am having thoughts of changing a 21 speed in a 3 speed
 

my 54 cm cannondale is used for commuting only. i dont have the need for all the gears and its coming time to replace the crankset, rear cassette, and other parts. the bike was somewhat misused in my early riding years when i had no clue how to care for and maintain a bike.

any thoughts? any ideas? ive never done a revamping like this. in fact i dont even know where to start.

What's wrong with the parts? Gotten too dirty to clean?

A three speed hub works best with flat bars and horizontal drop outs. I bet you could use vertical dropouts if you used a chain tensioner though.
Your cheapest option is probably a new crank (Sugino XD) cheap cassette and Sram chain. That should be well under $100.

Keep in mind that the gearing on a 3 speed is very w-i-d-e. Middle gear is 1:1, lower 3:4 and upper 4:3. That means jumps of 33% between gears.

no big deal im usually taking it very easy or going all out on my commutes. and i just want somthing different :)

I always wanted to try combining a three speed hub with a lightweight frame. I'm working on the project now. It's a '59 Carlton Reynolds 531 frame with a Raleigh Competition fork. It's a single speed for now. I need to get the wheels built.

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/559341390NROHtj

This looks like just what you need:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ayphotohosting

On the Cannondale, the aluminum frame may not like being squeezed down to the normal 110mm spacing that is normal for 3 speed hubs. You would need to make sure that you get a longer axle so you can add spacers. Sturmey-Archer made a long axle, so you should be able to find one.

I built a three speed from a Kabuki frame and a Shimano hub. I laced new alloy rims from Nashbar, but everything else is original. The ratios are spaced out, but I have 44, 59, and 78 gear inches using the 39 toooth chainwheel and a 18 tooth cog.

very cool. thanks for the link!

the cannondale needs a lot of work. wheels are starting to become untrue-able (word?). needs a very good clean and then ill start the re haul.

it isnt like i need to change things, just very interested in taking on a project especially with the cooler weather coming in a 2 months or so. plus i want to have a bike where i can make a mistake on and not be in shambles (like on my scott).