Originally Posted by
Scooby214
I commute on a 3 speed. My commute is about 28 miles round trip. I usually get to commute three days per week, though I get to do it everyday this week. My area has minor hills, but lots of wind. (25+ mph sustained headwind today, with gusts over 30 mph.) To make a 3 speed work, setting up the gearing right is important.
I like the Via 1 a lot. One of my local shops carries the Via 1, and I found it to ride well. I've been eyeing it for a couple of years. Its gearing, with a 44t chainring and a 21t rear cog, yields about the same three ratios as what I ride on my own 3 speed. This setup works well for me on my commute. On fair weather days, I cruise in high gear. On windy days like today, I spend most of my time in the middle gear.
Nice three speed from Giant but a little high priced. I pulled these numbers from Sheldon's gear calculator
1st Gear ---- 41.5 inches
2nd Gear -----56.5 inches
3rd Gear -----77.1 inches.
I think that's a little too high for my legs. I would prefer a second gear at 54 inches or maybe 52. That's easy to get by finding a 22T cog on the net. However, it's up to the OP if he feels that 41 inch gear would not be low enough for the hills. Only he can make that decision.