The lash, I just can't take the lash. I'm so used to feathering the pedals either to keep up and, so to speak, "coast" without adding torque, or to retard speed, and I can't do that with the S3X -- the cranks just rattle back and forth against the driver. It's hugely annoying.
So, if anyone wants to trade a 126 mm OL S3X in v good condition (I am second owner, but first put it only to light use; me, I just added 30 miles today to the 20 I earlier put on it) for a fixed/fixed hub, I'd like to talk. That said, I geared it 95-71-59 with a 12 t cog (46 X 12 X 24.75" wheel. You have to use small spacers because the SA spacers and lockring would interfere with chain action on the small 12 t cog) and took it up Tramway, a nice 30 mile rt with a good 6-7 miles of climbing out of the river valley to near the foothills; Cyclemeter gives a total el gain of 1319 feet. (As for Strave, I somehow stupidly got it set on running, but you will be pleased to know that I can maintain a 5:01 average pace for 30 miles including the climb.) Per Cyclemeter, outbound speed, clock running, was 11.54 miles per hour, including a 2 minute wait at a busy intersection; and 18.78 mph on the return. So: is having Sturmey Archer's famous "1 gear for cruising, one gear for climbing, one gear for descending, one gear to rule them all, and in the darkness bind them" rule really practical? Well, I could sit a bit more while using the 59", but in fact I found myself doing a lot of the climb standing in the 71, and used the 59 mostly standing at the steepest mile and a half or 2 miles mid climb. There *is* more drag in bottom; spin the wheel in the stand while the hub is in 1st, and it slows faster than a front with a dynamo hub. And it "feels" different, too -- even 2d, 71, feels different, but I could not swear in court of law to feeling drag. It just feels "indirect" somehow. At any rate, collating Pro's and Con's, I'd have to give the hub a + for climbing; it was easier than using a direct drive fixed 70" gear all of the way. Downhill: Undecided. It's odd, I've not used a gear higher than about 80" for years -- even on my derailleur bikes, which have gears in the low to mid 80s, I generally spin out in a mid 70s gear, the highest I am likely to use on the flats barring big tail winds, and simply coast when I run out of r's pm. But with the 95, man, I just sat up and let the pedals roll over -- until I got to the steeper parts where I had to work to keep up with the speed. From a general awareness of cadence, I am pretty confident I topped out at over 120 rpm, so at least 35 mph; and that was the annoying thing: once again, I couldn't feather the pedals; I was either behind and banging the driver, or ahead and working to hard. I would have to say that I'd rather feather the pedals at 25 mph in a direct 75" gear than contend with the lash when speeds outstrip even a 95" gear. OTOH, where the slope didn't cause the bike to outrun 100 rpm in the 95, it was sit up and enjoy the scenery. And, also, I got what is perhaps a real glimpse of that weird 33% overdrive that SA put into the AW, and which I've loudly pondered and analyzed for years. When your speed is higher than you can comfortably keep up with in your cruising gear, and the road is flat and smooth, and the wind is nil or perhaps slightly biased toward your direction of travel; then shove it in High and sit up and pedal slowly at 60 rpm -- it's surprisingly comfortable, easy, and energy saving. Of course, immediately that you hit a rise, or a wind, it's back to twiddling at a 25% reduction. So, upshot? I'd have to say that I would much prefer a second fixed wheel with a slightly lower cruise -- say 70" instead of 76"; and on the flip side, a Dingle for 67" and 60". That would be a perfect setup for longer (by my standards) rides, while the 76"/67" wheel would do for most of my riding. But if no one wants this S3X, I will keep it and keep it geared 95-71-59 instead of 76'57-48 as it was before. -- Resumes, LinkedIn profiles, bios, and letters that get interviews. By-the-hour resume and LinkedIn coaching. Other professional writing services. http://www.resumespecialties.com/ www.linkedin.com/in/patrickmooreresumespec/ Patrick Moore Alburquerque, Nouvelle Mexique, Vereinigte Staaten ************************************************************************** ************** *The point which is the pivot of the norm is the motionless center of a circumference on the contours of which all conditions, distinctions, and individualities revolve. *Chuang Tzu *Stat crux dum volvitur orbis.* *(The cross stands motionless while the world revolves.) *Carthusian motto *It is *we *who change; *He* remains the same.* Eckhart *Kinei hos eromenon.* (*It moves [all things] as the beloved.) *Aristotle -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
