Originally Posted by
Dirtdrop
I think of the SA5 as a dual range three speed. You only get 5 speeds because 2nd is direct drive in either range. The shifting sequence is not so counterintuitive if you think of it that way. You can always use a SA trigger shifter on the right side and a friction thumb shifter on the left.
That's how the old Sturmey Archer five speed was, too. I was told that the four speed was pretty much the same thing, with one of the gears unavailable for technical reasons I don't remember.