Building up a modern might be a more satisfying project. But then you'd have to concern yourself with dropout spacing to fit the hub. That may or may not be easy.

Although SA hubs use a 1/8 cog you can replace that with a 3/32 cog (Shimano), add spacers, and then run a 3/32 drive.

This is also handy to know when you want to run a dual drive as 2 Shimano cogs will replace an SA cog and it's spacers.

My current 3 speed project will be to take a 1954 Raleigh Sports road bike that was originally equipped with a 3 speed drive and 26 inch EA1 wheels and run it with 700c wheels, an SA hub, and a Cyclo triple conversion to make it a 9 speed.

The difference between the EA1 and 700c is not that much so the brake reach can be adjusted for the 700c wheels.

If using a steel frame for a conversion to 3 speed or other IGH the dropouts can almost always be cold set to the required width. IGH widths have varied from about 110mm to 135mm depending on make, model and manufacturin era. The main consideration in converting a steel frame is IMO to find one with semi horizontal dropouts which generally means older frames. Frames with rear opening track style dropouts are also good. Vertical dropout frames usually require a chain tensioner be used which IMO just does not look right and is added complexity and expense.

If using an aluminum or CF track style frame then you need to find an IGH of the same OLD as the dropout width or quite close to the same.

For me, the deciding factor would be finding the right frame size. It is pretty easy to find a three-speed with a 21" or 22" frame; 23" is less common, and 24" or 25" --which is what I'd be looking for-- quite rare. So if you want a three speed with a big frame, I think it makes sense to find a frame you like and go from there. If a 21" is what you want, hold out for an old Raleigh Sports or something.

My problem with converting a 27" or 700c road bike to 3 speed or single speed is the geometry. Unless you run into a frame from the 50's, all the geometry and wheel base will be too short and quick, really not satisfying for an upright bike.

Is there any harm in removing or adding spacers to the SA hub to match the dropout width? Supposing of course that the axle is long enough. I don't remember specifics at the moment, but I believe the OLD of my AW hub is 10mm wider than the spacing of the dropouts on my Technium. But, there are 20mm worth of spacers on the hub. I'm planning on just taking 10mm worth of spacers off. If that's not a good idea, I can always cold set the dropouts I guess. That's the nice thing about the Techniums, aluminum frame, but the rear triangle is steel.

rhm: you have a very good point! I've been looking for a 3 speed for a little while and I've only been able to find a 21". I ride a 23" road bike so 21" isn't so far off, but I think the north road handlebars make the bike feel even smaller because the 21" 3 speed I have feels really cramped. So in my case converting a 23" road frame to a 3 speed is the best option if I want to ride comfortably.

The AW hub does have a very long axle, so yes, you could widen it with spacers. I think a lot of the new IGH's also have long axles for this purpose.

(IGH = internally geared hub)

You're certainly right in principle, but I'm not sure you have to go all the way back to the 50's. A bike boom ten speed from the early to mid 70's would probably be okay, though of course an older one would be preferable. More recent frames have not only the wrong geometry, but various brazed on nonsense like cable hangers and shifter mounts that you'd have to grind off....

Rather than taking the spacers off, move the spacers from inside the dropouts to outside the dropouts so the gear alignment window in the RH nut is still in about the right spot, and, if you have a LH acorn nut, it doesn't bottom out before getting tight.

The hub could care less what chain you use, but the cog might. And actually, Sturmey and SRAM make cogs for the narrower 3/32 chain as well as Shimano.

Cold set if you want, but know that various new Sturmey 3-speed hub models are available with OLDs from 108mm to 170mm.

The Sturmey AW3 design debuted in 1937 -uh, not quite "a hundred years ago" - and hasn't been built in around ten years. The improved AW-NIG debuted in 1984 and that's what's available from the factory today.

Converting a derailleur bike to three-speed? You want the anti-rotation washers for the wider slot in the std. derailleur dropout. If you're using an older SA that came off an old three speed bike, it will most likely have the narrower pattern anti-rotation washers - reuse them and you'll wonder why your rear wheel keeps coming loose.

SA three-speed shifters include the DLS30 push-push, TSS33 twist grip, TSS31 twist grip, SLS3C classic trigger, SLS3N modern trigger, CLS3x cruiser bike stick shifts and the community is waiting on the release of the new SLS30 barcon.

HTH,
tcs

Can you use a 1/8" chain with a stock 10 speed chainring? Or would you have to change the rear cog to 3/32" or get a new chainring?

Another related question. A 10 speed has two chainrings. Is it as simple as removing one chainring? Are new chainring bolts needed?

You can use the wider chain on the thinner chain ring. It's not ideal; the chain has more room to slop around, side-to-side, and will come off more frequently than it would off a thicker chain ring. Not a big deal, though.

That depends entirely on the crank. I've seen a lot of cheap cranks that were swaged and riveted together, and very difficult to separate. With better cranks, where the drive side crank arm and spider comprise a single forged unit, the chain rings are bolted on and are easy to remove.

I you remove the inner ring from a double and use a shorter BB spindle to correct the chainline, you may have to use shorter bolts to clear the chainstay. You can just remove the outer ring, but it will make the conversion look amateurish.

My ring and cog are 3/32". I could use a 1/8" chain, but I see no point in doing so.

What's a good place for replacement AW cogs? I've heard that the stock one isn't ideal, so I could kill two birds with one stone getting a 3/32 cog with a different tooth count as well.

I'm not entirely sure how all the different factors affect each other. The bike will have a 42t chainring and 700C wheels. What would be a good size cog to go with those?

P.S. I apologize to the OP for sort of hi-jacking this thread. I hope my questions help in your quest to build a 3 speed.

Easiest is to get a coaster brake hub sprocket, 21 or 22 teeth, from your LBS. I ordered one from either bikepartsusa.com or Niagara cycle works for like $2.50, plus shipping of course; not worth ordering it by itself, but if you need a few things, it can be worthwhile.

This whole thread points out how much fun the 3-speed, or really the "sportster" series is, the mixing and matching and mis-matching that can go on to get a good ride.

Just today at lunch I was holding up wheels to frames and discovered that a set of 27 x 1 1/4 wheels from a Bridgestone 300 will fit great in my India Hercules frame, leading me to believe that it was originally built for 28" wheels. It only came with 26" wheels when it came to me.

Are those 3/32"? I don't see those on Niagara, unless I'm not looking in the right place.

Hmmmmm, I dunno exactly, but I found something like that on Niagara when I searched on Amazon. It was called "Hub Cb Kt E-Type Sprocket 19T." I don't know the width. I have one at home, a 22T; it's quite a cheap item, painted black, doesn't have cutouts like the Shimano one, but for a fraction of the price, what do you expect. I'll try to remember to measure it.

Do a Google search for "Shimano Nexus Cog" without the quotes and you will turn up numerous sources. Will fit all SA hubs except the 8 speeds and all SRAM hubs except the iM9.

If doing a conversion and want a more relaxed frame geometry look for an 80s or so touring bike frame. Generallly longer wheelbase, clearance for wider tires and fenders and a more relaxed frame geometry. It will also typically have the braze-ons for racks and other nice accessories for a neat urban assault vehicle bike if wanted/needed.

Thanks tatfiend.

What are some specific examples of bikes that qualify as 80s touring frames?

There are too many answers to that question. The mountain bike came out in the late 70's and early 80's. Subsequently, narrow-tired drop-barred bikes became less common. Before this happened, pretty much every bike was a road bike, and the majority of those had what we now call sport-touring bikes with 40-inch wheelbases, for frames of about 23" seat tubes. Bikes that seasoned long distance tourists preferred tended to be a bit longer, but I've done plenty of touring on sport-touring bikes and done fine. I've even done long distance touring on road racing frames with wheelbases of about 39". I had to modify my stroke to prevent my heels from hitting the panniers, and steering downhill at high speed with a full load took a lot of work, but it wasn't impossible as people predicted. It just wasn't ideal.

So if you find any frame from the 80's, it is likely to have that in-between geometry that we call sport-touring, especially if it's not a high-end frame.

So this thread has inspired me. If I can gather the spokes and rim cheaply, I'm going to build up a wheel with an AW hub and put it on my fixed gear bike. I'll need to find a cable and shifter somewhere, too. I suppose I'll end up putting upright handlebars on it. Right now, it has drop bars. For the full effect, I should put on fenders and maybe even a chainguard.

It's a cheap, generic bike I got for a mere $300 from Nashbar. There are no decals on it at all. It was so cheap, I had to replace the pedals and tires immediately.

an old UO-8 would have the perfect geometry.

Typically a true touring frame from the 70s or 80s will have a long wheelbase, with considerable clearance between the seat tube and rear wheel, and cantilever brakes. Also 27" rims will be used. Almost all makers had such bikes in that era. Last time I was at the local bike coop they had a Panasonic tourer that fit this description but the frame was too large for me.

You're right. Relaxed, but not too relaxed. Kind of like my Carlton.