The Sturmey Archer 2 speed, coaster brake hub, as fitted to the Moulton TSR 2, is reviewed in the current issue of Velovision (Issue 40).

The reviewer tested the old F&S Duomatic hub alongside the new Sturmey S2C for a better comparison between the two hubs. Some of the main findings were:

• The S2C is about 50% heavier than the Duomatic
• gear ratios are identical
• the S2C requires less of a back-pedaling action in order to change gears
• the brake on the S2C is much stronger

The review is very positive, and the main benefits cited are that you get the simplicity of a fixed gear with a “bailout” gear for hills and headwinds, as well as the lack of cables going to the rear, which is particularly useful for separable Moultons.

Issue 40 also includes an article by Moultoneers Keith Hales, where he describes life with a Double Pylon, and includes his visit to the 2009 Moulton Summit in Japan.

The initial prototypes, which were shown last year, featured a belt drive, eliminating the maintenance and dirt associated with chain drives.

However, the production TSR 2 is available with a choice of either belt drive or a standard chain drive. The belt drive model features a Delta 11mm belt, 67 tooth chainring and 25 tooth sprocket, providing approximately 50.6 and 69.9 inches.

The chain drive features a 44 tooth chainring and 17 tooth sprocket, giving gears of approximately 48.9 inches and 67.5 inches.

The TSR 2 weights 12kgs, and also features folding pedals and Avid Single Digit 5 front V-brakes.

The Moulton Bicycle Company Website says

Beautiful simplicity – the TSR 2 features the new Sturmey-Archer ‘kick-shift’ two-speed gear with an integrated back-pedal brake, and belt-drive. Two well-spaced ratios keep you moving through city streets – no shifters, no cable, no adjustment.

Alex Moulton TSR 2 - Belt Drive, Sturmey Archer S2C

The Moulton Bicycle Company is presenting their new eleven speed sprocket set to the public for the first time at Cycle 2010.

Designed to be fitted to the iconic, small-wheeled, Moulton bicycle, this new sprocket set is notable for its lightweight construction and a smallest sprocket with 10 teeth.

Tipping the scales at under 110g, this new sprocket set is CNC machined in three parts:

• The two smallest sprockets are hardened steel
• The next five sprockets are titanium
• The final four (largest) sprockets are ceramic-coated aluminium.

This Campagnolo-compatible sprocket set is available in a 10-28 ratio, with single-tooth jumps between the smaller sprockets: 10-11-12-13-14-15-16-18-21-24-28. Whilst giving high gearing for small wheels, this avoids the inefficiency inherent with 9-tooth sprockets, and large gear jumps that have been an unlikeable feature of some previous sprocket sets.

The new Moulton sprocket set is available only from The Moulton Bicycle Company and its distributors and dealers worldwide.

Moulton bicycles are exhibiting their range of British-built, small-wheeled, full suspension bicycles on stand D26 at the London Cycle Show, Earl’s Court, on the 7th-10th October 2010 (7th – trade only).

Notes
Dr Alex Moulton patented the small-sprocket freewheel back in 1970 after devising new tooth profiles to ensure correct chain engagement (wrap), shifting and durability with sprockets as small as nine teeth. Many Moulton bicycles produced since then have featured sprockets with low tooth counts.

The original press release can be seen in this photo from Bike Hugger on Flickr

Shimano announces a 11 gear hub. The range will be 409% (Alfine 8 gear 307%). The hub runs in a oil bath like the Rohloff Speddhub. This should result a higher efficiency and longer lifetime. The price will be 300,- Euro release data is September 2010.

Details can be found here….

via 11 Speed Alfine hub from SHIMANO « Hubstripping.com.

To further reduce maintenance and adjustment requirements, the TSR-2 is equipped with a belt-drive transmission. Unlike chains, the belt is clean and does not scratch, so no adjustment is required to take up slack. Efficiency is as high as a chain in good condition, and a belt is always in good condition! With no gear cable, rear brake cable, or chain to adjust, there is little that the everyday cyclist has to do to keep his TSR-2 running sweetly.

The TSR-2 will be available from Spring 2010.

via MOULTON Bicycle Company.

Sturmey Archer had their own stand but the most interesting new hub they’ve produced wasn’t on it – it was nestling quietly on the Moulton stand, who were displaying the only working prototype. The S2C is a re-imagining of the Fichtel & Sachs Torpedo Duomatic hub that Moulton have been busy reviving since they found a bunch of old stock and used them to make a 50th anniversay four speed machine with the Duomatic at one end and a Schlumpf speed drive at the other: four gears and no shifters; no cables either meant that the bike separated easily into two.

The hub is a kickshift with two speeds, simply kick back to switch between ratios. Lean further back on the pedals and you’ll engage the coaster brake. It’s an elegant solution that requires no cabling to the rear of the bike, so it’ll fit in very well with the fixed aesthetic, and it gives you an extra ratio for accelerating and climbing the hills. Sturmey Archer are confident that they’ll shift a ton of the S2C hubs and we’d tend to agree, it’s going to be less than £100 and it’s almost the perfect hub for those stripped back urban machines. Especially if you live somewhere hilly, like we do. Fitchel and Sachs are now SRAM, and they’ve definitely missed a trend here by not digging out the blueprints and reviving the duomatic themselves.

via Cycle Show 2009 – Sturmey Archer’s new S3X and S2C hubs | road.cc | The website for pedal powered people: Road cycling, commuting, leisure cycling and racing.

Photos from Jack Thurston on Flickr

The S2C is Sturmey’s modern version of the Fichtel & Sachs Torpedo Duomatic, a two-speed hub with kick-back gear change and coaster brake that dates from the 1960s. These hubs have something of a cult following and are hard, though not impossible, to come by. One of my bikes has one and it’s fantastic to ride. A little back-pedal changes the gear (from high to low, or low to high) and a big back-pedal engages the powerful brake. Unlike rim brakes, a hub brake works as well in the wet as in the dry.

Sturmey have built a new version and I believe it’s going to be a hit. Two speeds allows good acceleration from a standing start and a higher cruising gear than on a single speed bike. The kick-back gear change and coaster brake mean that there are no cable runs to the rear wheel. The result is a faster ride than a fixed wheel bike, with better braking performance, but all the simplicity of the fixed aesthetic. Sturmey will bring the hub into production early next year and the retail price is expected to be in the region of £60-£80. Ninon of Bicycle Workshop, who knows a thing or two about hub gears, thinks they’re great. Dan Farrell of Moulton & Pashley (who can claim some of the credit for getting Sturmey to develop the new hub) shares her excitement. Informed sources tell me Sturmey are anticipating huge sales of this hub: around a quarter of a million a year. And no wonder.

A TSR 2, with a new belt drive, Sturmey Archer S2C hub, which is a prototype 2 speed, kickback hub, with coaster brake.

Thanks to The Bike Show for the pics.

Moulton Bicycle Company can be contacted at office@moultonbicycles.co.uk or +44 1225 865895. Tell them Moulton Buzz sent you!