Originally Posted by
elihu23
I haven't ridden a 3-speed in many years--since I was thirteen, which was a long time ago. Meanwhile, I find that daily bike commuting can take a toll on the body. I've been looking at some of these 3-speeds on the road and thinking, "Now that's riding in style!" From fenders and chain guards to a handlebar that looks ergonomically friendly and offers a more upright seating posture. My question is this, how much slower are these things--especially on hills, and am I better off putting a different handlebar on an ATB with smooth tires?
First off, don't forget that (while 3 IS the magic number!) there's nothing exclusive to 3spd bikes about the qualities you mentioned, namely fenders, chainguards, ergo-handlebar, and upright riding posture. All of these things can be had with 1spd, 8spd, 24spd or whatever gearing you want to go with. It's about how the bike is set up.
That said, there is the classic English 3spd style, with the internally geared hub, and yes, they are classy! Here's an example of what I'm thinking:
This Hercules isn't mine, but it is just like my dad's old Herc, and I remember, as a kid, barely being able to get on the seat and whizzing down the hill at speeds way faster than my puny BMX! I remember trying to get the shifts with that funny lever shifter that never seemed to work right, and squeezing those brakes until my fingers hurt....oh, to be young again!
Which leads me to my second point...As stylish as the old 3 spds look, they're really poor performing rides. They're heavy, the pedals are slippery, the brakes are piss poor, especially when it's pissing out, and the shift performance is slow and vague. Sure, they're great for noodling about and depending on how, where, and when you ride, a decent commuter. I think the best word to describe the ideal vintage 3spd commuter rider would be "undemanding."
Check out this gorgeously restored Raleigh Sprite 5spd available on my local Craigslist. *drool*:
There are a host of modern bikes that retain classic styling and the comfort and convenience you mention combined with better performance, a key combo if you want to commute in a more sporting fashion. They can be as simple as the Norco City Glide 3spd...
...or cargo oriented as the Globe Live...
Or super sporty like the Breezer Finesse:
There are really tons of options these days in this style, i.e. modern bikes inspired by the classic English 3spd. Wider gear ranges, better stopping, ready for modern accessories (e.g. bags, racks, lights)...that's what the new stuff offers.
Anyway, I hope this helps, and I'm sure others here can provide more examples of bikes in this category. Certainly there's a wealth of stuff in old threads and the forum archives, too.