Three speed & Two speed gear

Quoted from: "The Ingenious Mr. Pedersen" by David E. Evans.

The hub gear, when first introduced (1903, patented in 1902), must have been a wheel builder's nightmare because of the pear shaped flanges.

Speed gear
Sectional illustration of the Pedersen frictionless three speed gear.
1905 cataloque

The pear shaped flanges required, it is said, twelve different lengths of spoke and although the company provided spoking charts they were not popular with wheel builders of other firms. A letter in October 1907 from W.J.Ashworth, then Commercial Manager of the Pedersen Works, to Mikael Pedersen, states that manufacturers were "disgusted" with the trouble in building these hubs into wheels and were refusing to buy. By 1909 both flanges were circular.

The gear like the saddle had its converts. "The Southhampton Times and Hampshire Express" in 1904 extolled the virtues of the gear in a long article.

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Gear shifter

After stressing these and explaining its principles it remarked "to alter the gear is extremely simple. It requires about as much exertion as is necessary in turning on the electric light and what could be more easy than that?"
The gear gave a 50% increase with each change upwards, which suited some people but not others. the gear tables bellow are representative. The 2 speed gears were 3 speed gears with out the low range.

Speed gear
Sectional illustration of the Pedersen frictionless two speed gear.
1905 cataloque

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Its been said that you can recognize a Pedersen gear by the malfunction of one of the speeds. (MR)

Speed gear
Three speed gear showing pear shape flanges of pre 1907
Photo: B.J. Ashworth

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3-sp D-P hub from 1912
Photo: Jack Bissel
 
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3-sp D-P hub from 1912
Photo: Jack Bissel
 
Image Enlarge photo (56kb)
3-sp D-P hub from 1912
Photo: Jack Bissel

 

Gear tables

Table #1

1 inch and 1/2 inch pitch
Number of teeth on bottom Bracket Wheel For 26 in. Back Wheel For 28 in. Back Wheel
Number of teeth on
Hub Chain Wheel		 Number of teeth on Hub
Chain Wheel
9*1 or 18*1/2 10*1 or 20*1/2 9*1 or 18*1/2 10*1 or 20*1/2
Low High Low High Low High Low High
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28		 or 40
42
44
46
48
50
52
54
56
 58
61
64
66
69
73
75
78
81		 87
91
96
100
103
109
112
117
121		 52
54 1/2
57
59 1/2
62
65
67
69 1/2
72		 78
82
85
93
97
100
104
108
 62
65
68
71
75
78
81
84
87
 93
97
102
106
112
117
121
126
130
 56
59
62
65
68
70
73
76
79
 84
86
93
97
102
105
107
114
118

Table #2

1 inch and 1/2 inch pitch
Number of teeth on bottom Bracket Wheel Number of teeth on Hub
Chain Wheel
8*1'' 16*1/2'' 9*1'' 18*1/2'''
Low Medium High Low Medium High
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28		 or 40
42
44
46
48
50
52
54
56
 47
49
52
53
56
58
61
63
66		 70
73
77
80
84
87
91
94
98		 105
109
115
120
126
130
136
141
147		 42
43
45
47
50
52
54
56
58		 62
65
68
71
75
78
81
84
87
 93
97
102
106
112
117
121
126
130

Table #3

5/8 inch pitch
Number of teeth on bottom Bracket Wheel For 26 in. Back Wheel For 28 in. Back Wheel
Number of teeth on Hub Chain Wheel Number of teeth on Hub Chain Wheel
15*5/8'' pitch 15*5/8'' pitch
Low High Low High
30
32
34
36
38
40
42
44
46
 52
56
59
62
66
69
73
76
80
 78
83
88
93
99
103
109
114
120
 56
59
63
67
71
75
78
82
85
 84
88
94
100
106
112
117
123
127

Table #4

5/8 inch pitch
Number of teeth on bottom Bracket Wheel Number of teeth on Hub
Chain Wheel
13 15
Low Medium High Low Medium High
30
32
34
36
38
40
42
44
46
 43
46
49
52
55
58
60
63
66
 64
69
73
77
82
86
90
94
99
 99
103
109
115
123
129
135
141
148		 38
40
42
45
48
50
52
55
57		 56
59
63
67
71
75
78
82
85
 84
88
94
100
106
112
117
123
127


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John Pinkerton Memorial Publishing Fund
Has published a booklet (48 pages) on "The Pedersen Hub Gear" by Cyril J Hancock.
Read more and order here.

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