3 speed any good for touring?

[Chris-H]

I've got the chance of a 3 speed 22inch astra bike for a good price,the reason i'm considering it is me and the mrs want to go touring next year to North Wales or Cumbria,thinking of doing a different camp site each night so will need a comfy bike capable of taking panniers etc and this bike looks just the ticket,its just the 3 speed i'm uncertain of.
Also what does actually make a good tourer?
BTW the mrs will have her own bike too

 

[GrumpyGregry]

one way of looking at it is, when three speeds were all there was, people went touring on them. Might be easier, more convenient, etc., etc., with more gears but it doesn't mean it can't be done.

 

[aberal]

Answer boils down to the lowest gear you have. If it's low enough, you can. If it's not - might be a bit of a struggle.

 

[leemo]

You can always get a bigger sprocket to make the gears lower

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

you could always push up the steep bits. people tour the world on fixed gear and single speed.

 

[aberal]

you could always push up the steep bits.

You could. But frankly, personally...I wouldn't.

 

[Seigi]

you could always push up the steep bits. people tour the world on fixed gear and single speed.

Touring only to push the bike up the steep bits would be cheating, especially in somewhere like Cumbria or North Wales where 'steep bits' are everywhere

 

[Bobtoo]

Is it like this one?

I think you would be better off waiting for a 5 or preferably 10 or more speed bike to come up. You can pick up a half decent one for around £50 if you are patient and keep your eyes open. You've got the whole winter to find one.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

You could. But frankly, personally...I wouldn't.

ahhh you've never toured on a brompton then.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

ahhh you've never toured on a brompton then.

I have. Excellent fun. Even with just three speeds. And so handy when something really too far off your track takes your fancy and you can let the bus/train take the strain for a day.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

I have. Excellent fun. Even with just three speeds. And so handy when something really too far off your track takes your fancy and you can let the bus/train take the strain for a day.

me too, although not really proper tours, but very long days out (once, yha) then home in hilly country from rossendale to yorks dales. i've got 19" low gear due to schlumpf speed drive, great fun but spoke breakages have happened more than once (not since i got lbs to rebuild rear wheel with dt swiss spokes). just shows that touring can be fun on any bike, i was never left behind when with touring bikes either.

 

[aberal]

ahhh you've never toured on a brompton then.

No. And I wouldn't either.

 

[Chris-H]

Is it like this one?

I think you would be better off waiting for a 5 or preferably 10 or more speed bike to come up. You can pick up a half decent one for around £50 if you are patient and keep your eyes open. You've got the whole winter to find one.

Thats the exact one i was considering getting

 

[tyred]

Assuming the almost standard issue 44 or 46 tooth chainwheels that most 3 speed roadsters have, stick a 22 or 24 tooth sprocket on it and it should be low enough for most purposes.

I have completed a 50 mile ride in a relatively hilly area with a heavy 3 speed roadster running 46/21 gearing and carrying some luggage in a not unreasonable 3 hrs 25 minutes. That was what felt like a brisk pace but nowhere near overdoing it.

 

[goody]

I did lands end to john o groats on a 3 speed this year, ride report