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Three Speed with Rear Derailleur

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Three Speed with Rear Derailleur

Old 05-21-12, 04:14 PM
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Three Speed with Rear Derailleur

Hey, a quick question I was wondering about.

I have an old road bike which I ride as a single speed right now, but have been adding racks for commuting and was wondering if I could make it to a three speed..but not the internal hub way.

Say I were to get a rear derailleur and this freewheel..could it work? Giving me just a litttle bit more gearing options? This would be the perfect commuting option for me I feel...

Also as far as shifters go... it has downtube shifters..could I work those in, or would it be best to just get a bar mounted shifter?

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Old 05-21-12, 04:31 PM
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and the bike, just for fun.
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Old 05-21-12, 06:45 PM
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Why not this instead of a freewheel/derailleur?

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Old 05-21-12, 09:06 PM
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You might as well use the downtube shifters. Hopefully they are friction or they are indexed with a friction mode. If the latter, you might get lucky and the indexing works with the 3 speed freewheel.

You would have to adjust the derailleur stops for the 3 speed freewheel. There is a possibility that they can't be adjusted that narrow. A 5 speed freewheel is more likely to work and it is probably cheaper than that esoteric 3 speed. The 3 speed is cool though.

Neat looking bike.

Last edited by GeoKrpan; 05-21-12 at 09:16 PM.
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Old 05-22-12, 02:16 AM
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Just go for it. Friction downtube shifters are OK with any rear mech. Just make sure your frame has the proper hanger. If it does not have a hanger then you must find axle mount rear mech. And don't forget to change the chain with a longer one. (do not add links to a used chain, get a new one - or old one that have enough links from the start)
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Old 05-22-12, 07:19 AM
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Thanks all.

I really like the idea of a three speed, and I dont want to go internal as this is the beater/grocery getter/ sees every condition/stays outside/ I dont want to put a lot if money into it bike.

Is there any reason why this 5 speed from Shimano wouldn't work?

SHIMANO SIS RD-TY15 Bike Rear Derailleur 5Spd 5 Speed Medium Cage

Paired with that 3 speed cassette and my down tube shifters (which are indexed for a 5 or 6 speed....that may be the problem?- I checked this morning)?
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Old 05-22-12, 09:44 AM
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I'D find the freewheel remover that fits on that , first..
or you have to destroy it to take it off, again..

if you cannot find it, don't screw it on..

+1 on a AW3 .. spare parts are there.. all of them.

Last edited by fietsbob; 05-22-12 at 10:36 AM.
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Old 05-22-12, 10:03 AM
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Originally Posted by TedC
I really like the idea of a three speed, and I dont want to go internal as this is the beater/grocery getter/ sees every condition/stays outside/ I dont want to put a lot if money into it bike.
Exposure to the elements is the strongest reason *FOR* getting an internally geared hub! The mechanism is sheltered inside, away from the elements. The Sturmey-Archer 3-speed hub on my commuter bike is over 50 years old and still going strong. Used "AW" hubs are strong, dependable, abundant, and inexpensive.
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Old 05-22-12, 10:38 AM
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That Shimano derailleur should be fine. Some of those are designed for a bike without a derailleur hanger and horizontal dropouts, you don't want one of those.

Can you give us a link to that 3 speed freewheel?
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Old 05-22-12, 10:41 AM
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Originally Posted by fietsbob
I'D find the freewheel remover that fits on that , first..
or you have to destroy it to take it off, again..

if you cannot find it, don't screw it on..

+1 on a AW3 .. spare parts are there.. all of them.
That's a good point. I see two notches but they don't look very deep.
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Old 05-22-12, 11:53 AM
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Eh good point on that - I didnt look super close at it.

So a wheel built up with the SA hub is about $200 - too rich for my blood.
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Old 05-22-12, 12:32 PM
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As said seek out used AW3's, or just stick with the single speed Freewheel.
[that uses a F/W remover that is commonly available.. ]

seen some single speed F/W with no removal notch ,OEM picked for Trikes.
you put those on a piece that keyway fits on the axle, presumably then you buy
that too, if you wanted something different, tooth count wise..
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Old 05-22-12, 02:27 PM
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This was all just a thought - not ready to put the money in. But I will keep an eye out now for used AW3
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Old 05-22-12, 04:28 PM
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I built my own 3-speed wheel using an AW hub from ebay, a salvaged rim (from another wheel) and new spokes. In all I think it cost me less than £30 to put together. It really is a better option than a 3-speed derailleur.
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Old 05-22-12, 05:04 PM
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Some rear derailleurs don't have enough adjustment in the limit screws to get your range of motion that narrow. I had this problem even using a rear derailleur that was designed for 7 speeds with a 5 speed freewheel. On the other hand, I also once had a bike with a 9 speed derailleur running a 5 speed freewheel no problem.
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