...nine splines instead of three...

They're square too, but once you've got the dremel in your hand that's no big deal.

tcs

doesnt this kind of kill the whole point of fixed gears being easy to work on, hence why they're good for street use?

you get that with the hammersmith from truvativ so you get 6 speed fix 0.0

You might want to check the other thread where you posted this same comment. As already mentioned un a follow-up over there, the hammerschmidt isn't necessarily designed for fixed use.

yeah well there is probably a method to fix that and get the chain guide out im sure there a way to make it work. I try it and its realy a nice feeling.

And other thread i forgot about it, let me check.

The 2009 Schlumpf two-speed crankset is.

tcs

I thought the whole point was the zen

Unless it's actually designed to withstand serious torque in both directions, I wouldn't trust it fixed. The upcoming Schlumpf mentioned by tcs is supposed to be specifically fixed-compatible. I'm guessing the price tag will make the SA hub look very affordable in comparison.

I worry about the whole "not for tandem use" stipulation. If it's not tough enough for that, how tough will it actually be on the street? If it works out, great, but right now I'm skeptical that, after the first couple months of release, there won't be large amounts of "...so then I skidded and all of a sudden the hub internals just let go...." That would be bad...

That's where I got it. 100 euros is so expensive though...and it only comes in 36h..with little chance of replacement parts. I would love to see a hub with an aluminum hub body, 28/32h. My bike gains 3 lbs when I swap the duomatic for my flipflop.

On a separate note, I really hope there aren't durability issues because I'm dreaming of turning my commuter into a sweet fixed touring bike.

Most likely just an axle loading thing.

tcs

Did you pick one of these up recently? I tried contacting this guy a few days ago and haven't heard anything back. I'm hoping he still has some on stock ...

On a related thread derailment, has anyone every tried the F&S Torpedo Automatic? This is probably more of a C&V question, but I figured it's worth asking while we're talking 2-speeds.

correct me if i am wrong but it is my understanding:

This is not a new design. SA made a 3 speed fixed hub in the 40's or 50's. It was popular with the English who mostly raced time trials, doing so on fixed gears. The SA hub allowed people to keep up the tradition of time trialing on fixed gears with the advantage having extra gearing. At some point SA stopped production of the hub. They became a retro grouch fixed gear lust item. And when they come up on ebay, not often, they exchange hands for a lot of money. People, most notably the late Sheldon Brown, have been lobbying SA for a long time to bring these hubs back into production.
This has nothing to do with simplicity and being easy to work on. This is about making fixed gears flexible through the addition of multiple gearing. People are not buying this for the simplicity. they are buying it because they want to do more with fixed gears.

^ ^ ^ pretty much nailed it. i think the people that don't 'get it' haven't been biking for long enough.

SA three speed hubs are notoriously durable. Look up Joel Metz's rig that he uses
for messengering--SA 3 speed hub. Blackbirdsf.org
http://www.sandsmachine.com/a_syc_r1.htm

Wow small world... I actually know this guy and see him on a near daily basis. I've had some good conversations with him, haven't talked/heard anything about the 3speed SA yet though. He rides a cargo bike around a lot for the heavy haul mess jobs, and a sweet porteur-style bike with front/rear flatbed racks for other stuff mainly... don't see him on the pictured bike ever.

I'll be buying an SX3 when it comes out. I'm tempted to make a retro path racer with one. Heck I'll even buy another bike just to fit the hub to.

I've tried to get an ASC on ebay but have lost to the people playing with more pounds and US dollars than I have had spare. And a genuine ASC shifter is also insanely expensive (and rarer than the hub to find).

onetwentyeight, that Carlton is gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous.:thumb:

I would also love the holy grail of a Sturmey Archer TF. I have seen one, I think, on ebay in the last few years. It went for big money.

I have a friend who has two ASC hubs amongst his collection, one of which is fitted to a very nice Mercian. He has, or has riden, a TF and it is his favourite hub.

Where did you hear about that? I know lots of Brit time trialists liked a fixed gear but this is the first I've heard of some of them favouring the asc.

http://sheldonbrown.com/asc.html

Sheldon probably describes it better. and popular with should changed to targeted at

Cool, thanks. I kinda think it might not have caught on too well, but only because it's so rare and you never see ppictures or anything of asc equipped time trialists.

They asc wasnt so much for racing, but more targeted for winter training. It wasnt super popular in its own time so it was discontinued.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2031/...c2f35477_o.gif

...

It is not a new idea, in fact Sturmey's very first three speed hub one hundred and six years ago was a fixed gear. I strongly suspect, however, that the S3X is a new design.

tcs

World single-year bicycle distance record: Tommy Godwin, 75,056 miles on a Raleigh bicycle with Sturmey-Archer AF 4-speed hub, January 1 to December 31, 1939. Godwin kept riding into May, 1940, covering 100,000 miles in 499 days.

If anybody wants to mount up on a modern Campagnolo or Shimano derailleur equipped bike and have a go at this record, well, good luck and God(win)speed!

tcs