Brompton 3-speed hub internals

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alicat

Legendary Member
Location
Staffs
I don't understand the question. A Brompton 6-speed is just a Brompton 3-speed hub with a rear derailleur and a two-sprocket cassette. So if you don't like the awkward gear shift and just want three speed, then just undo the rear gear cable.
 
OP
OP
Oren_Hershco

Oren_Hershco

Senior Member
Location
Israel
The BWR is indeed a 3-speed hub, but it has HUGE gaps between the gears. For example, when you outspin the 1st, you'll still find 2nd too hard to push. It's very unpleasent to ride this arrangement. I can live with the reduced range of the BSR hub, while enjoying normal gaps between the gears.
 

Kell

Veteran
It's still cheaper to rebuild the wheel.

When my rim spilt, it was about £50 for a new rim and, obviously, rebuild of the wheel.

Certainly cheaper than a new wheelset.

As for the hub gears, I believe that a standard six speed has one more gear over the top and two underneath a standard three speed.

I don't understand the question. A Brompton 6-speed is just a Brompton 3-speed hub with a rear derailleur and a two-sprocket cassette. So if you don't like the awkward gear shift and just want three speed, then just undo the rear gear cable.

6-speeds use a 3-gear hub, but it's different to 3-gear hub the 3-speed uses. The ratio of the gears are further apart to allow for two gears in each hub position. That's why it's called a BWR - Brompton Wide Ratio.
 
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mitchibob

Über Member
Location
Treorchy, Wales
Depending on whether the gradients where you ride allow, turning into a two speed is way cheaper, along with better power delivery, plus is lighter to carry folded (or when doing Urban Hill Climb). There is a little more choice in what size sprockets you can have with the two speed.

Certainly, for most riding in London, I thought the two gears were enough, and it was only when I ventured out of London that I realised that I really wanted more gears. The two speed is definitely more efficient and direct, plus way lighter and cheaper. Then just save the 6 speed wheel for when you really need it, or as others have said, flog it on ebay if in good condition.
 
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kais01

Regular
Location
Sweden
the sa5 has similar dimensions as the bwr. maybe even internally.

regardless, if you replace the bwr with an sa5, you get 5 tighter and sequential gears for daily use, and can keep the high/low arrangement for those hilly areas only.

so "10" gears. there are kits to be had at ebay. a good bicycle mechanic can help you respoke a wheel in easily under one hour.

the sa5 has one definite advantage over hubs with more gears; it uses just one planetary gear at the time, keeping drag to a minimum. this is an issue with all >5 multihub gears where you have to crank two (sometimes even a totally forbidding three) planetary gears in series. gives a feeling of pedalling your bike in wet gravel even on tarmac.

this problem is even more aggravated with bromptons because of the higher rotational speed of the small wheels.
 

TheDoctor

Europe Endless
Moderator
Location
The TerrorVortex
I can kinda see the OP's point. I have an M6R, and a while back I worked out that if I fitted a 44T chainring, I'd lose the top gear, which I never need and hardly ever use, and gain an extra lower gear, which could come in handy.
All good, right? Wrong.
It meant that my two most commonly used gears were a double-shift away from each other, and I didn't like it.
If the OP doesn't like the 6 speed system, that's a perfectly good reason to get rid, IMHO.
 
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