On 11 Sep 2005 06:22:35 -0700, wrote:

On the other hand, as there are some pretty steep pitches between
that mesa-top campus and the nearest grocery stores, I believe a three
speed is counter-indicated.

Pff. With a 46/16, I rarely use the three, always ride in 2, and can get
up most slopes with the 1. Put on something closer to a 34 in front
(Funnily enough, the Shimano Nexus crank comes with a 33), so you ride on
the flats at reasonable speeds in 3, and you've got a pretty low gear.

33/16 in 3 is a 77 gear inch, and the low gear would be 43. Not mountain
bike low gearing, but should be low enough to get around on the road.

People were riding the Ardennes with conventional (ie, 44 or 46 in front
with 15 or 16 in back) sturmey wide 3speeds back in the 50s through 70s,
any city street outside San Francisco ought to be trivial.


Jasper