# 3 speed vs 6 speed



## chris folder (17 Dec 2015)

Hi 3 speed or 6? what gear set up do you use and why?


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## PaulM (17 Dec 2015)

Bought 3 speed and upgraded to 8 speed


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## chris folder (18 Dec 2015)

Hi what did you think of the 3 speed gears?


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## StuartG (18 Dec 2015)

3 speed low gearing 'cos I'm slow and mean. But I have done Welsh mountains on it.
Less to go wrong in poor conditions - the major selling point of a hub gear. Six speeders seem to get more issues - or do they just like fiddling with the changer?


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## PaulM (18 Dec 2015)

chris folder said:


> Hi what did you think of the 3 speed gears?



Low gear wasn't low enough for me, and the gaps between the gears were larger than I sometimes wanted.


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## Dogtrousers (18 Dec 2015)

6 speed. But London isn't very hilly so I generally only use the 3 hub gears in the top range. But it's nice to have the low gears to fall back on.


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## TheDoctor (18 Dec 2015)

6. Had no problems at all.


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## CopperBrompton (20 Dec 2015)

8-speed. Close-ratio and twist-grip.


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## shouldbeinbed (20 Dec 2015)

Brompton: 3 standard ratio & standard front chainring. Edge of manchester /pennines I've had no problems at all.

Birdy: 5 speed Sturmey hub and I've downgraded the 18t sprocket to a 14t to make it a bit more zippy on the flat, standard 52T IRC front chainring. Formerly a SRAM dual drive 3 x 8 that was massively overgeared for what it needed at the bottom end

V old Dahon: 7 speed derailleur ~12-30 on a +/- 50t front ring

Why: because they were the spec on the bikes I bought / inherited and I found they worked for my mix of hilly & flat riding. The dualdrive was ridden to death and a combo of being too much gearing and very expensive fix prompted me to go for the SA 5 speed's gear ratios based on my experience with the Brommy 3 and my bigger wheel Alfine 8 bike


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## Fab Foodie (20 Dec 2015)

6 speed (now with the 44T chainring) .... I never knew where my Brommie was going to take me or how much load I wanted to carry. 
After a few rides around the Bristol area and one cycle-camping trip it was clear the lower gears of the 44T set-up was more value than the top-end of the 50 which was only really useful downhill or on the flat with the wind behind me.

My next will be Titanium 2 speed .... maybe with a double chainset for a bail-out granny-gear option!


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## StuartG (21 Dec 2015)

Fab Foodie said:


> My next will be Titanium 2 speed .... maybe with a double chainset for a bail-out granny-gear option!


At this rate it might turn out cheaper to buy the company ...


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## chris folder (21 Dec 2015)

Hi do you ever use the 6th gear on your 6 speed?


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## Fab Foodie (21 Dec 2015)

chris folder said:


> Hi do you ever use the 6th gear on your 6 speed?


I use 'em all!


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## Fab Foodie (22 Dec 2015)

User14044mountain said:


> I even use reverse on my Brommie


There's always one who just goes that little bit too far


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## Yellow Fang (3 Jan 2016)

I have a 3-speed, but I rarely use top gear. If I get another Brommie, I'll get a 2 speed.


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## TheDoctor (3 Jan 2016)

I rarely get use 6th, but I could do with a slightly lower first. Might change the chainring. I fully intended to tour the Brom when I got it, and I've done so a few times. If there's any chance you might need six gears, get them from the outset. It's cheaper and easier that way.


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## byegad (4 Jan 2016)

My Speed-Pro has 24 speeds. An 8 speed cluster on a SRAM 3 speed hub. Range 20-114" IIRC and yes I use them all.


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## Kell (4 Jan 2016)

I ummed and ahhed before making the decision. I hired a 3-speed for a month while mine was being built.

It worked perfectly for my commute, but then that isn't the only commute I do.

When my daughter's not at school (and I don't have to drop her at the child minder) I take the opportunity to ride to and from the station. Which includes a pretty steep hill.

This was do-able in 4th gear on my old 24 speed Dahon, in 1st on my road bike and I never tried it on the 3 speed.

I definitely need the lowest gear for that. But my normal commute sees me using only the top three. And 6th not that often.


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## mustang1 (4 Jan 2016)

2 speed because I was thinking if I should get a single speed or 3 speed and decided to take the average.

Also it was available as a Black Edition.


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## cosmicbike (4 Jan 2016)

3 speed for me, simply because that's what the display model had.


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## bikegang (18 Jan 2016)

2 speed will be a safe entry B, easier to upgrade to 6 speed or 10 speed. 

3 speed to 6 speed will require more components to fiddle with and parts to change.


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## TheDoctor (18 Jan 2016)

I take your point, but if you're ever going to want 6 speeds it's far cheaper to get then from the outset. Going from 2 to 6 costs £65 on the buld-a-Brompton order site, but over £200 to retrofit to an existing bike, as it's a whole new wheel.


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## bikegang (18 Jan 2016)

True, so test ride in LBS or with brompton hire (what gears they offer?) will be more important than guess work... 

One lightest 2 speed Ti brompton for commuting and carrying (workday) and one touring B setup with 6 or more gears and front rear racks (holiday) will be my dream combo.


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## TheDoctor (18 Jan 2016)

A 6 speed Brommie with T-Bag is ideal for touring. @Trikeman of this parish has a 8 speed Brommie which he's fond of, but that's a custom job from Kinetics IIRC. Looks neater and has more intuitive shifting, but is a bit heavier and probably more expensive. I'd like to try one.


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## Fab Foodie (18 Jan 2016)

bikegang said:


> True, so test ride in LBS or with brompton hire (what gears they offer?) will be more important than guess work...
> 
> One lightest 2 speed Ti brompton for commuting and carrying (workday) and one touring B setup with 6 or more gears and front rear racks (holiday) will be my dream combo.


Me too ....


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## T4tomo (18 Jan 2016)

You could achieve that with an extra wheel, as noted above, and taping the gear indicator to the frame when running in 2 speed mode!


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## TheDoctor (18 Jan 2016)

I just use a 6 speed for everything. Once I've lost about 30 kilos off me, I'll worry about losing a kilo off the bike!


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## GrumpyGregry (18 Jan 2016)

8 speed to rule them all. Start with a ss B, buy a conversion kit. Takes about an hour and a half to fit. Wonder why B don't fit them at the factory. Ride.


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## CopperBrompton (20 Jan 2016)

TheDoctor said:


> @Trikeman of this parish has a 8 speed Brommie which he's fond of, but that's a custom job from Kinetics IIRC. Looks neater and has more intuitive shifting, but is a bit heavier and probably more expensive. I'd like to try one.


Mine is from Tiller Cycles, and yep, very nice shifting, heavier and a bit more expensive, but worth every penny. You'd be welcome to try it.


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## steveindenmark (21 Jan 2016)

chris folder said:


> Hi do you ever use the 6th gear on your 6 speed?



There is no point in buying gears if you dont use them. :0)


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## TheDoctor (21 Jan 2016)

I rarely use 6th. I'd fit a 40T chainring and lose 6th gear to gain an extra low gear, except that would make my two most commonly-used gears a double-shift away from each other.
That's a real first-world problem, right there!


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## oldwheels (22 Jan 2016)

I went to a 40T plus standard 6 last year. For my use ideal. Top goes up to about 20 mph before spinning out but bottom gear gets me up nearly everything. I tend to ride in pretty hilly areas normally but it would not suit someone in a flat area where higher gears more appropriate. Thought about a double chainring set up but prefer what I have now.


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## StuartG (22 Jan 2016)

The really brilliant thing about the Brompton is that folded you can get every combination of gearing into your garage with and without rack and with a view S-bar variants to cover every eventuality of terrain, purpose and speed. It would have to be the garage because you would have had to sell the house first ...


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## skelator88 (22 Jan 2016)

For around town I would sure use a 3 speed. 
6 speed if you plan on doing some mileage


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## Kell (2 Feb 2016)

In London I only really use 4,5 and, occasionally, 6.

But in High Wycombe, I do use 1 and 3. 3 for steep, but short hills, and 1 for the ones where it's quicker to get off and walk, but I refuse to give up.


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## iamclaus (25 Feb 2016)

Started with 8, went to 24 with a 3spd Sturmey-Archer hub.


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