Read the full review: http://road.cc/content/image/32347-sturmey-archer-s2-kickshift-hub
]]>In that time I've seen a lot of people come and go, and I've definitely learned a lot about running a site like this. It's been a pretty intense learning experience overall from how not to step on people's toes, learning how to keep a group together and happy and learning how to keep the site interesting / relevant without taking up too much of my time.
My original goal for Vancruisers was to have many different writers covering all kinds of things, unfortunately we haven't quite gotten things to that level yet. Part of the problem is usability on the site - I think we've made some definite progress on that but there is still work to do. My vision is to one day have a "type - click - publish" sort of workflow which I think would help. The hard part has been keeping all the great content we've built up over the past 5 years while still continuing to move forwards!!
Anyhow I'm glad you're here, pull up a chair and make yourself at home!!
]]>
Read the full review: http://road.cc/content/image/32347-sturmey-archer-s2-kickshift-hub
]]>
Yes, that cold frozen wasteland known as Canada apparently has more trips by bike in several areas than even Oregon, the Wet Coast's cycling mecca!! B.C. definitely isn't too shabby with a round 2% but the real story is the Yukon and Northwest Territories with their huge shares at 2.6% and 2.1% respectively. Wow!!
The full research is posted here: http://policy.rutgers.edu/faculty/pucher/TRA960_01April2011.pdf
]]>
“I’ve noticed there aren’t a lot of people using the downtown bike routes. I worry that they just weren’t a very good idea.”
A well-meaning friend said this to me yesterday. A day later, I have figured out what I should have replied. Better late than never, I guess.
In a nutshell, people are slow to embrace change. In fact, it’s quite fascinating to look back to the advent of motors cars, and see how people resisted cars as fiercely as some people now resist bicycle lanes. Cars were first invented in 1885, but it would be decades before they posed any threat to horses and bicycles. As late as 1907 they were seen as little more than annoying, noisy, smelly nuisances
]]>First off, the cost of some of our new bike lanes:
I'd love to list more, but in terms of separated lanes built in the last 18 months or so that's it! So first off let's take a look at the big ticket item here - the Hornby bike lane...
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Signal Work (Bike Traffic Signals & Changes to Vehicle Signals) | $1,100,000 |
| Street Work (The actual bike lane itself) | $947,000 |
| Planters (including soil & plants) | $390,000 |
| Bike Corrals & Parking | $30,000 |
| Monitoring Program & Enforcement | $93,000 |
| Communications (media around the bike lane, etc) | $200,000 |
| Contingency | $500,000 |
| TOTAL | $3,260,000 |
Amazingly just getting the traffic lights updated cost more than building the bike lane itself! There was considerable repaving and improvements to the city streets in the immediate area too, which I believe is counted in this cost.
So how does that stack up? Here's another project the City of Vancouver is undertaking:
Why do we not have articles in the news screaming about the cost of these left turn bays? I mean if we can build a bike lane through the entire downtown core for about half the cost, isn't that a better use of city funds?
To get some perspective, the City of Vancouver alone takes in around $720,000,000 per year - the Hornby bike lane therefore cost 0.4% of one year's budget. We of course expect the bike lanes to last far more than a year - about 50 years would be a normal expectation for a city project. Therefore over the lifetime of the bike lane we are expecting its cost to be about $62,500 per year, or 0.0086% of the City's annual revenues - nearly too small to measure.
Projects like this give us back far more than they cost - I don't think I need to really talk about what we gain from the bike lanes - a healthier population, a more liveable city... It's clear given the minuscule cost that we should simply embrace projects like this rather than seeing sensationalist media disputing the validity or worthiness. You never see media reports complaining about the cost of resurfacing a major street - I can't find the report for it but the city just completed a major project on 41st Avenue that extended from Cambie to Joyce. I've got to believe that cost a heck of a lot more than a bike lane on Hornby!
]]>
It's DEFINITELY a heck of a lot better than what we had before - I don't think I ever would have really considered riding Hornby prior to the new lane. Something else I can't help but notice on this video - all these alleged "businesses" along Hornby don't really seem to exist! I don't see much there at all in the way of walk-in businesses along either side, and really the east side is almost barren. Seems to me to be more office buildings and other things that you would almost never expect to park out front of. Strange how so much fuss can be brought up over so little.
The new signals are going to take some getting used to both for drivers and for cyclists. It's a bit hard to tell from the video, but there's a couple of intersections where there is a right turn light for cars while cyclsts get a red, and then vice versa. This was done to keep right turners from rolling over cyclists while still allowing both modes of transport to use the street effectively. It's a common scenario in other cities (mostly Europe) but it really shows that bikes are being seen as something that actually deserves some road space, rather than just a nuisance to squeeze in wherever you feel like.
I haven't ridden the lane yet - honestly I don't ride in the downtown core all that much, and the alignment isn't particularly useful for me but I'm definitely going to give it a shot!! For all of you out there, if you CAN ride it, DO because there are bike counters all over the place. Vote bike!
]]>This is my bag:
And this is what I keep in it:
I really don't feel comfortable leaving the house without a few simple things. Really I think anyone who's riding should have these with them as you can take care of nearly any bike problem you might come across with just a few simple tools.
A smaller crescent wrench can handle most "in the field" jobs you might need to tackle, like undoing wheel nuts, tightening up handlebars, adjusting your seat (although don't do that on the ride!!) and most other tasks. Always be careful when using a crescent wrench - they will easily slip and ruin whatever nut or bolt you are trying to tighten or loosen. It is important to readjust the crescent wrench EVERY time you place it on a bolt. That's right - I mean "turn, remove, place on bolt, readjust wrench, repeat" as it will loosen itself up and probably slip by about the 3rd time you put it on a bolt otherwise.
This one is pretty self explanatory. Patch kits are dirt cheap and small - you should always have one in a corner of your bag. Be sure to read the instructions - the tube needs to be CLEAN, you need to abrade it with the provided sandpaper or scraper, and it's IMPERATIVE that you let the rubber cement dry completely before applying the patch. By far the biggest mistake people make is trying to put the patch on while the rubber cement is still wet. Don't think of it as glue, think of it as a chemical reaction. Its job is to react with the rubber and make it soft so the patch will stick. The reaction only happens when air is present, so if you apply the patch too soon the cement will never react properly and the patch will never stick.
A good quality pump is essential. A lot of leaks start off slow, so if you have a pump you have a good chance of making it home, off a busy street or even just to somewhere with enough light to be able to see what you're doing. Don't cheap out here - expect to pay at least $40 for a reliable pump. Mine is a 2-stroke, it pumps in both directions. That makes a big difference to how long it takes to inflate a tire with such a small pump. Mine also has a gauge built in which I find super useful. It's really easy to convince yourself to stop pumping once you start getting tired, but the gauge will let you know if you're really done or not. Believe it or not you're much more likely to get flat tires if they aren't properly inflated than if they're full! You also won't believe the difference it makes to how easily the bike rolls. Most fat tire bikes are happiest around 40+ PSI but check the sidewalls of your tires if you're not sure.
Some sort of multitool is super useful. There's a myriad of different fasteners on bikes such as fender stays, coaster brake levers, brake levers, bells, drink holders, mirrors and more. You'll find a variety of different screwdrivers are needed since there isn't really a standard across all bikes. I like my Leatherman since it has a knife, scissors and a good set of needle nose pliers which have come in handy countless times. There's also lots of more bike-specific ones such as the two black ones I have in the top of the picture. Many come with things like allen keys, chain tools, tire levers and even small box end wrenches. This is another place not to skimp - spend the money on something good quality, avoid the dollar store tools when it comes to things like this. By the time you buy and break a few you'll have spent more money than you would have on the good one in the first place! Most brand name tools will come with some sort of warranty too.
Be Be Be Prepared! If you're riding a bunch then there's a few more things I think are worthwhile to have along with you.
While multitools certainly help, I think a set of proper allen keys is a good way to go, at least if you've got a bike that needs them! Most vintage cruisers won't have a single allen head bolt on them anywhere, but more modern bikes definitely will. Stem bolts are notorious for needing a good tighten after a lot of riding as they tend to get a lot of force put on them. If your bike is made with less expensive parts then these seem to come loose even more often. Stem bolts need to be TIGHT!! This is also one that often needs some attention if you have a crash - any time your handlebars get knocked around good things will need a tighten. Other things that use allen bolts on a lot of newer bikes include seat post bolts, cranks and brake handles. If you have a bike with a Shimano Nexus 3-speed you almost certainly need allen keys to change a flat (although you can often use a 10mm wrench on the outside of the bellcrank assembly instead). Oh, and coaster brake bolts!! Most newer bikes use an allen head bolt for the coaster brake.
Like I mentioned above a crescent wrench is good in a pinch, but if you have the option the correct sized wrench is faster and much less likely to round anything off. Box-end wrenches (like the one shown) are fantastic since it's almost impossible to strip a nut with them. Mine is a 14mm / 15mm combo wrench so it's good for a few different jobs. Most vintage bikes aren't metric so you might want to take a look before buying - for instance many Bendix-equipped bikes have 11/16" rear axle nuts and 1/2" fronts! Many newer bikes will have 15mm wheel nuts and 14mm nuts on the seat clamp.
Great for reattaching things like chainguards, fenders or whatever else. 2 zip ties through a fender stay after you've lost the bolt can often work well enough that you don't really need to worry about replacing them. The small ones are also useful for attaching cables, lights, Canada flags or whatever else you might need to do. They're only so strong though so really they're most appropriate for lightweight jobs.
Like the zip ties above electrical tape can save your butt when things come loose. You can wrap it around your handlebars to get a slippery grip to stay put or to give a little more clamping surface for a wandering light, seal up a rip in your seat till you get home, it can help you make a boot if you get a sidewall blowout and most importantly it is also a good tool for attaching Canada flags!
Sometimes I wonder if I'm going a bit overboard, but like I said I hate when someone breaks down and the whole ride gets stuck because of it. Some of these items I just carry because I find them useful or I've got a particular bike that needs them.
These are firmly in the "not strictly necessary but nice to have" category. I carry a 9mm/10mm combo box end wrench which is the right size for most coaster brake nuts plus a lot of other smaller fasteners on the average bike. You certainly can do without but it's one of those "well if I have it I might as well use it" tools. I also carry a 1/2" wrench as it's a very common size on vintage bikes. It's the right size for most vintage stem bolts, seat post bolts, kickstand bolts and a lot of other things. I'd honestly like to have a couple other wrenches in my bag but the 1/2" is probably the most important if you're riding vintage.
Again really not necessary, but does wonders on seat clamp bolts. Yes, you certainly can tighten or loosen your seat post clamp with a crescent wrench but this is waaaay less annoying. This guy is nice and small so fits in my bag easily. I probably could stand to toss another couple sockets in my bag - I usually keep a 14mm on it. The handle is too short to be used for anything high-torque like wheel nuts but you really don't need anything but a box end on those anyhow. Mostly just good for things that you don't have a lot of room to get a wrench on, like the aforementioned seat post clamp.
In this bag are a few items that have broken before causing us to get stuck on a ride. I've got spare wheel nuts, a couple axle washers, a spare coaster brake bolt, a spare coaster brake strap, a spare sprocket circlip and probably some other bits and pieces. I would love to have a couple links of chain and a chain tool too - used to have them in my bag but don't currently.
This one comes with a disclaimer: NEVER BRING GLASS BOTTLES ON A RIDE!! Besides the clinking and the weight, guess what the most common cause of flat tires is? Broken glass! Don't be the cause. Anyhow, I have one, it comes in handy when people show up not only with glass bottles but without a way to open them. I mean come on... Also useful at parties...
I also have a couple other items in here...
This takes up almost no space and could seriously save your life if you needed it. I didn't go out and buy one, I found it sitting around my house and figured my bag was as good a place as any. But hey, say you slip down off the edge of a trail in the dark and are lying there freezing and unable to get help, you'd sure be glad you had this with you! It weighs basically nothing so why not?
Do you suffer from nighttime runny nose and sneezing? No? Well actually that's not what this is for... I'm one of those "lucky" people who have Anaphalactic allergic reactions to certain foods. While it's generally never a problem for me I feel a hell of a lot more comfortable knowing I can generally kill a reaction before it goes too far by chewing on one of these. They're only effective if taken before the reaction progresses so it's good to have them with me rather than having to run around trying to find a pharmacy or calling 911.
So there you have it! What's in YOUR bag?
]]>But get those same people on a bike and you get great stories like this one:
Bike School with Two Vancouver City Councillors
In Vancouver's last municipal election I actually made a point of voting for councillors who were bike friendly, more so than just focusing on one party or another. Apparently I wasn't the only one who did! All but 2 members of our current council are experienced riders. Well the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition wasn't content to have all but two, and managed to convince our two holdouts, Kerry Jang and Tim Stevenson to give cycling a try. The councilors got signed up for VACC's Streetwise cycling course (the course is designed to give non-cyclists the "basics" for how to handle themselves in the city).
The result?
Next council vote on bike-related measures passed UNANIMOUSLY. Are there any doubts that the message got through? Get out there, try it, and now tell me how you feel about a little separation between cars and bikes!
I think though at this point we can all agree that Vancouver has become quite progressive with respect to bike infrastructure. Our recent $25 million commitment to bike improvements in Vancouver is proof of that.
Not surprisingly, similar things tend to happen in other cities when council gets out there and gives riding a chance. For instance, a few years ago the Mayor of London nearly got creamed by a passing truck while scouting out potential bike route locations with a few of his staff. Suppose there was any change in their attitude towards cycling after that?
Cities like Vancouver or London where cycling is already recognized as legitimate are one thing, but if you had to choose probably the most cycling-hostile city in North America, it would be LA.
At least until now!
After a trip to Copenhagen, the Mayor of Los Angeles decided to try out cycling in his city:
Bikes and Cars: A Lesson in Los Angeles
Whoops... Mind that cab! Despite being injured almost right away, the Mayor has woken up and seen how beautiful his city can be. The result? An immediate increase in spending for new bike infrastructure in what is generally known to be the car capital of the United States!
If LA can wake up and smell the chain oil then I have great hope for the rest of North America!
]]>
Wednesday, July 7 - Mamma Mia Wednesday, July 14th - The Goonies Thursday, July 22nd - Monsters vs Aliens Thursday, July 29th - The Karate Kid (Original)
Relive the magic and sing those famous songs, we all know the words too..
"Set on a colorful Greek island, the plot serves as a background for a wealth of ABBA songs. A young woman about to be married discovers that any one of three men could be her father. She invites all three to the wedding without telling her mother, Donna, who was once the lead singer of Donna and the Dynamos. In the meantime, Donna has invited her backup singers, Rosie and Tanya."
A timeless classic adventure, one for all to enjoy!
"Mikey and Brandon Walsh are two brothers whose family is preparing to move due to a new development that is sure to be started unless enough money is raised, which is quite doubtful. But, when Mikey stumbles on a treasure map of the famed "One-Eyed" Willy's hidden fortune, he, his brother, and a few friends set out on a quest to find the riches in hopes to save their homes. The entrance to a cavern is found, but it is located underneath an abandoned restaurant occupied by the Fratelli family, a treacherous group of thieves who attempt to beat the "Goonies" to the treasure."
Family friendly and a barrel of laughs..
"When a meteorite from outer space hits a young California woman named Susan Murphy and turns her into a giant monster, she is taken to a secret government compound where she meets a ragtag group of monsters also rounded up over the years. As a last resort, under the guidance of General W.R. Monger, on a desperate order from The President, the motley crew of Monsters is called into action to combat the aliens and save the world from imminent destruction!"
See how it all began, with the legendary Mr. Miyagi!
"Daniel is new in town, and is getting picked on by the local bullies, who all are adept in karate. Determined to stick up for himself, Daniel begins to teach himself karate, only to discover that the caretaker at his apartment seems to be a grand master in karate. Agreeing to teach Daniel, Mr. Miyagi shows Daniel that there is more to karate than violence, and perhaps the best way to solve the problem he has with the bullies is in the All Valley Karate Championship"
The route is absolutely great - it's amazing the difference it's made on the street too. Traffic speeds are slower (not due to congestion, people are just driving slower on their own) and it's made a huge difference for the pedestrian quality along the road too. What i found really amazing is just how much more there is to see along there! I've driven along that route a gazillion times, but till then I'd never really SEEN things as there's way too much to be watching for as a driver.
More like this!! The cost of the route was only $800,000 - that's INSANELY cheap considering the impact. Vancouver really needs to keep up the good work!
]]>Vancouver does have an impressive network of bike routes - the city reports over 400 lane-kilometers of bicycle routes throughout the city, but just a small fraction of those routes are actually dedicated, separated facilities where cyclists don't have to compete with traffic. A great example would be Main street - there's pictures of bicycles painted on the road, but I certainly don't feel comfortable dodging parking cars, car doors, buses and dump trucks rolling along at less than half the speed of traffic!
Studies show there's a few types of riders - those who will ride no matter what (the "Spandex Warriors" as I like to call them), those who are willing to ride provided they have at least some semblance of a bike route (i.e. bombing down Yukon because there's pictures of bicycles), and the vast, vast majority who will only ride if they feel totally safe. The last group is who the city is trying to reach out to - the first group will ride no matter what you do, whether there's bike routes or not. Trying to appeal to them won't get you anywhere. The second group tends to be the most vocal, but it's more of an anti-car agenda than anything. The second group is pretty well taken care of by the current way things are done - designate a street a bike route, make sure there's some buttons to cross major streets and paint some pictures of bikes on the road. If we want any serious increases in cycling though, we need to get people riding who aren't already doing it!
For comparison's sake, check out this morning commute in the Nederlands:
Pretty wide range of riders!! In a lot of areas in Europe over 40% of trips are made by bike. There's no one age or gender that really stands out - anyone and everyone feels safe and compelled to ride a bike. The reason? Dedicated facilities entirely separated from other traffic. That last group mentioned above, the one we're trying to appeal to need this kind of facility to feel safe. If you ask anyone what their biggest fear as a cyclist is you can almost bet the answer will be "CARS!!" - I know it is for me.
Actually carving out separated routes is a challenge though. If we go back to the Main street example above, imagine for a moment that the parking lanes were converted into separated bike routes. Cyclists have much more of an ability to interact with their environment than a motorist does - we can smell that delicious bakery, see how fresh the tomatoes look at the produce store, admire a gorgeous painting in the window of a gallery and best of all, at a moment's notice we can pop our bike on the curb and actually enter one of the shops we're cruising on by. If you're in a car, chances are you're going to have to drive around for 10 minutes (in that area anyhow) looking for a parking space - not something you're going to do on the spur of the moment.
In Vancouver however, the storefront street parking spot is treated as if it were laid out in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The small business lobby would have us believe that those parking spaces deliver hundreds of people to their businesses daily, and that transit or cycling couldn't possibly ever come close. When we talk about improving bike routes instead we get this:
Burrard Bridge Bike Lanes Worry Nearby Businesses
Actually coming up with places to spend that $25 million is going to be interesting!
]]>During the Olympics someone who was paying attention said "Hey, see that Dunsmuir Viaduct, notice a lane has been closed for about the past 5 years? Why don't we use that space for bikes!!" Well, turns out all that was needed was a slight shift of a few concrete barriers, easily done while the viaduct was closed. That brought us a terrific route into downtown from the East Side without really having to spend much of anything.
I could see a lot of city councils being content to stop there - I mean separated routes across two major entrance points to downtown Vancouver is a pretty substantial improvement already. Nope!!
Next they pledged $25 million for bike route improvements - this is equal to 33% of the road and bridge maintenance budget - in other words they're SERIOUS. There are literally thousands of improvements coming to us all over Vancouver with that much cash to spend!!
One of the first things coming out of that is a brand new separated bike lane up Dunsmuir to at least Granville, continuing on from the viaduct:
Sounds good to me!! There's still some decisions to be made about the exact configuration and type of barrier, but it's coming this summer and was a unanimous decision by city council. Total cost: about $800,000. So there's about 25 times that much cash left to spend!!
If you look at the long term plans, they also want Burrard connected in to this separated bike network - so you'll effectively be able to ride through all of downtown on a separated, safe protected route. HELLZ YEAH!!
I can't wait to see what all else they come up with - I know some of the things will be kinda boring, like repaving broken streets and installing a few new traffic signals, but this is all EXACTLY what I was hoping for when this city council found their way into the Mayor's office. Go Vancouver!
]]>Heard that one before? Well I don't know about you, but when I was a kid most of my riding was around my neighborhood, to and from school or maybe up to the shop. By high school biking wasn't "cool" anymore as we got closer and closer to that magic age of driver's licenses. A lot of my peers stopped riding long before that, but by 16 my bike was in the corner of the basement gathering dust and acting as a coat rack.
Fast forward to present day and I'm riding again like mad. I try to be on my bike at least twice a week - three times is about perfect. The way I ride these days though is quite a bit different from what I did as a kid! When I was 13 years old the thought of riding around downtown city streets never crossed my mind. Likewise I can't recall ever riding with more than 4 or 5 people at a time, we barely had any bike routes in Vancouver and I can pretty confidently say I wouldn't have ever been riding through multiple municipalities in a night!!
There's lots of great information out there on commuter riding - The Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition has bike training courses to teach you how to be a road warrior, combating traffic every morning on your slog to work for instance. In fact the two non-cycling Vancouver city councilors just signed themselves up for exactly that!! Oh, you didn't know almost our entire city council are cyclists? :D
But what about cruising? We're kind of um.... "unique" you might say. So what are OUR rules? Here's what I think:
Anyone got any others?
]]>
So what is it?
The Sturmey Archer X-RD5 (w) a 5-speed internal gear drum hub, made by the "New" Sturmey Archer (now a division of Sun Race)... This is their new "wide" ratio hub.
This beauty has 5 speeds using a single cable (unlike the "Old" Sturmey 5's that had 2 separate cables and a crazy complicated shifter arrangement). Nope, simple is better, right? Less cables are good too...
Also in this nice alloy shell is a 70mm drum brake. There's a 90mm version available too, but ti's still somewhat hard to find (as are all the 90mm parts right now).
Gear ratios are basically your average Sturmey Archer 3-speed +1 and -1...
Overall Range - 256%
• Gear 1 - 62.5% (-)37.5%
• Gear 2 - 75% (-)25% (Gear 1 + 20%)
• Gear 3 - 100% Direct Drive (Gear 2 + 33%)
• Gear 4 - 133.3% (+)33.3% (Gear 3 + 33%)
• Gear 5 - 160% (+)60% (Gear 4 + 20%)
So the middle gear is direct drive (just like a 3-speed), and you get one above and one below. Meaning FAST on the flats, and a nice low hill climbing gear.
The hub ships with an amazing bunch of accessories - it includes:
• All required cables (Shifter cable, brake cable)
• Mounting hardware (keyed washers, clamp for brake, cable hardware)
• Both "Old" style and "New" style cable hardware (The big bulky black plastic cover / adjuster is included, as well as the old classic Sturmey nut and fulcrum clip) and a shifter
• An 18-tooth sprocket
• A giant flying walrus
Including both styles of hardware is really welcome - I actually wasn't expecting that at all. The "New" style is better, don't get me wrong - the adjustment is locked to the axle rather than to the wheel position in the frame. However it's UGLY!!! If you're an OEM and want a trouble free system for bikes, by all means go with the new style, it's DEFINITELY superior in terms of reliability, it seals out dust and junk from getting in to the hub and it's almost "set it and forget it". HOWEVER if you're going to put this on a vintage bike then forget it - it will look way too out of place, and that's where the "Classic" hardware comes in to play.
For my ride I didn't want the Sturmey Archer text silk-screened on to the hub shell. A stainless steel dish scrubby lightly applied took care of that right quick. The hub shell alloy is hard enough it didn't take on any scratches either - bonus!! I laced it up to my original steel rims from my '60s Firestone without issue, while it's an alloy shell it still looks pretty good on the bike.
OK, performance!!
I'll admit my ride sampling thus far is a little limited - it mostly consists of riding around Vancouver holding a giant Canada flag shortly after we won the freakin' GOLD MEDAL IN OLYMPIC HOCKEY!!! WOOOOOO!!!!!
<ahem>
There's really two things to consider here - braking and gear performance. Let's start with braking!!
For my ride I'm replacing a Perry coaster brake. The Perry has done me well thus far - I've been riding on it for about 9 months and have definitely racked up the miles. However my descent down to riding territory is pretty steep - it's a 15 block or so downhill descent mixed with stop signs, busy streets and blind alleys. That REALLY ends up working the brake out since you really can't be gentle with it. Compared to the Perry the X-RD5 is a SOLID performer when it comes to brakes. There is no brake lever included - Sturmey Archer does make one, but I ended up digging through the bins at Our Community Bikes till I found something suitable. I did end up needing to give the lever a little bend to add another 1/4" or so of cable pull, but it works FANTASTIC. Sturmey Archer really seem to put out the best drum brake I've ridden - my SRAM VT-5000 can't even come close, and that's a front brake! I do have an X-FD to go on the front, but I don't have that laced up yet. The rear on its own is ALMOST good enough that I could run without!! Compared to a coaster brake this is a giant upgrade.
Gears...
I don't have enough miles on this yet to give a really good judgment - I will come back and update this later on once I've had a bit more experience with the hub. Unfortunately riding around with the Canada flag I didn't have a good opportunity to really shift gears much.
Thanks to Bike Tools Etc (who I STRONGLY recommend - I would order from them again in a heartbeat!) I had the Sturmey Archer DLS52 R5 as my shifter. This is a below-bar rapid fire style shifter which is honestly my favorite type. I probably would have chosen the SLS50 R5T if I could have gotten it, but though they appear in the catalog they are apparently not yet available anywhere.
The shifter feels pretty nice - the body is mostly aluminum except for the gear indicator which is plastic. The mounting hardware is all metal, a serious bonus in my opinion. Like most shifters of this style it is easy to crank up 2 gears at a time with the bottom lever, while the top lever will drop one at a time. When I mean drop, I mean release cable tension - like all Sturmey hubs with the cable completely slack it is in its highest gear, with the cable completely tight in its lowest.
Shifting is smooth and precise. There does seem to be a small delay upshifting to 5th, but otherwise the hub reacts quite quickly. The clutch system on this hub is quite a bit different than the 3-speeds that came before it so I can't really say much for how it will last long term. Chances are good I'll be posting updates here in a year or two!!
Unlike coaster brake hubs, there is no worry about the brake contaminating the lubricant of the gear mechanism with this design. The drum brake is completely separated from the other hub components so it shouldn't require any service for quite some time.
The actual gearing does have a bit of coarseness to it at this point, mainly in the lower gears. My gut feeling is that this will smooth out with some riding once things have had a bit of a chance to wear in - most internal gear hubs get smoother with age, to a point. Regardless it's not bad, it's just noticeable at this point in low gear. Direct drive is smooth as one would expect. The overall ratio feels pretty good, but I need a good heavy pedal to know for sure!
What else might you want to know? Weight? Sounds reasonable...
The X-RD5(W) weighs in at about 100g more than its modern 3-speed coaster brake counterpart. That's really not bad at all considering you get two extra gears and a far superior brake. It isn't really noticeable compared to the Perry it replaced, especially with the steel rims and frame of this bike. Regardless that's less than 1/3 of a beer worth of weight.
Final conclusions:
Shifting seems great, brake is teriffic, I am hoping it smooths out a little in the future. At this point I'm definitely happy with the hub, and the included hardware is excellent. I'm glad to see that Sun Race has taken on the engineering challenges to improve internal gear hubs which is definitely more than could be said for the post 1960's Sturmey Archer of England. Keep up the good work!!
-B
P.S... I found an exploded view of the X-RD5(w) here!
]]>