Bike Forums - View Single Post - Riding a Century on a 3-speed

06-28-23 | 02:56 PM

#18

John E

feros ferio

Joined: Jul 2000

Posts: 22,397

Likes: 1,864

From: www.ci.encinitas.ca.us

Bikes: 1959 Capo Modell Campagnolo; 1960 Capo Sieger (2); 1962 Carlton Franco Suisse; 1970 Peugeot UO-8; 1982 Bianchi Campione d'Italia; 1988 Schwinn Project KOM-10;

I suspect handlebars (drops or mountain with extensions), saddle, and overall fit are crucial here. What I dislike about standard 0.75/1.0/1.33 (e.g. Sturmey AW) gearing is that the jumps between ratios are simply too large for my tastes.
When I was a UCLA student I did a lot of commuting and recreational riding on an English 3-speed Armstrong with drop bars and a 14-16-18-20 Cyclo cogset adapter system. The bike was heavy, but the 39 to 99 gear inch range with a 40T chainring and 26" tires was nearly perfect.

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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069

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