Hello brethren,
As part of the 'restoration' of my 1956 JC Higgins,I'm looking to 'upgrade' the drivetrain. The original hubs (front and rear) have seen better days. So, I'm thinking of installing a new sealed bearing front and adding some additional gears to the rear.
I already have several bikes with Shimano IGH rear ends (Nexus 3s and 7s), however I want to avoid cables with the Higgins.
That means (as far as I know), I'm limited to a vintage rebuilt Bendix kickback, a new Sturmey Archer S2C kickback and the SRAM Automatic 2-speed.
Without getting into a 'this hub vs. that hub' debate, I'm leaning towards trying the SRAM unit. I have concerns regarding the long term usage of the Bendix (dwindling supplies coupled with increasing parts costs) and I have read more negative reviews of the SA hub (although I love SA hubs) than positive (heck, there's already a 'rebuild' kit due to faulty production runs). That leads me to the SRAM.
The SRAM unit differs from the other two in that, you don't have to back-pedal to engage the higher gear. Instead, the hub essentially works on centrifugal force and once the force exceeds retaining springs, the second set of gears engage (and then disengage as you slow down). The biggest complaint I've read is that, the hub goes into 2nd gear at too slow a speed. people have overcome this by 'tweaking' the internal spring or changing the gearing ratio. Being that the intended bike will be a 'Sunday rider/slow cruise' ride vs. a commuter, I'm not sure how much of an issue this would REALLY be.
So, has anyone ever used one of these hubs? If so, I'd like to hear from ya! I plan on ordering it (or the SA if I must) in the next week, so this may turn into a review thread.
Cheers,
Dr. T
As part of the 'restoration' of my 1956 JC Higgins,I'm looking to 'upgrade' the drivetrain. The original hubs (front and rear) have seen better days. So, I'm thinking of installing a new sealed bearing front and adding some additional gears to the rear.
I already have several bikes with Shimano IGH rear ends (Nexus 3s and 7s), however I want to avoid cables with the Higgins.
That means (as far as I know), I'm limited to a vintage rebuilt Bendix kickback, a new Sturmey Archer S2C kickback and the SRAM Automatic 2-speed.
Without getting into a 'this hub vs. that hub' debate, I'm leaning towards trying the SRAM unit. I have concerns regarding the long term usage of the Bendix (dwindling supplies coupled with increasing parts costs) and I have read more negative reviews of the SA hub (although I love SA hubs) than positive (heck, there's already a 'rebuild' kit due to faulty production runs). That leads me to the SRAM.
The SRAM unit differs from the other two in that, you don't have to back-pedal to engage the higher gear. Instead, the hub essentially works on centrifugal force and once the force exceeds retaining springs, the second set of gears engage (and then disengage as you slow down). The biggest complaint I've read is that, the hub goes into 2nd gear at too slow a speed. people have overcome this by 'tweaking' the internal spring or changing the gearing ratio. Being that the intended bike will be a 'Sunday rider/slow cruise' ride vs. a commuter, I'm not sure how much of an issue this would REALLY be.
So, has anyone ever used one of these hubs? If so, I'd like to hear from ya! I plan on ordering it (or the SA if I must) in the next week, so this may turn into a review thread.
Cheers,
Dr. T
