Like others have said, you can get more gears in a similar style if you want. Hilly terrain may require more gears but a lot of it boils down to riding style. I was on vacation last week near a wilderness area. The only roads were dirt and gravel so I took my mountain bike which isn't my usual ride. I was mildly annoyed by the widely spaced gears (even with 24 speeds), but the range was nice for the hills. So I personally wouldn't care for a three speed even on relatively flat roads just but lots of people like them.

great looking machine

I may try a conversion if I don't find a bargain, flammenwurfer. I'd prefer the bargain though. I don't think I will regret choosing a 3-speed and I don't take hills all that aggressively anyway--I don't see what all the hurry is for.

I commute on a Raleigh Sports.

DSCN2223.JPG..jpg

Most of my rides are flat, so I have no complaints. I put Koolstop Continental pads on and that improved the braking. I used the stock gearing for a while, but I installed a larger cog and new chain last fall. It's heavy, but I enjoy riding it.

As another poster mentioned, I think it really depends on the distance you're covering and the hilliness of your terrain. I love the style of vintage bicycles and there is something highly civilized about having (1) a fully enclosed chain, (2) an IGH, (3) a skirt guard, (4) swept handlebars, (5) a dynamo hub. And yes, I know people ride them all over the Netherlands and Denmark while wearing suits, dresses, heels, etc.

That said, I have never viewed this as a practical solution for my commute because:
(1) my route is 12+ miles each way, so I need a zippier set-up
(2) I have a nasty hill to contend with and other changes in elevation, so three gears is not sufficient
(3) I can't ride 12 miles without breaking into a sweat, which rules out wearing business and dressy attire (hence I don't need the full chain guard or skirt guard, but I do need a rack to carry my office clothes)
(4) I store my bike inside whenever possible and sometimes take it on the subway, which means I need a lighter bike that I can carry up/down stairs, and Dutch City Bikes are *heavy monsters* (partly because of these civilizing elements--chain guard, dynamo hub, IGH, etc.)

I find for longish commuting around New York City that a bike with a wide gear range and 7-8 gears, a somewhat sporty set-up, and folding capabilities (for stashing in my office or apartment, taking on the subway, throwing into a cab trunk, etc.) works best for me--hence my Xootr Swift.

It's not how many .. it's the ratios .. You can change where the range of the 3 gears falls, by changing the external cog from 13 to 22 tooth,
and or chain-ring.

I'm using my Brompton's 3 speed with a 2 speed crank, the Schlumpf Mountain drive, which is another planetary gear,

and now, adapting to my hilly town, I have 6 'speeds' the 3 in the hub are used twice, still no derailleur to get bent,
still just one cog.. one chain-ring..

I got a 3-speed (Trek Belleville) a month ago and commute 14 miles a day on it. I LOVE this bike.


Trek Belleville side view by CarFreePhilly

As someone who commuted on a SS for over a year, it's great being able to shift down at a stop light so starting up again is easier. It's also nice to have a fall-back gear when my legs are just really tired. I've yet to use 1st gear--too much spinning. My commute is through the city without any huge hills, and I don't worry too much about going super fast. That said, I've enjoyed passing my fair share of hipsters on fixies and guys with kitted out hybrids I wrote a review of it here.

I'm sure one downside is fixing a flat with an IGH. I haven't had to do it yet, so I can't speak to that.

I would have gotten the Nirve Wilshire, but they don't make frames small enough in the men's size, and I didn't want a traditional stepover frame.

Flammenwurfer, that's a gorgeous bike!

It depends on your distance, your terrain, your condition, and what bike you're used to. I find an English 3-speed to be frustratingly slow. It's not the gearing system. It's a heavy bike, not built for speed or efficiency, compared with lighter bikes. The riding position is very upright.

You could put fenders and a chainguard on a lighter bike, though. Maybe you'd like an internally-geared hub, too, because they require less maintenance. But taking the rear wheel off to fix a flat is more trouble than with a derailleur bike.

Thanks phillyskyline!

noglider: You are right. I don't know that I would want to commute an farther than 2-3 miles on a stock Raleigh Sports or similar bike. They are more for relaxed cruising or short commutes. I plan to start commuting on mine, but I'm on a mission to lighten the thing up first. I'm hoping the wider tires and steel frame will make riding on our crappy roads a little less harsh.

I'm liking these more and more...although I'll probably get the 8 speed model. Reasonably light weight (high 20's-low 30's), and faster rolling tires.

https://publicbikes.com/p/PUBLIC-D3

I thought my commute was short. I commute just over 6 miles on mine, and it can be 10 miles if I drop off and pick up my daughter off at daycare.