# An automatic two-speed SingleSpeed - oh my!



## Andrew_Culture (31 Mar 2014)

When I was at the SPIN London exhibition on Saturday with @dktd @deptfordmarmoset @Mice (and others no doubt) I was quite taken by what at first looked like a SingleSpeed that did in fact have two gears. The idea (and practise) being that you start off in a nice easy gear and once you breach 9mph the hub 'auto-changes' into a higher gear.

I gave it a whirl and was really impressed. Am I being a total bumpkin for being so impressed by this? This potentially solves the problem of having to have my SS so highly geared.

I've written about it a bit on my bike blog...


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## deptfordmarmoset (31 Mar 2014)

I didn't get on it because it's voodoo, and a 2-speed single speed defies the laws of the universe. It might have been while you were taking it for a spin but James(?) was explaining that it worked with a centrifugal clutch. Which I suppose explains another curious thing about it: the moment you stop pedalling it changes down and not just when you slow down to 9mph. I twigged immediately that the centrifugal clutch bit was simply a ruse for covering up the witchcraft, though.


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## Mice (31 Mar 2014)

It was good to meet you @Andrew_Culture and @dktd - and fab to see @deptfordmarmoset obvs! (Sorry I didnt make the Sunday London Ride - I was gadding about Berkshire on my Brommie) http://www.the5milecyclist.com/apps/blog/show/42028668-brommie-miles-around-reading-30-03-14 

The next time you are in London you should pop into http://www.velorution.com/ as they have some amazing range of unusual bicycles. Definitely not cheap  but definitely interesting . 

Mice


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## Andrew_Culture (31 Mar 2014)

Mice said:


> It was good to meet you @Andrew_Culture and @dktd - and fab to see @deptfordmarmoset obvs! (Sorry I didnt make the Sunday London Ride - I was gadding about Berkshire on my Brommie) http://www.the5milecyclist.com/apps/blog/show/42028668-brommie-miles-around-reading-30-03-14
> 
> The next time you are in London you should pop into http://www.velorution.com/ as they have some amazing range of unusual bicycles. Definitely not cheap  but definitely interesting .
> 
> Mice



Oh the Velorution stand was one of my favourites, I gave it a special mention here - http://cycling-health-tips.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/velorution-spin-london.html

Was charming to meet you


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## GrumpyGregry (31 Mar 2014)

Been around for years. Dead popular on town bikes in that Europe. Sachs does em iirc and there are different spring rates to determine the speed at which the shift happens yes?


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## Andrew_Culture (31 Mar 2014)

GrumpyGregry said:


> Been around for years. Dead popular on town bikes in that Europe. Sachs does em iirc and there are different spring rates to determine the speed at which the shift happens yes?



Only if you take them apart!


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## mcshroom (31 Mar 2014)

I think if I wanted to have a simple 2sp hub on my singlespeed, I'd prefer the manual kick-shift of the Sturmey Archer S2
http://road.cc/content/review/33373-sturmey-archer-s2-kickshift-hub


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## fossyant (31 Mar 2014)

Should have a fixed instead. Don't need any of those shenanigan's .


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## GrumpyGregry (1 Apr 2014)

Andrew_Culture said:


> Only if you take them apart!


Two different models I think.


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## GrumpyGregry (1 Apr 2014)

mcshroom said:


> I think if I wanted to have a simple 2sp hub on my singlespeed, I'd prefer the manual kick-shift of the Sturmey Archer S2
> http://road.cc/content/review/33373-sturmey-archer-s2-kickshift-hub


Cheap nasty unreliable pos. Steer well clear unless you like carrying your bike to the nearest railway station on a Good Friday morning.


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## User169 (1 Apr 2014)

Azor do a nice bike with an SRAM 2spd...


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## GrumpyGregry (1 Apr 2014)

Delftse Post said:


> Azor do a nice bike with an SRAM 2spd...


That is chuffin' gorgeous.


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## deptfordmarmoset (1 Apr 2014)

Delftse Post said:


> Azor do a nice bike with an SRAM 2spd...


Do you know whether it works on the same centrifugal clutch principle?


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## the_mikey (1 Apr 2014)

Delftse Post said:


> Azor do a nice bike with an SRAM 2spd...



I regret seeing that because I want one now...


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## User169 (1 Apr 2014)

deptfordmarmoset said:


> Do you know whether it works on the same centrifugal clutch principle?



Yes, I think so. It's this hub...

http://www.sram.com/sram/urban/products/automatix


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## deptfordmarmoset (1 Apr 2014)

Delftse Post said:


> Yes, I think so. It's this hub...
> 
> http://www.sram.com/sram/urban/products/automatix


Cheers, @Delftse Post . It's a centrifugal clutch so maybe it's the same one - I didn't see the make. But it looks like you don't buy a bike with 2-speed, you buy a 2-speed hub for €76 and go on a short wheel building course. Don't like it and you put the old one back on but you've still acquired a new skill.


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## rhm (2 Apr 2014)

Andrew_Culture said:


> When I was at the SPIN London exhibition on Saturday with @dktd @deptfordmarmoset @Mice (and others no doubt) I was quite taken by what at first looked like a SingleSpeed that did in fact have two gears. The idea (and practise) being that you start off in a nice easy gear and once you breach 9mph the hub 'auto-changes' into a higher gear.
> 
> I gave it a whirl and was really impressed. Am I being a total bumpkin for being so impressed by this? This potentially solves the problem of having to have my SS so highly geared.
> 
> I've written about it a bit on my bike blog...



And it's a fixed gear? If so, I'd like to try that.

Sturmey Archer now offers a fixed gear three speed hub, S3X, along the lines of their classic ASC hub from 60 years ago. I have the S3X on one of my bikes and I like it a lot. But it is more like riding a three speed hub than like riding a fixed gear. There's just enough slop in the hub that one can't do track stands or the like, so I don't get quite the same feeling of connection to the road as I do with a simple fixed gear; and having three gears to chose from, I don't have the fixed gear mindset that I must strain to maintain a decent cadence and hammer up every hill. So as much fun as the S3X is, it doesn't actually seem to add to the fixed gear experience.


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## Andrew_Culture (2 Apr 2014)

rhm said:


> And it's a fixed gear? If so, I'd like to try that.
> 
> Sturmey Archer now offers a fixed gear three speed hub, S3X, along the lines of their classic ASC hub from 60 years ago. I have the S3X on one of my bikes and I like it a lot. But it is more like riding a three speed hub than like riding a fixed gear. There's just enough slop in the hub that one can't do track stands or the like, so I don't get quite the same feeling of connection to the road as I do with a simple fixed gear; and having three gears to chose from, I don't have the fixed gear mindset that I must strain to maintain a decent cadence and hammer up every hill. So as much fun as the S3X is, it doesn't actually seem to add to the fixed gear experience.



Nah, it was SS


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## stevevw (10 Apr 2014)

rhm said:


> And it's a fixed gear? If so, I'd like to try that.
> 
> Sturmey Archer now offers a fixed gear three speed hub, S3X, along the lines of their classic ASC hub from 60 years ago. I have the S3X on one of my bikes and I like it a lot. But it is more like riding a three speed hub than like riding a fixed gear. There's just enough slop in the hub that one can't do track stands or the like, so I don't get quite the same feeling of connection to the road as I do with a simple fixed gear; and having three gears to chose from, I don't have the fixed gear mindset that I must strain to maintain a decent cadence and hammer up every hill. So as much fun as the S3X is, it doesn't actually seem to add to the fixed gear experience.



Don't worry when your change dog wears out on the S3X and you can only use high 95" you will soon remember to hammer up every hill. Oh and the 13 week wait for a new dog to arrive from SA will be good exercise for you too.


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## Old Plodder (14 Apr 2014)

Single cog maybe, but not a single speed! 
(Anyway I have a second 'gear' for my single speed, they're called feet, 2x12=24".)


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## shouldbeinbed (14 Apr 2014)

Decathlon 's BTwin Tilt, folder range has a model (7 iirc) with this sort of 2 speed auto hub. It's set to switch at 19kmh.


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## deptfordmarmoset (14 Apr 2014)

This Tilt has 2 speeds: pedal speed and motor speed...http://www.decathlon.co.uk/tilt-700-eapc-id_8245153.html


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