Originally Posted by
calfee20
I read on another forum that a SA 3 spd will click while pedaling. Is this true? Here is the quote from the article.
"The only complaint I had about the SA 3 speed IGH was the continuous clicking from the freewheel when the bike was being pedaled normally. Although everyone who rides a bike (except those hipster fixies) is used to the sound of clicking free wheels, but not when we are pedaling down the road, only when coasting. I have to admit that the constant clicking noise that emanated from the SA hub was pretty annoying. I’ve heard that this clicking goes away after a while, but mine hasn’t yet. Although it’s not that audible, it is constant, and it is annoying (kind of like my wife’s cat)."
A Sturmey Archer 3 speed will emit ticking sounds while pedaling in 2nd and third gear. This is because the hub shell is outrunning the pawls on the planetary carrier in those gears.
Newer models with the no inbetween gear feature, (NIG) will make a more pronounced ticking in third than they do in 2nd, because in addition to the pawls on the planetary carrier being over run, the pawls on the driver are also being over run by the ring gear.