FSA Metropolis 2-Speed Interal-Geared Crankset

[Montclair BobbyB]

So I'm totally loving my SimpleOne... except that I live at the top of a big hill, and it's too heavy a gear to pedal up the hill.  

Then I saw one of those FSA Metropolis 2-speed cranks on eBay, and decided to try it out.  Well, I gotta tell you, this thing just plain WORKS, and it WORKS WELL!  It gives me a 28-tooth (direct) chainring for hills, and an effective 44-tooth chainring for flats and downhill.  I use an old retro friction shifter, and the mechanism shifts effortlessly and instantaneously, even under load. 

Installation was straightforward and I encountered zero problems.   The geared unit contains a heavy duty plastic tab that sits against the chainstay, preventing the gearing mechanism from turning.  No ISG tab required, making the Metropolis compatible with virtually any bike (with a 68mm wide BB shell).  The crank comes with external bearing bottom bracket; you provide the shifter.  But virtually any shifter (that pulls cable) should work.

I took it for a test ride... It feels great, and it really works well !!! I'm impressed; FSA could have a winner.

Check out photos.  http://tinyurl.com/9xhf462

Peace,

BB

[David Spranger]

Nice! I got two speeds out of my SimpleOne by using a SRAM Automatix 2 speed hub with which I have been very satisfied at approximately 6000 mostly commuting miles. Your solution has one distinct advantage in that you could do a two speed fixed gear if you wished.

David

Charlotte, NC

[Montclair BobbyB]

Yes, I'm seriously considering it... although I wonder whether it would trash the internals... (but in the name of science, I feel it's my obligation to try...)  BB  

[Colin Bortner]

Awesome!

If the FSA doesn't work out fixed, but you fall in love with the idea
of a two-speed fixed-gear, Schlumpf's cranks were redesigned a few
years ago to be fixed-gear compatible:
http://www.haberstock-mobility.com/en/products/schlumpf-drive.html

Overview Schlumpf-for-fixed from German Bedovelo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHeVme8Bmgc

Looking forward to updates on the Metropolis!

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[PATRICK MOORE]

What's wrong with this? http://www.sturmey-archer.com/products/hubs/cid/3/id/47

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[PATRICK MOORE]

Forgot to add as usual: you can thread either a fixed cog or a
freewheel onto the hub driver, so it also gives you a choice.

[campyo...@me.com]

I'll chime in as a fan of the S3X hub.

I wonder about the FSA crankset for everyday (i.e., "high gear") use. In my experience with IGH systems, they work best when you are in direct drive (the S3X is in direct direct in the top gear; 2nd and 3rd use the internal gears). Can you feel the gears in the FSA crankset working when you're not in the low gear?

--Eric Norris
campyo...@me.com
www.campyonly.com
campyonlyguy.blogspot.com

[Colin Bortner]

I don't think there's anything wrong with the S3X (unlike the
Schlumpf, I've built a couple of S3X wheels, one for myself), but
being able to use your existing wheelsets is an advantage, as is
having different shifter options. Or just having fun by solving a
problem in a different way.

You could ask the same question about the Metropolis, H-S, and
Schlumpf. Thumbs up to trying out the Metropolis!

[Montclair BobbyB]

I haven't tried the S3X yet, but it sure looks like a cool idea.  I run a flip-flop hub, so with the Metropolis I can have a choice of FW or Fixed (pretty much on-demand), as long as I carry my 15mm wrench for the rear wheel nut.

Eric, you can slightly feel the gears working in high gear (a kind of ratchety feel; not necessarily fragile, but... different). I still have an innate fear of destroying the innerds of my IG hubs... something I probably need to get over... I haven't really stomped on the pedals yet. FSA warrants the crankset for 2 years, but apparently not for mountain bike use. (Don't know whether it's due to the extra gunk or extra stress). Only time will tell.

BB

[Philip Williamson]

I have an S3X wheel that's about to go back into service. I like it. You can also slide two splined cogs on for a dingle setup on the 3sp fixed IGH. Conceivably you could have a low range and a high range. I had that setup, but changed out the cranks before I actually used the low gear range. 

Thanks for reminding me, I think I may set that up this time around again. I may be in the market for an inexpensive double crankset, then...

Philip

www.biketinker.com

[Montclair BobbyB]

Philip:

I'm curious... When you're flying along at a pretty good clip (in 3rd gear, fixie mode) and you're wheel is spinning at, say 120+ rpm, and you downshift to second gear, does your cadence abruptly accelerate to the point of wanting to toss you over the bars, or is it relatively smooth?  I would think that might put an awful strain on the internal gearing... What's it like?  (I submitted a question to Sam Patterson, developer of the Metropolis crankset, asking whether I can ride it in fixie mode... haven't received his reply yet.)

BB

[Montclair BobbyB]

I heard back from Sam Patterson... One of his testers has logged 5000 miles on the Metropolis using a fixed cog... but I was surprised to discover the Patterson Transmission actually freewheels; it doesn't engage like a typical fixie.  He said you CAN ride it with a freewheel or fixed gear, but generally recommends a freewheel (I suppose to put the wear on the pawls of a less-expensive hub freewheel). 

So for those looking for their multi-speed fixie fix, look elsewhere.  Still, I'm really impressed with this crankset.  BTW Sam Patterson was the inventor of the SRAM GripShifter (of which I remain a huge devotee), and he is still inventing new innovations for the cycling world... certainly a man to watch.

Peace,
BB

[Peter Morgano]

So could I use this to make my alfine hub a 16 speed setup?  I am only wary of the way that the gear cable has to be routed around the plastic anti-turn unit. I think if i had this setup I would fashion a small groove in the top so the cable cout run over it rather than under. But that is just my OCD acting up again.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rbw-owners-bunch/-/KNOVyOqwwrEJ.

[Joe Bernard]

There's a chap on www.bentrideronline.com who's running one with his IGH 8-speed trike.

[Jeremy Till]

One of the current Raleigh models does exactly that, pairing this crankset with a Nexus 8spd hub: 

http://www.raleighusa.com/bikes/fitness/cadent-i2x8-13/

On Tuesday, October 16, 2012 11:32:32 AM UTC-7, Peter M wrote:

[Allingham II, Thomas J]

Folks use Schlumpf 2-speed cranks with Rohloff hubs -- I don't see how the FSA with the Alfine shd be any different. 

Sent from my iPhone

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[Philip Williamson]

Bobby - I don't know. I think I'd just sit on the seat and take my feet off the pedals, brake, and shift back into the harder gear in order to slow the pedals down enough to re-engage. The scenario is frailin' down a hill in top gear, then dropping (accidentally) into low gear, right?

Philip

www.biketinker.com

[Montclair BobbyB]

Philip:

That's exactly what I'd do, too (but I'd probably throw in a "woob woob woob"...).  Seriously, I'd expect the wheel speed wouldn't change with the shift, so the crank rotation would instantly accelerate... But if your feet are firmly strapped in and you offer some leg resistance (assuming your legs aren't ripped from your body) I'd imagine the tires might make a noise similar to jet landing gear hitting the runway.

In the name of science, man.... you've GOT to test this!!!  Please just make sure to film it for YouTube...  

Don't mind me... it's late and I'm delirious.. 

Peace,

Bobby

[campyo...@me.com]

If you're talking about the S3X hub, then the answer is yes--If you're riding in cruising (3rd) gear at a reasonable speed and downshift on the fly to 2nd gear, your cadence immediately increases. Basically the same as downshifting a manual transmission car--the engine revs up in the lower gear to catch up with the speed of the car. It's not quite the same as shifting a standard (freewheeling) IGH, where the ability to coast hides the abruptness of the shift.

Question is why you would downshift like that ... In my experience, the only time you'll need to downshift an S3X is because you're going slow and/or approaching an incline. Shifting to a lower gear at speed on the flats wouldn't make any sense.

--Eric

[Joe Bernard]

Well, on a freewheel geared bike I downshift before the hill starts so I have a rapid spin going into the incline.

 

Joe Bernard

Vallejo, CA.

[Montclair BobbyB]

Eric:

It could occur accidentally; I'm more curious to understand the sheer physics/mechanics of it, but you're right from a behavioral perspective it's less likely to happen in a typical riding situation.

(Pssst, Philip... don't let that dissuade you from attempting your experiment... :)

Bobby "Long as it ain't MY hub" Birmingham 

[PATRICK MOORE]

To yank this thread into the really weird: years ago I saw a
description and photo of a -- what to call it? Derailleur multispeed
non-coasting drivetrain? You couldn't call it fixed since it involved
no fixed cog, only freewheels. I've been tempted to build one just for
the over-the-top weirdness of it: on the level of that famous "Polish
straight block and do we mean straight block freewheel".

IIRC, this was a standard, multispeed drivetrain on the right with two
rings and as many cogs as you like, but with an added single ring and
single cog reverse freewheel -- ie, it freewheeled as the pedals were
rotated forward -- on the left. Since the right cogset was
freewheeling, you could shift gears as usual, but the left
drivetrain/freewheel prevented you from coasting because forward
motion activated this drivetrain.

The relevant point: I always suspected that, if you backed off
pedaling in a high gear, that the pedals would immediately start
spinning madly if the ratio of the left drivetrain was very low.

On Thu, Oct 18, 2012 at 7:23 AM, Montclair BobbyB
<montcla...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Eric:
>
> It could occur accidentally; I'm more curious to understand the sheer
> physics/mechanics of it, but you're right from a behavioral perspective it's
> less likely to happen in a typical riding situation.
>
> (Pssst, Philip... don't let that dissuade you from attempting your
> experiment... :)
>
> Bobby "Long as it ain't MY hub" Birmingham
>