Would a Technium 480 qualify? That's what I'm using. Going to put north road bars on it.

I want to put fenders on it as well, but the Technium doesn't have a whole lot of extra clearance. Hopefully I can find some that will fit. Are there 700C tires that are smaller than others? As far as diameter is concerned?

you guys are making me feel guilty. I should be out in the garage building a fork for my 3 speed commuter so I can get it powder coated.

Pug love!

(I only wish it still looked like this!)

Were I to do this as an IGH (and believe me, it's a distinct possibility, as fugly as this frame truly is), I'd go with Albatross bars, a 7-8 speed, dynohub, VO French bottom bracket, Eighthinch polished cranks, and modernized versions of the centerpull brakes. FInish it off with bar end brakes and a thumbie to switch gears. Leather everything, of course.

Not sure if this is the correct thread, but i just put together this 3 speed. Sturmey Archer SRF3 free wheel. Geometry is tight, fast. I like the 3 speed internal a lot and actually want build up another one.

Does anyone know if the Sturmey Archer SRF3 can be installed on a frame with vertical dropouts? Does it have to be level like the shimano alfine using the anti turn washers? Can it be put in a vertical position and still work. I understand it would have to run some kind of chain tension/derailleur setup.

Wow, that looks really nice! What kind of frame is it? Looks like a very quick 3 speed unlike any I've seen before. With that cover it looks like a SS at first glance.

It's a Kilo TT track frame. I wanted something fast with few gears but not single. It is kind of an odd combination track + 3 speed cruise. but i like it a lot.

That's about as neat as it gets!
Goes to show how many ways there are to go down the road.

This is the other end of the universe, but it is what I'm aiming for.

But David, yours isn't a three speed!

Still, it looks a lot like the 1940 Schwinn New World I've been working on lately, which is a three speed. Patent applied for AW hub dated "0" (how can you beat that?).

Looks similar to my Duracycle track dropout frame bike that I have set up with a SRAM P5 hub. The Duracycle was a Japanese road geometry track style lugged steel bike that was imported about 15 years ago. Measured weight on mine is about 24 pounds IIRC complete including a Brooks saddle.

That's great, from the year "0"

That Edwardian bike isn't mine, it's someone's in New Zealand. It's just the geometry and vibe I'm wanting. Goes with my jodpers.

Timely topic for me. I have an old 12 speed that I converted to a single speed that I want to convert to a 3 speed. It has 27 1/4 wheels with chrome rims. I like the rims because they are so shiny. Can one of these custom wheel building shops use my existing rims to add a SA 3 speed or would I be better off getting a new wheelset (700c) that already has a SA 3 speed like the one shown on the Velo Orange site?

I'm not asking for opinions on 27 1/4 vs 700c, instead I'm curious to know whether using my existing rims is a good/bad idea when it comes to adding a SA 3 speed. Thanks

I would say it doesn't really matter. One is not necessarily better than the other. Reusing an existing rim is fine. I've heard of many people that have done exactly that.

If price is an issue and you're up to it you could just get the SA hub and some new spokes and rebuild the wheel yourself with the same rim for about $30 and the price of the hub. If you have a reasonable shop you could have them do the same thing. My local shop would do it for $40 labor and $1 per spoke, so about $76 plus the price of the hub. Or you could buy a prebuilt wheel for $120.

Well, aluminum rims have a couple advantages ( lighter, and rim brakes work better). But if you like your chrome rim, then there's no reason not to use it.

Any bike shop can build you a new wheel using your old rim, but that's like paying someone else to play with your toys for you! Build the wheel yourself. It may seem intimidating if you've never done it, but you'll enjoy the process. Everything you need to know is on the internet.

I'm in agreement with rhm, the whole point of this bike business is the fun of it, and building a wheel is the funnest, if not also the stretching-est.
I'll stick my neck out and say that you don't have to buy a wheel jig, especially for one or two wheels, just build the wheel in the frame it will be used in.
The head-scratcher to me is in figuring out the spoke length to get. Spokes are not exactly cheap, and buying, hoping you are getting the right length is a step of faith.

Bet your chrome rim is 36 spokes, and a SA hub will be scarce in 36 holes, you may find some pickings in an Austrian Sears hub also.

I've tinkered with a few 3/4-speed conversions, some of which are still in the fleet and others have been sold off:

A 1948 Claud Butler, which came to me with its original rear flip-flop hub and 597mm/EA1 wheels. It now has a Sturmey Archer FM rear hub built into a 700c rim:



1971 Raleigh Competition w/ a rear S-A AW hub:


I've found that early 70s Raleigh Super Course makes a good candidate, and I've done a bunch of conversions with 3-speed hubs:

This one has an S-A AM rear hub built into a 27" rim:


Different frame but w/ an AW hub, 700c wheels, upright bars:


This one got a fully respray w/ matching fenders:


This one's a Raleigh Int'l converted w/ a S-A FW hub and 700c wheels:


And here's an 80s Dawes Galaxy w/ a rear AW hub:


Neal

Wow, nlerner, you must really like 3-speed conversions! If I could find find bikes as nice as those to start from I'd probably do the same thing.

Hey! That International is my size!

Hey, I just like lightweight 3-speeds (though I have a few heavy weights among my fleet for the old-timey rides).

It's long sold off, I'm afraid.

Neal

Nothing wrong with that! I have a feeling I will follow in your footsteps. I'm just not as far along in my journey.

nlerner, those bikes are gorgeous. Are AM or AN hubs available anywhere? I'd love to find one of either.

Is the Claud Butler fillet brazed? Very cool.

This thread is inspiring me to build a 3-speed wheel for my single speed. I really don't need it, but why should that stop me, right?

I don't know what an AN hub is but AM's are available on eBay on occasion or you can buy rebuilt innards at a reasonable price from oldbiketraderuk.com

That Claud Butler is fillet brazed. It's really nicely done, but the paint is fairly trashed (though the decals are largely intact).

Neal

If I remember what John S Allen said many years ago, the AM was a medium-spaced gear hub and the AN was a narrow-spaced gear hub. Maybe I'd prefer the AM anyway.

So are you saying I can take an AW hub and replace the sun and planet gears from an AM and have an AN hub? That would be so cool!

I'm not quite sure what you're asking, but I can tell you from experience that the AM innards will fit in an AW shell.

Neal

This was a Mercier Velux, late 1970s French tart I built up with as many French parts as I could scrounge except for the SA FW 4 speed hub that I converted to 3 speed fixed gear.

It has since gone to Bicycle heaven after we got rear ended by a car a few years back.

This was built from the surviving parts of the Mercier.

Wasn't sure about the John Deere color scheme when I built it but I think it came out all right. 1973 Raleigh Super Course.

Will be building up a 'path racer' over the winter around an SA SAB3 drumbrake hub. Hope to scare up a BF 90mm front hub for a mega stopper.

Good resource for IGH parts and info. https://sheldonbrown.com/harris/hubs-internal.html

After test riding a Bianchi Milano I won't be buying any 3-speed hubs anymore.

Except for the S3X, of course.