slowrider said:
Stumey Archer or Shimano?
Looking into getting a 3 speed hub, which is the best hub and what experiences do any of you have with either.
Thanks.
The standard, tried and true common 3-spd hub, the Sturmey Archer AW, is a freewheel type hub (no coaster brake) and for the most part are very reliable with little attention. They do require proper setup of the cables.
Adjustment of the cable is critical to proper operation, and they can be finicky. It's the last thing to do once all the other adjustments and assembly are worked out on your bike, because the cable works by tension. The position of the wheel relative to the cable stop on the frame must not change or your gear adjustment goes with it.
(In other words, taking the rear wheel off requires disassembling and readjusting the cable every time.)
They have a single "fatal flaw" and that is, with improper adjustment, they can have a dead spot, i.e. no drive or a neutral position, between 2nd and High gear. Usually this just requires better adjustment of the cable but it's potentially dangerous to the rider when it happens.
A different hub, the old model Sturmey 3-spd coaster-brake model TCW III is reportedly subject to braking failures. I haven't had one fail myself... and I'm using one on my buildoff bike.
Newer hubs have supposedly corrected the problem. Brand new AW hubs appear to be as good as old ones, and lighter because they're aluminum shells. Long term longevity? Well the old steel ones last 50+ years, so it's hard to beat that track record. The new ones???? Don't know.
Good luck with whatever your choice.
--Rob