Re: [CR]3speed internal and 3 speed derailleur

(Example: Framebuilders:Masi)

Date: Wed, 18 May 2005 12:53:10 -0500
To: thteach@sonic.net
From: "Mark Stonich" <mark@bikesmithdesign.com>
Subject: Re: [CR]3speed internal and 3 speed derailleur
In-Reply-To: <19015.65.164.244.237.1116431779.squirrel@webmail.sonic.net>
cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org

At 5/18/2005 08:56 AM -0700, thteach@sonic.net wrote:
>I saw this system marketed as an aftermarket conversion kit. The system
>marketed under the Cyclo brand consisted of a Benelux plunger spring type
>3 speed derailleur, a 3 speed cogset (fixed, I believe) that mounted to
>Sturmey Archer Hub, which did the freewheeling, and a derailleur control
>lever.
>
>Now gone, Big Wheel Mail Order in Minnesota, sold these kits.

An (or maybe "The") importer was Island Cycle, also here on Minneapolis. I have an NOS kit but the 15-19-23 cogs give mostly duplicate gears. I assume the close ratio cogsets were much more in demand.
>Paramounts could be built to customer specification. As such, it's not
>out of the realm of possibilities as being on a "made to order" Paramount.

I understand that they wouldn't deviate much from standard when doing "Made to order". 2 friends couldn't get the mods they wanted, and I tried to get Schwinn to add 2" to the stokers top tube and BB tube, when I ordered our 1977 Paramount tandem. But the "engineering department" shot that down. Probably a good thing they did. The need for a tandem with more stoker room was my main incentive to learn framebuilding.
>The system is pretty uncommon. At the same time its doesn't have much
>mojo either.

Pretty crude looking bits. They probably hold a bit more mojo for us hardcore Sturmey nuts. (About 30 minutes ago the mailman dropped off a package containing three NOS S5s and two NOS Alloy Shelled 36h S5/2s, so I've obviously got Epicyclic Syndrome.)

Mark Stonich;
Minneapolis Minnesota
http://mnhpva.org
http://bikesmithdesign.com