Originally Posted by juggleandhope
me too - i like the single speed (calms my riding style down) but it'd be nice to be able to get up that hill in the park.
i've wondered the same question. i just watched a vintage but unused sturmey archer 3spd coaster hub go for $46 plus s/h on ebay.
i thought about writing and asking sheldon brown. i wonder if the cost of rebuilding the wheel would outweigh the costs of the hub itself, and so what the tradeoff would be between price, weight, and desirability of the 3sp, 5sp, or even 8 sp nexus.
i'd like to hear if you make any progress. i think folder fanatic did this too - through an lbs? - but i don't know what the cost was.
Good point about the higher speeds. I never thought about going higher and the cost effectiveness. As evil pointed out, have to make sure the spoke holes fit the old dahon wheel. That's the problem with going the ebay or craigslist route to find a bike with an SA. I imagine most sellers wouldn't want to bother giving you the info about the # of holes.
How bout this: Take out the SA from this cheap xmart bike:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=3596787
and put it on the dahon. Still, I haven't seen this hub. It may not have the right number of holes...Got about 3 walmarts in my area and have to make sure they have this bike in stock. I can probably sell the cruiser on craigslist if I convert that to single speed.
I'd like to be able to do this myself (I'm thrifty!), but am not above going to an LBS if I find this is above my expertise level. Will keep you posted.