the same size. Roger" This was in answer to 48 hole rim and 36 hole hub on a 20 inch bike. By the way Bike Friday has the spokes go across the empty hole. Roger

harriscyclery.com will build up a wheel for $40 + shipping + parts. Probably $200-$225 ($99 hub)

if you are going to learn to build wheels, this is the one to do it on. a 36 hole 20" rim is pretty bombproof.

i would try and go to a swap meet, a bike coop, a 3-speed fanatic in your area, or garage sales that have 3-speeds for sale. there are tons of old SA hubs floating around, and they hardly ever die. you should be able to pick up a SA laced to an old 26" steel rim for $10-20.

you might have to special order spokes, or check with an LBS that handles lots of BMX stuff. they might have a cheap rim too.

Don't miss yamcha's new thread, bugmenot. You will surely get far more inspired for your own Boardwalk.

If you are really strapped for cash goto your local tip shop, I buy 3 speed hubs in complete bikes at the local one for $5 and they tend to look like new still (garage ornaments).
Goto sheldon browns site for building details on wheels, it's not as hard as most think.
You can probaly reuse the old 20" spokes by just changing the number of crossed spokes ie. from a 2 cross to 3 cross.
I have done a couple of wheels that the hole numbers were way off, if you sit down and work it out it is amazing what can be made to work together.