It depends on your distance, your terrain, your condition, and what bike you're used to. I find an English 3-speed to be frustratingly slow. It's not the gearing system. It's a heavy bike, not built for speed or efficiency, compared with lighter bikes. The riding position is very upright.

You could put fenders and a chainguard on a lighter bike, though. Maybe you'd like an internally-geared hub, too, because they require less maintenance. But taking the rear wheel off to fix a flat is more trouble than with a derailleur bike.