Windsors and gearing
 

Hey guys. I'm on Bikesdirect and they have some Windsor bikes that are everything I want: http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/city_bikes.htm
They have the look I want, steel frame, fenders, large low profile tires, brakes, and gearing. Is it a good brand/would you recommend this to someone?
Second question is on gearing. The Windsor 8 has 8 speeds, while the Deluxe only has 3 speeds. I've never driven a 3 speed before. Is the gearing drastic in that the tallest gear would be as tall as the 8 speed's and the same with the shortest? And the middle gear would be like a third or fourth on the Windsor 8?
Really leaning towards the Deluxe (3 speed) but willing to drop the extra money if the 8 speed will be an epiphany in bike riding :lol:

thing about not getting a bike thru your friendly bike shop is you are left to your own devises
and emailing the warehouse they ship out of.
if you have the gear ratios that those 3 or 8 speeds represent , you can answer your own question.

there are online math calculators for bikes like this one :
http://sheldonbrown.com/gears/internal.html
input the size of the chain ring , and hub cog and wheel size .
the relative sizes of the external chain drive determine where the range of gears are,
and by changing the chain drive you change where the gear ratios are.

Windsor 3 speed
 

Hi

I bought and rode this model for several months. I always felt secure about locking up this rig when doing errands. I trusted the ride and it performed flawlessly.

I was also passed by every cyclist on the road and did alot of grimacing when heading into winds or uphill.

I just morphed into a 1 x 7 touring frame and am much happier.

sindlero

Gears 1, 2*, and 3 on the Shimano Nexus 3 correspond roughly to gears 3, 5*, and 7 on the Shimano Nexus 8. [* Direct drive.] So, the Nexus 3 doesn't have the quite same range as the Nexus 8, but the jumps between the gears are larger.

I'd go with the 8, personally - more options. However, without knowing your situation (terrain, distance, etc) it is hard to advise one over the other.
The Bikes direct bikes are good bikes for the money, with the tradeoff of not having a local bike shop to help with any warranty type issues.

I regularly rebuild transmissions and engines. Give me a manual (or not) and I think I can figure out a bike :)
Thanks for the posts, guys. I found an older post here discussing the differences. I guess I just need to find two bikes with this gearing and try them out. But really, having ridden mountain bikes, I feel all the extra gearing is sort of a waste on me. I never really changed them much and just sort of dealt with the gear I was in unless I came to a really drastic hill, which I don't think I'll ever encounter riding around the places I usually walk. Besides, all the cool colors come with the 3 speed :lol: I'll mull over it some more.
Thanks!
EDIT: Or better yet, without trying the eight speed, I can never know how much better it could be from the three. Ignorance is bliss :lol: