A 3 speed is totally doable for most commuting, including hills.
The freewheel compatibility for the S3X hub is related primarily to the style of the freewheel body. If the body has a "narrowed down" diameter inside the threaded area (a stop), then you cannot fully thread the freewheel onto the S3X and the chain line will not be correct. It took a bit of trial and error for me, but I found the cheapie "Dicta" brand to work well.

I had a nicely set up 3spd before some guy in a pickup truck decided to try and drive through me. It's completely doable and i agree with previous posters in that you want to gear it for third gear. I had mine set so that it was just a touch taller than I would want on level ground with no wind. 36/18 if I remember correctly. I'm going to have to find another one, the time I had with the last one was too short. It was a beautiful ride.

Hope you're healing after your accident. Wish you could've gotten more mileage out of those wheels before the crash.

I agree. Three-speeds are really very efficient, particularly if you use an oil-lubricated one.

Don't get all OCD about a couple % efficiency, just ride the bike .



occurred to me White Ind, Dos, a 2 in one freewheel, might work.. on the S3X..

Having ridden a 3 speed all year long here are some observations.

Direct drive can become uncomfortable after 20 miles or more of riding. I find in the beginning, you want a higher gear and often think it’s too low. By the end of the ride, you’ll wish for gear that’s one step lower. However, 1st gear is too low that you maybe stuck with an uncomfortable 2nd gear.

My suggestion is to do the following.

a. Shift to First Gear at every full stop --- Once you start getting tired of feel discomfort, shift to first gear at every full stop You may not be able change the gearing but this helps greatly.

b. Pace yourself -- Don’t spinout in second gear because this can hurt your knees and wear you down. At the start of each ride, it’s easy to spin out in first gear. Don’t do it! Accept 2nd gear for way it is and don’t try to make it go faster. If you really feel second gear is too low, buy a smaller cog for the rear wheel. You will gain the extra speed but you’ll tire earlier than before.

c. Avoid spending too much time in 3rd gear -- You really need strong legs to ride in 3rd gear all day long. I only shift to this gear in down hills because it’s waaaay too high and the friction losses make you pay for the extra speed. There’s a temptation to shift to this gear with greater frequency at the beginning of each ride because second feels too low. However, riding in this gear all day tires you quickly.

My commuter is a 3-speed. I have a short commute, and it is relatively flat save for one small (but steep) hill on the way back. I've never had a single problem.

I've got one of these: https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...ord_deluxe.htm

I've made several mods (quill, stem, bars, etc), but I would have done that with any traditional 3-speed. For me, it was a great value and rides smoothly and quietly. I'm no expert on gearing, but I think that you will be able to find a balance with a 3-speed that meets your needs.

All this depends on your gearing. If you set the bike up with 3rd gear as a level-ground gear (i.e slightly higher than where 2nd gear typically is) you don't have a problem. When it comes to downhills, you can just coast.

Hey! I have the same bike but removed the fenders. The Windsor has fairly low second gear (54 inch) and it's perfect. However, riding long distance with even a low gear like that can wear you out. I find wishing for a 52 or 50 inch gear during the end of the ride.

Where did you set 3rd gear? I'm curious as to this because there isn't a cog for sale large enough to bring the gearing down to where 3rd feels comfortable riding all day.

When I built up my 3-speed, I used a 38-tooth chainring with a 19-tooth sprocket, giving a 2:1 ratio. You should be able to get sprockets up to 22T, so you could get an equivalent ratio with a chainring up to 44-tooth. SJS cycles are a good source of sturmey-archer parts. If you really want an odd-size sprocket, it's possible to take apart a cassette and slightly modify one of the sprockets to fit. Failing that, you can adjust the gearing by changing the chainring size.

I personally hate IGH and think their multiple disadvantages far out weigh the minor advantages.

Tons of weight on the wheel. No QR is a major inconvenience. Indicator chains are a PITA and I find often break. Weird rhythms - they don't shift well while pedaling. Chunky shifting. All that for shifting while stopped and a slight maintenance advantage? No thanks.

You must get tired of hearing this, but that is one beautiful bike!

I ride an SA equipped bike in the winter with an extra low gearing set up and have a Raleigh Twenty folder and a 1954 Raleigh Sports Club bike I ride in the summer.

The Twenty is geared down for lower speeds and more utilitarian riding and the lighter weight Sports runs taller gearing as it rarely carries as much and likes to go faster. It has a 48 tooth chainwheel which was stock during this era.





I also have a 1951 Raleigh Sports with stock gearing and it too has a 48 tooth chainwheel but runs on smaller tyres than the 1954 so has slightly lower gearings.

Most IGHs aren't designed to shift while pedalling, it's not exactly hard to coast for a second to shift....

What are you doing that breaks indicator chains?

For commuting in bad weather, IGH's make alot of sense. I found the Alfine 8 / J-tek to shift just as quickly as a good quality derailleur with far less upkeep. The only tradeoff is a very slight momentary easing of pedal pressure for the shifts when climbing. This is not an issue when spinning in the flats - no special attention necessary.

It breaks rhythm. It's also not hard to shift down before a stop.

it seems like they break regularly - why? You tell me.

I've personally never had a failure of an IGH, so can't speak to that, other than my experience has been good with them. I know some have busted their 1st and 2nd ratios on Alfines in offroad riding, particularly when they go with a lower ratio than is recommended.

The IGH's I've used haven't broken my cadence or rythm, so YMMV there. Any drive train will require a bit of a lightened pressure to shift on hills - even derailleurs. On the flats, I just shift on the fly, no worries.
I've had bikes with Nexus, two Alfines, a S3X and now a Nuvinci, and have never felt that they gave anything up in the shifting department. Of those, I'd say (and agree with you) that the shift chain mechanism was not my preference, but properly set up, it worked just fine for me.

I have nothing against regular drive trains, but find them to be less than optimal when the weather turns mucky. Since I now live in the desert, I have less of a preference - either format does just fine.

The weight of an IGH is at the hub so does not affect the rollout that much , commuters often opt for nutted axles and this works with a singular drive and chain tension, and I have yet to break an indicator chain. The primary cause of this stems from crashes or dropping the bike on the drive side.

An indicator spindle costs very little compared to having to replace a derailleur or straighten out or replace a bent hangar.

As for shifting, it is like driving a car with a clutch and the technique is to back off the pedals or coast for a split second while you are shifting... an SA shifts well on the upshifts under lighter accelleration but downshifts poorly under load as it is not synchronized for this.

Agreed. With practice, you barely have to ease up pedalling at all. It's all about developing the right technique. With derailleurs you should really be easing up on your pedal force while shifting anyway. Another big advantage is that you can fit a proper chainguard- great for cycling in ordinary clothes. IMO, for the commuter, an IGH has no significant disadvantages to speak of, and a lot recommending it over derailleurs, particularly if riding in winter.

We all have our own ides on acceptable levels of inconvenience...I see no real advantage to them and a lot of disadvantage. I've heard the argument that the wheel weight doesn't make significant difference and, from riding with them, I don't agree.

Different strokes, but I think the OP should be exposed to negative opinions as well - and I've found them to be a very poor option for my preferences.

I have used a 3-speed IGH now for 2 years and love it (was a 7 speed till it busted). Mine is a European City bike that I have spent some time restoring. Just love the looks this gets in a town of mostly lance armstrong types.