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Who likes a Two Speed?

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Schwinny

I live for the CABE
The last bike I brought back to life started out a ten speed, but I dont like ten speeds so much, I mean, they're ok, but I cant ride one comfortably anymore. I set about getting rid of all the speeds and started to put an internal hub 3 or 5 speed but then tripped on some Bendix 2spd chatter and started to think about that.
Looking at the Bendix 2 speeds, I guess people are proud of them. I remember when I was a kid in the 60's and 70's, we all wanted a 2 speed Stingray or an Orange Krate. I didn't know much about the two speed deal, but I sure admired the neighbor boy down the street with his Orange Krate. My single speed, late 50's Speedster was what I had till the late 70's
Anyway....
Im not so hot on spending fairly large money on a "rebuilt" or "like new" or "known good" 50-60 year old hub with very little serviceability in 2021. They seemed like good idea for a city bike but the Bendix route didn't look that good to me. I ride the hell out of my bikes, several miles a day sometimes, and I dont need any spendy issues.
But while I was reading up on them Someone mentioned the S2 Sturmey Archer and I looked at that. They had a lot of bad press when it was re introduced in 2010-2011 due to internal issues of some type, but all the reviews after 2014 seem to show that the kinks have been worked out.

So I bought one and put it on the road bike frame.
It was brand new. A coaster brake model (S2C) and was less than $95 delivered.

It takes a few days to get used to how it works (same as the Bendix) and then it works smoother after few weeks.
Now, I find myself really liking it. I may get an old clunker heavy/middle weight and do it again.
Anybody else?
Yeah or nay on the Bendix or the SRAM or the SA... others?
 
Never been a fan of the kickback 2 speeds, however, the Bendix Aviation 2 speed manual hub is my favorite hub.
Interesting.... I had forgotten about them. I wish I had other two speeds to compare with. Do you know what the gear spread is on the Aviation?
 
Sturmey Archer AW and S5s are the way to go. I sent my Bendix 2 speeds and the tools to work on them down the road, a long time ago. Heavy, noisy in low gear, seemed like too low in low gear, and too high in high gear.
No Thanks.
Ted
 
Just saw another thread on a company in India re-making the old Bendix 2spd, parts and all.
Hmmm.
Looking up the ratios, they are a bit different than the Sturmey. Red band and blue band have different ratios and each work opposite of the other. One uses 1st as 1:1 with 2nd an overdrive of 50%! Ugh no way. And the other uses 2nd as its 1:1 gear stepping down 30% for 1st, Roughly the same as the SA/S2 spread but opposite again.
The SA/S2 is an overdrive hub using 1st as 1:1 and second is a 30% overdrive.
I wonder how much the Bendix hubs Weigh? The SA/S2C I have was roughly 5lbs. Quite a chunk for todays "lighter" bikes.

Whats this ND 2 speed Freqman1 mentions?
And check out this blast from the past, I'd like to hear from someone that has or has ridden one of these...

1376181
 
Have and have had a few Sachs Torpedo hubs and they are great .
Also have a Sturmey Archer on my path racer also good but Sachs I find is a little bit smoother shifting .
All mine are kickback and overdrive .
 
The new Eagle 2sp hubs (Bendix yellow/blue band copies) are indeed out:


I'm looking for a 2sp kickback hub with a granny gear (like the yellow band) that uses the 3 spline arrangement so I can use an ichibike sprocket on it.
 
The new Eagle 2sp hubs (Bendix yellow/blue band copies) are indeed out:


I'm looking for a 2sp kickback hub with a granny gear (like the yellow band) that uses the 3 spline arrangement so I can use an ichibike sprocket on it.
Yeah... Read about this. Being made in India.
I wonder if more of the original Bendix models will surface now that there will be readily available repair parts cheap. I hear original NOS index springs bring a premium.
 
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