Old 07-11-10, 12:48 AM
  #4  
jeisenbe
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Long Beach, CA
Posts: 93

Bikes: Breezer Uptown 8 (2009), Western Flyer 3-speed (1970's ?), Schwinn Breeze

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Thanks for the advice, EM42 and fietsbob.
I've called around to local bike shops, and no one has seen one of these hubs in recent memory, so spare parts are not a likely option. I haven't tried any of the bike co-ops, but they are a long trip away from me. Building a wheel by hand would be a big challenge.

Unfortunately, I just found Sheldon Brown's page about these hubs, and he seems to think they are not worth the trouble of repairing, due to a basically flawed design:

http://sheldonbrown.com/shimano333.html

"Our basic recommendation is to avoid any Shimano 3-speed hubs other than the Nexus hubs. Generally, older Shimano 3-speed hubs were only ever spec'ed in low-end bikes anyway."

Ouch.

Would you guys recommend turning my "low-end" Western Flyer into a 1-speed cruiser (for about $40), or spending $150 or more to outfit it with a modern 3-speed hub and 26 x 1 3/8 wheel?
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