Friday, April 20

No Suspense Here

AMAZING What You See When You Search "S3X"
One has to look carefully at eBay stuff, but THIS is the genesis of what I bought. I considered dragging this whole thing out, but then it occurred to me that my loyal reader might also be interested in a similar bike.

Yes, this IS a "fixed gear" bike. It also has three speeds in a close-ratio Sturmey Archer internal gear hub, with a bar-end shifter.

For anyone that might be considering a bike like this, my initial impressions are mostly favorable. It has attachment locations for fenders and a rear rack, but nothing to hold a water bottle. The paint quality and frame assembly both seem good, and the pedals and brakes are better than I'd expect for a bike in this price range. The brake handles are "cross top" as on Buddy, but without any hooded brake levers. Conveniently, I have an extra set of brake levers. The tires are Kenda. The wheels are suspect, but the IGH was the big attraction in this buy.

The frame size DOES run a smidge bigger than you might expect. The bike I bought is a full size smaller than my road bike or Buddy, but is just about right.
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9 comments:

  1. commoncentsApril 20, 2012 at 7:55 PM

    THANK YOU for posting this! I always enjoy visiting and always learn something...

    Steve
    Common Cents
    http://www.commoncts.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. cyclerApril 20, 2012 at 9:09 PM

    Ah yes, the infamous s3x hub...
    Will be interested in hearing your impressions.
    The price sure is right..

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  3. limomApril 21, 2012 at 2:41 AM

    I can't wait to see you in skinny jeans.

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  4. PonderoApril 21, 2012 at 5:58 AM

    Thanks for the big "reveal" on the new bike. It looks like big fun, but so many questions remain.

    Is this the new main commuter, or just the Sunday cruiser?

    How does it ride?

    How does the hub perform?

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  5. Steve AApril 21, 2012 at 9:13 AM

    Thanks for the comments y'all. We shall embark on a voyage of discovery together. First off, I shall consider the new purchase in the contex of the April 2012 Buycycling "Buyer's Guide" since that will help suggest directions to evolve the bike. Unfortunately, the "Guide" contains no real directly comparable category, so we shall have to improvise a bit. Right now, I'm trailing Pondero in that I have not actually ridden this bike yet.

    One cool thing about this bike is that even the Owner's Manual seems to be irrelevant...

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  6. Rat Trap PressApril 23, 2012 at 6:23 PM

    Congrats on the NEW bike. Sometimes you just have to give yourself a gift. I'm looking forward to seeing photos of your new ride.

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  7. Steve AApril 23, 2012 at 7:57 PM

    RTP, you are SO right. It's gonna be sweet. Ya sure, ya betcha...

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  8. TrevorW�� April 25, 2012 at 10:46 AM

    I go away for a few days and you buy a new bike...a once in forty years event.!!
    I can' wait to hear more about it and see some pictures.

    Trevor

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  9. GreenComotionMay 8, 2012 at 10:17 PM

    Congrats, Steve! Just saw this post!!
    Hope I get to see the new bike in person soon.
    Paz :)

    ReplyDelete

No Need for Non-Robot proof here!