Sturmey Archer S3X fixed: gearing for fixies.

jonny_trousers
jonny_trousers Posts: 3,588
edited October 2010 in Commuting chat
Anyone ever thought about using one? I know it kind of goes against the simplicity ethic of riding a fixie, but I wonder if it would make commuting more fun if you could adapt your gearing, just a little, to the conditions as they present themselves.

Comments

  • Alphabet
    Alphabet Posts: 436
    would it be able to take the battering of a fixed wheel though? lots of strain in the opposite direction to the one it was designed for.
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  • ballspondroad
    ballspondroad Posts: 181
    It's still a fixie, although not a single-speed fixie, and the hub gearing will presumably have the same low maintenance as other hub gears. However, last I heard the Sturmey one was having teething troubles with shifting.
  • SimonAH
    SimonAH Posts: 3,730
    I was looking at the Hammershmidt system for the crank.....that would work me'thinks?
    FCN 5 belt driven fixie for city bits
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  • wgwarburton
    wgwarburton Posts: 1,863
    Hi,
    I want one but I'm not keen to spend what they're asking for them!

    Cheers,
    W.
  • Fireblade96
    Fireblade96 Posts: 1,123
    There are definite advantages in being able to choose a gear appropriate to the situation.
    Now, if you didn't have to pedal all the time and could freewheel, say when going down a steep hill, that'd be even better !

    Oh, wait... :oops:
    Misguided Idealist
  • wgwarburton
    wgwarburton Posts: 1,863
    Fireblade96 wrote:
    There are definite advantages in being able to choose a gear appropriate to the situation.
    Now, if you didn't have to pedal all the time and could freewheel, say when going down a steep hill, that'd be even better ! ...:

    ..but less fun... and also you would never escape the sneaking suspicion that you may be a Wuss.

    Cheers,
    W.
  • Clever Pun
    Clever Pun Posts: 6,778
    the idea of fixed gear riding is the simplicity and reduced price of maintenance... just seems to go against that somewhat

    not for me
    Purveyor of sonic doom

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  • edhornby
    edhornby Posts: 1,780
    is this a solution to a problem that doesn't exist ??? if you want gears then have a normal sturmey or if you don't


    MTFU
    "I get paid to make other people suffer on my wheel, how good is that"
    --Jens Voight
  • notsoblue
    notsoblue Posts: 5,756
    Er, isn't a Sturmey Archer S3X equipped "fixie" an oxymoron?
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  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    I'm tempted to rescue an old sturmey hub to weld up the planetary gears as per sheldon brown and have a fixed free... mainly because i can!
    Neeermad
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  • jonny_trousers
    jonny_trousers Posts: 3,588
    Clever Pun wrote:
    the idea of fixed gear riding is the simplicity and reduced price of maintenance... just seems to go against that somewhat

    not for me

    Well that's certainly one idea, and a good one, but it is contradicted in the way that manufacturers manage to sell £700+ single speeds with quite some regularity.

    I very much doubt that I will go down the Sturmey Archer route as it is quite pricey and I doubt it would actually add much to the pleasure in my commute, but I do think it is an interesting and fairly unique idea.

    I love my single speed, but I keep coming back to the idea that my ultimate commuter would have gears. It doesn't need many, but a few would be nice.
  • jonny_trousers
    jonny_trousers Posts: 3,588
    edhornby wrote:
    is this a solution to a problem that doesn't exist ??? if you want gears then have a normal sturmey or if you don't


    MTFU

    I think the idea behind it is that you can adjust the gearing on your fixie quickly and without the need to manually remove cogs.

    It's also unique for a gearing system (as far as I am aware) in that you are riding fixed.
  • gtvlusso
    gtvlusso Posts: 5,112
    Clever Pun wrote:
    the idea of fixed gear riding is the simplicity and reduced price of maintenance... just seems to go against that somewhat

    not for me

    +1

    Part of the fun is picking a gear and trying to stick with it...part of the "art of fixie"....
  • wgwarburton
    wgwarburton Posts: 1,863
    edhornby wrote:
    is this a solution to a problem that doesn't exist ??? if you want gears then have a normal sturmey or if you don't
    notsoblue wrote:
    Er, isn't a Sturmey Archer S3X equipped "fixie" an oxymoron?

    No to both, I would say. If the S3X works as designed, then you get a fixed-gear bike with three alternative fixed gears. It's still more fun to ride than a bike with a freewheel and you still get most of the benefits of a FG/SS drivetrain- no exposed mechs; strong, hardwearing chain; thick, hardwearing sprockets and no differential wear. The original ASC had better ratios (it was close-ratio fixed instead of wide) but the logic is still valid.

    You do have a substantially heavier system with a lot of (mostly hidden) complexity, but the point of a fixie is that it's fixed, not that it doesn't have gears, otherwise it would be the same as a SingleSpeed...

    For me there isn't much point in a singlespeed; you might as well have a hub gear. The only difference is a few hundred grammes.
    MTFU
    Quite.

    Cheers,
    W.
  • jonny_trousers
    jonny_trousers Posts: 3,588
    gtvlusso wrote:
    Part of the fun is picking a gear and trying to stick with it...part of the "art of fixie"....

    Sure, if you actually believe riding fixed is an art form.

    For me, I ride fixed because I like the simplicity and low maintainance of a single speed, my commute is pretty flat so I have no need for a huge amount of gears, I could get a lot more for my money in terms of bike spec and I enjoy the added control elements of a fixed cog.

    As for 'MTFU', any thoughts about alternative gearing stems from a desire to be faster and more efficiant and has nothing to do with wanting my ride to be any easier.
  • SamWise72
    SamWise72 Posts: 453
    Alphabet wrote:
    would it be able to take the battering of a fixed wheel though? lots of strain in the opposite direction to the one it was designed for.

    But.....it's designed to be a fixed gear. So that IS what it's designed for.

    Also, I don't think that it's expensive in this context:

    http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/mer ... tt_s3x.htm

    Very tempted by one of those.
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  • Butterd2
    Butterd2 Posts: 937
    WGWarburton wrote:
    For me there isn't much point in a singlespeed; you might as well have a hub gear. The only difference is a few hundred grammes.

    +1
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  • jonny_trousers
    jonny_trousers Posts: 3,588
    Butterd2 wrote:
    WGWarburton wrote:
    For me there isn't much point in a singlespeed; you might as well have a hub gear. The only difference is a few hundred grammes.

    +1

    It's a good point and I'm pretty certain I will end up with a hub gear commuter before too long. You wouldn't, of course, be able to ride fixed with a hub gear, but I don't think that would worry me too much.
  • Clarion
    Clarion Posts: 223
    Well, I like gadgets, so I've been following the progress of this resurrection with interest.

    Actually, I'd like a TF, but I couldn't afford to run one.

    I borrowed a friend's S3X-equipped Carlton for commuting (approx 150km worth) a few weeks back, and liked it. I wrote a review thread on yacf.

    Now I've committed to get one myself for fitting to my Ridgeback Solo.
    Riding on 531
  • Clever Pun
    Clever Pun Posts: 6,778
    Jonny_Trousers wrote:
    Clever Pun wrote:
    the idea of fixed gear riding is the simplicity and reduced price of maintenance... just seems to go against that somewhat

    not for me

    Well that's certainly one idea, and a good one, but it is contradicted in the way that manufacturers manage to sell £700+ single speeds with quite some regularity.

    I very much doubt that I will go down the Sturmey Archer route as it is quite pricey and I doubt it would actually add much to the pleasure in my commute, but I do think it is an interesting and fairly unique idea.

    I love my single speed, but I keep coming back to the idea that my ultimate commuter would have gears. It doesn't need many, but a few would be nice.

    you side stepped my point.. reduced price of maintenance not the bike itself... if that hub breaks you have to take it to someone
    Purveyor of sonic doom

    Very Hairy Roadie - FCN 4
    Fixed Pista- FCN 5
    Beared Bromptonite - FCN 14
  • jonny_trousers
    jonny_trousers Posts: 3,588
    Clever Pun wrote:
    Jonny_Trousers wrote:
    Clever Pun wrote:
    the idea of fixed gear riding is the simplicity and reduced price of maintenance... just seems to go against that somewhat

    not for me

    Well that's certainly one idea, and a good one, but it is contradicted in the way that manufacturers manage to sell £700+ single speeds with quite some regularity.

    I very much doubt that I will go down the Sturmey Archer route as it is quite pricey and I doubt it would actually add much to the pleasure in my commute, but I do think it is an interesting and fairly unique idea.

    I love my single speed, but I keep coming back to the idea that my ultimate commuter would have gears. It doesn't need many, but a few would be nice.



    you side stepped my point.. reduced price of maintenance not the bike itself... if that hub breaks you have to take it to someone

    Stupidity rather than deviousity I'm afraid; forgive me.

    That said, I don't really get the whole "idea of fixed gear riding" thing. Surely you take whatever you want out of it? If it's low maintenance riding you want then great. If you ride fixed just because you like the feel of it then that is as valid a reason as any.

    And for the purists, there is a heritage of time trialists using the early version of the Sturmey Archer fixed 3 speed hub gear. Although, perhaps they should have MTFU'd and ridden single speed.

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