3-speeds as commuter bikes
 

I haven't ridden a 3-speed in many years--since I was thirteen, which was a long time ago. Meanwhile, I find that daily bike commuting can take a toll on the body. I've been looking at some of these 3-speeds on the road and thinking, "Now that's riding in style!" From fenders and chain guards to a handlebar that looks ergonomically friendly and offers a more upright seating posture. My question is this, how much slower are these things--especially on hills, and am I better off putting a different handlebar on an ATB with smooth tires?

I own one, and they are in fact good for commuting. The loss of speed isn't a big deal when you're gonna hit the red light anyway, and the upright riding posture is nice for traffic.

I had a three speed in High School (mid 1970's) and hated it. Of course I lived on top of a Mesa in Colorado at the time and the gearing wasn't appropriate for climbing.
On a flat-ish moderately rolling terrain It would have been OK. Now that I live in TX, I'd probably consider having one.
The gearing may be wider on the new bikes.

I used a 3sp for a while....The enclosed gear stuff is nice.
But......They are a pain to change a tube on if you get a flat that
requires a tube change and not just a patch. Make sure you have
the correct tools and maybe even do a dry-run in your garage/shop
so you know what to expect when the real thing happens :)

elihu23, get to a local bike shop and try out a three-speed. You'll find the gearing is much wider than 3-speeds in days of yore. The upright posture is a must for visibility in traffic, and is conducive to a more relaxed attitude once you arrive at work (in my experience.)
I drive a Breezer three-speed...fenders, chain guard, bell, front and rear generator lights, ring lock (!), strong rear rack, and I've added folding baskets. It's a pleasure to commute on this bike, rather than a chore. (Full disclosure: the routes I take are only mildly hilly.)

The Danes and Dutch seem to like them.

I don't follow you.
Why would having a 3 spd require you to change the tube instead of patching?
Removing the wheel is more fiddly (more stuff to disconnect)...but I remember patching a lot of tubes (goathead central where I grew up) and it wasn't a problem.

Wheel removal could be a PITA so sometimes, if I could see the source of the flat (staple for instance) I'd just lay the bike down. pop the bead on one side, pull that section of tube out and patch the hole, remove the offending sharp thingy, stuff the tube back into place, pop the bead back on the rim, pump up, and go.

(Man! I don't think I've ever used so many comma's in one sentence before.)

I agree with all you've said.
I wanted the OP to know if your tube blows up beyond repair, rips inside the tire etc, the wheel will have to come off as opposed to popping the bead. Total blowouts were few and far between for me but I've had a few. Different hubs have different removal methods so I would want the OP to be ready if the total tube blowout occured :thumb:

My TTBlowouts seemed to occur when the road was about 100 degrees.

Regards
:beer:

elihu - It's almost impossible to say if a 3 speed would work for your situation. Too many unknowns. How many miles, how hilly is it. But keep in mind that Heinz Stücke has been riding on a 3 speed with coaster brakes around the world since 1952. And he says 3 speeds is all he needs.

I have a 3speed with coaster brakes fenders and chain guard. One thing that was important for me was having a chain guard, because I could use it in the cooler months and ride to work in my work clothes. Chain guards really make that possible. But I just recently found out that the advantage of a MTB seems to be that the wheels are a little sturdier. I just broke 3 spokes on my 3 speed (and with coaster brakes you don't realize what's going on for a long while).

If you have a MTB with 3x7 or 3x8 gearing you could try just using the front chain rings to change gears. This is not exact but gives you an idea on what it may be like.

Yes the Dutch and Danes seem to like them, and others too. But many of them ride there bikes 1-2 miles to a train station and not much longer than that in very flat terrain.

First off, don't forget that (while 3 IS the magic number!) there's nothing exclusive to 3spd bikes about the qualities you mentioned, namely fenders, chainguards, ergo-handlebar, and upright riding posture. All of these things can be had with 1spd, 8spd, 24spd or whatever gearing you want to go with. It's about how the bike is set up.

That said, there is the classic English 3spd style, with the internally geared hub, and yes, they are classy! Here's an example of what I'm thinking:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/...697ee4d3b6.jpg

This Hercules isn't mine, but it is just like my dad's old Herc, and I remember, as a kid, barely being able to get on the seat and whizzing down the hill at speeds way faster than my puny BMX! I remember trying to get the shifts with that funny lever shifter that never seemed to work right, and squeezing those brakes until my fingers hurt....oh, to be young again!

Which leads me to my second point...As stylish as the old 3 spds look, they're really poor performing rides. They're heavy, the pedals are slippery, the brakes are piss poor, especially when it's pissing out, and the shift performance is slow and vague. Sure, they're great for noodling about and depending on how, where, and when you ride, a decent commuter. I think the best word to describe the ideal vintage 3spd commuter rider would be "undemanding."

Check out this gorgeously restored Raleigh Sprite 5spd available on my local Craigslist. *drool*:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4038/...8240d133_b.jpg

There are a host of modern bikes that retain classic styling and the comfort and convenience you mention combined with better performance, a key combo if you want to commute in a more sporting fashion. They can be as simple as the Norco City Glide 3spd...

http://www.bowcycle.com/bc10/images/...ide-3-blue.jpg

...or cargo oriented as the Globe Live...

http://****************/wp-content/u...-city-bike.jpg

Or super sporty like the Breezer Finesse:

http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com/i...zerFull800.jpg

There are really tons of options these days in this style, i.e. modern bikes inspired by the classic English 3spd. Wider gear ranges, better stopping, ready for modern accessories (e.g. bags, racks, lights)...that's what the new stuff offers.

Anyway, I hope this helps, and I'm sure others here can provide more examples of bikes in this category. Certainly there's a wealth of stuff in old threads and the forum archives, too.

Alot depends on the length and terrain of your commute. All my commuter bikes ended up as 1x7, 8 or 9 using the biggest chainring up front. Riding urban w/a 20 mi rt commute I used a 1x7 Fuji mtb w/Schalbe Marathon Plus 26x1.75 tires. So, I'd recommend smooth tires for on road commuting. They, also cushion the body a bit more than skinnier 'road tires' as urban roads are by and large more rough than rural ones. IGH hubs are heavier than derailieur systems, but require less maintenance. W/a rural commute of 40 mi r/t I used a cyclocross w/drop bars for a more aero ride. 700x28mm SMP tires...not a big fan of flats. Btw, modern IGH systems are much more user friendly than the old SA or Shimano of decades past. At least, some of my cyclist friends who own them have shared this w/me.

As to your question of speed on climbs that depends on your level of conditioning and choice of gearing options. You may want to go w/ 5, 7 or 8 speed IGH istead of the limited options of 3. It's best to talk w/someone at your lbs who probably knows the terrain and can advise you on tailoring your ride to your specific needs. Anyway, good luck on your research and hope you find the optimal ride.

Here's a crummy, old, cell phone cam pic of my '73 Schwinn Collegiate 5spd, which is very similar to the '60s Hercules 3spd I posted above. Yes, I've used it on my 2.1 mile commute, but it's very difficult to ride aggressively and is nowhere near as comfy as my Novara Buzz. The pedals are treacherous when wet, and if I have anywhere else to be other than straight to home or work, I have to budget in a lot more time to make the errand if I do it on the slower Schwinn. It's reliable, but the required tools to fix something out on the road are not what you find in your modern compact multi-tool either, so this bike is really relegated to coffee shop runs, the neighborhood market, and leisurely rides to the park with the kid on her training wheeled bike.

http://p6.hostingprod.com/@chaadthom...egiate.jpg.jpg

I have commuted on a three speed at various times and found it to be an excellent city bike for all the reasons mentioned above.

If you're concerned about performance on climbs, the best thing to do is give one a test ride on one of the climbs that you'll have to do on your commute and see how it goes. And remember that you may be able to swap out the cog on the rear hub for a bigger one that will give you a lower low gear for easier climbing...

These pix have certainly got me drooling! Its this kind of beauty that has seduced and bewitched me!

You know, this is why I hesitate. I would keep two bikes regardless, but I can't afford to keep a bike I can't use. Yet I do think these bikes are beautiful and suited to urban commuting. I'm going to have to find a way to test these bikes out.

It's flat there.

Lots of thoughts, info, and links in this lengthy thread in Utility, "Bring back the English 3spd," in case you missed it:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...nglish-3-speed

Check out a Nirve Wilshire, too :thumb:

They make 7 and 8 speed models also...
What intrigues me is the fully lugged frame. You just dont see that anymore !

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GfXRRvUNi_...Picture+12.png

Excellent thread! Thank you for it. I stopped by the LBS this afternoon and posed the questions under discussion here. The mechanic seemed to feel that a 3-speed would certainly be sufficient and low maintenance to boot, which confirms everything in the thread. I'm sold and just waiting on a bargain.

Sturmey-Archer has used the same 0.75-1.00-1.33 gear ratios in their common 3-spd hubs since 1918.

tcs

I rode a three speed when I was in grade/high school too and they were very good bicycles. The Strumey-Archer was kid-proof and handled the hills of central Wisconsin quite well enough. Truth be told I only use three of the speeds on my current Dahon Mu P8 commuter and they are closer spaced than the SA's three speeds. Of course my suburban Chicago commute is as flat as Denmark or the Netherlands. A couple of years ago I test rode a Trek model that had an automatic three speed with a coaster brake. That worked pretty well too but they had the shift point set way too high for my taste (it is adjustable) and the coaster brake was a bit mind bending after all these years. Many folks prefer IGH transmissions for their commuters because they are weather proof. If the gear range of a three speed suits your terrain (and if you develop your legs they can handle quite a wide range of terrain) it is a very stylish ride and should make an excellent commuter.

Ken

I commute on this three speed:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4042/...7345658b_z.jpg

Go to a bike shop and test ride a three speed.

3 speeds are very good choice for a commuter bike. I've been commuting on a 3 speed for a while now and I love it. By changing the rear cog, which costs less than $10 you can get the gearing lower if you have any big hills. I have 2 pretty steep hills on my commute and I can get up them just fine in 1st gear. Lowering the gearing takes a little bit off my top speed in 3rd, but it's a fair trade. I don't feel like I'm all that slow riding it either. I'm in pretty good shape, but haven't been cycling for very long and I average 13-14mph on my commute without pedaling very hard.

If you can find a good bargain on a traditional 3 speed, go for it! Raleigh Sports' are pretty common and great bikes. If you don't find one, you can also convert a road bike to a 3 speed like I've done with my Raleigh Tecnnium.

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_aQvE2vU5Quo/TC...0/IMAG0099.jpg

Very nice, Flammenwurfer!