Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Sturmey Archer S3X Progress

http://sunrace-sturmeyarcher.blogspot.com/2008/11/s3x-fixed-gear-3-speed-> update.html

Looks like Sunrace Sturmey Archer will be coming out with their long talked about three speed fixie gear hub relatively soon.

Probably anathema to many fixed gear riders but it looks interesting to me and possibly other riders living in hilly areas and whose knees are no longer as young as they used to be.

They are doing surveys on two things on site plus asking for comments so take a look, vote and express your opinion.

Your link is hosed, but I'm definitely curious.

http://sunrace-sturmeyarcher.blogspot.com/2008/11/s3x-fixed-gear-3-speed-update.html

Cash in hand.

what happened they said January and it's nearly august and still nothing

hey sunrace get with it

Cash in hand.

x2

what happened they said January and it's nearly august and still nothing

hey sunrace get with it

Well... hmmm... I was chatting with the guys at Universal Cycles yesterday and they said they were considering dropping S-A from their listing due to problems with getting the hubs. OTOH, the latest blog update:
http://sunrace-sturmeyarcher.blogspot.com/2009/07/interbike-2009.html
seems to indicate that they're going to have the fixie 3-speed hub and the 90mm drum brake hubs displayed at Interbike this year. I dunno... :twitchy:

that is ******** that had em at interbike last year they are just wasting time

This hub is the reason I'm keeping my old roadie conversion instead of selling it to fund a "track bike". I can't wait.

seems to indicate that they're going to have the fixie 3-speed hub and the 90mm drum brake hubs displayed at Interbike this year. I dunno... :twitchy:

Didn't they have the hub on display last interbike?

Can I be the first to call Vaporware

Didn't they have the hub on display last interbike?

Can I be the first to call Vaporware

Well... stranger things appeared at Interbike over and over without any apparent sales. I'd give Sunrace/S-A the benefit of the doubt. They wouldn't be the first company to run into production problems with new products.

BTW: here's a link to the S-A 2009/2010 catalog:
http://www.sturmey-archer.com/pdfs/Sturmey-Archer_2009-2010_Catalogue.pdf
The fixie hubs appear on pages 24 through 27.
I'm not saying that this is what they're producing, but one can hope...

There was a bike with a non-functional prototype of the hub at NAHBS earlier this year. The builder said the production model was undergoing major retooling because the first ones didn't work.

There was a bike with a non-functional prototype of the hub at NAHBS earlier this year. The builder said the production model was undergoing major retooling because the first ones didn't work.


We have one that works great in the office; which we built up close to specs of new Kilo S3X

The bikes are being built now and I hope the hubs are delivered soon, so the complete bikes can ship in September. We also ordered wheel sets

Complete KILO S3X with bar-con shifter will be $449 and wheelsets I think will be about $225 delivered with deep-v rims

If this is popular
I think I will also do a wide tire friendly version - like steamroller or kilo wt with S3X
or maybe a 5-speed internal with barcon

I like internal hubs

or maybe a 5-speed internal with barcon

I like internal hubs

sweet!
offer it as a wheel set, id prob bite.

:/

We have one that works great in the office; which we built up close to specs of new Kilo S3X

The bikes are being built now and I hope the hubs are delivered soon, so the complete bikes can ship in September. We also ordered wheel sets

Complete KILO S3X with bar-con shifter will be $449 and wheelsets I think will be about $225 delivered with deep-v rims

If this is popular
I think I will also do a wide tire friendly version - like steamroller or kilo wt with S3X
or maybe a 5-speed internal with barcon

I like internal hubs
dude that with on the jury frame with 38c tires for all you 28" scorcher desires

I have ridden through four severe (to me) winters, and I finally went fixed gear because I couldn't find a geared setup that wouldn't freeze.

I also needed brakes that wouldn't freeze.

So I went fixed and side-stepped all those issues.

However, in order to deal with all the weather patterns and road surfaces, I had to gear way down to an almost impractical low gearing, and even then, with studded tires, I could have used a lower gear.

A fixed 3-speed would perfectly solve my winter issues, as I believe the very act of riding would warm up the internal lubrication of the hub enough to allow it to shift when necessary (not often).

...I had to gear way down to an almost impractical low gearing, and even then, with studded tires, I could have used a lower gear....

Alfine or Nexus 8R36 will take care of the cold weather shifting. Reports of -40*F without any issues are out there. I had mine working at -18*F, that's all the colder it got here last winter :p

Alfine or Nexus 8R36 will take care of the cold weather shifting. Reports of -40*F without any issues are out there.

Yes, I seriously considered the Nexus.

However, a fixed hub gives such exquisite braking and speed control over a coaster brake that I decided to compromise with one gear for everything Winter.

We don't often see temperatures below -15F here in Bend.

The slush and rain right around freezing has caused most of my brake and shifting issues.

When it gets cold and dry, everything works well enough.

Greenspeed (Australia) emailed me about 4 weeks ago to say that the hubs were in stock, shipped with barcon shifter & 18T sprocket. AUD$349 + $12 local S&H.

Given the weight & price I'm tossing up whether or not to get one.

Have they made it to the US yet?

300$US? thats wayy too much money.

Greenspeed (Australia) emailed me about 4 weeks ago to say that the hubs were in stock, shipped with barcon shifter & 18T sprocket. AUD$349 + $12 local S&H.

Given the weight & price I'm tossing up whether or not to get one.

Have they made it to the US yet?

We have our bikes and wheelsets on order
But we have been told there is a delay until 1st of October
and so we expect these in around November 1st [about 3 months late]

Our complete wheels sets will be around $250 with barcon
Complete bike will be about $450

Our sample is fun to ride and we are looking forward to this product

what rims will your s3x wheelset be built on?

I want one of these hubs for sure.

i want s3x brifters.

We have our bikes and wheelsets on order
Complete bike will be about $450


Hmm, $300 for a hub, or $450 for a complete bike? Australia gets gouged once again.

Our complete wheels sets will be around $250 with barcon
Complete bike will be about $450

I'm in.


Australia gets gouged once again.

Try throwing tea into the harbor - worked for us.

tcs

A buddy of mine was riding one of these and I must say. frkin release this already!!!!

We have one that works great in the office...

BTW, care to expand on that? Smooth operator? Tarck stand? 23-skidoo?

tcs

My guess is a few pre-production versions of the S3X hub are out in the wild. For the rest of us, it still looks like vaporware.

I would rather have a refined, well made hub than a *** that gets pushed through without proper QA.

Worth the wait IMO.

My guess is a few pre-production versions of the S3X hub are out in the wild. For the rest of us, it still looks like vaporware.

They're out there, not vapourware. I've ridden this one in Melbourne, Australia. Wasn't that impressed, chain slack & backlash gave a lot of slop when transitioning from forward to backpedalling.

http://www.humanpowered.com.au/wp/?p=211
http://www.humanpowered.com.au/wp/?p=198

^^^That's not encouraging. Hey BD dude, what's the ETA on your wheelset built with the S3X hub? Did they ship yet?