Originally Posted by MnHPVA Guy
I've never heard of anyone wanting higher gearing on a 3 speed before. (Unless it was on a Moulton.) Everyone I know gears them down by installing a 22t rear cog. If you will be hauling a load requiring an ExtraCycle I hope you have VERY good knees.
If you want the highest practical gears, I have a used 14t cog that you can have.
(I'm in So. Mpls. Call me at 612-824-2372 if you want it.)
I also have a 13t off a Moulton, but it's pretty used up. The ultimate is a modified 12t Shimano cassette cog with all but 3 tangs ground off and those three filed to fit the SA slots with a diamond file.
Gear inches with a standard 46t Raleigh chainring.
14t cog = 64-85-114
13t cog = 69-92-123
12t cog = 75-100-133 (Ouch! I have a high of about 63" on all my SA hubbed bikes.)
BTW if you do change your mind about gearing, I keep 22t Shimano cogs on stock, selling them for $5.
You mentioned building new wheels. Good idea, I wouldn't recommend trying to stop a heavily loaded bike in the rain with the stock steel rims. Very nice 32, 36 and 40 hole Sun CR-18 rims are available in the correct size (ETRTO 590) for 3 speeds. Although I only have 1 each of 40h and 36h in stock right now.
it's not that i'll be hauling a load requiring the use of the Xtracycle, but it's a 3-speed I'm going to use for the Xtracycle when I get it (the Xtracycle). I think the SA hub I have is a 20t, and I was thinking about an 18t (the 12t would probably cause my legs to fall off...LITERALLY fall off
). After getting the bike ready (read: built/put together) I plan on trying different cogs to see what works best for the load I actually will haul.
Thanks for the directions, also!