How does a 3-speed internal-gear hub work? | design and operation simply explained

Find out more about the structure and function of a 3-speed gear hub in this video. The heart of the gear hub is a planetary gearbox. With the help of clutches, the drive in first gear is via the ring gear and the output via the carrier of the planetary gearbox. In second gear, the so-called direct drive, the hub is driven directly by the sprocket. In third gear, the drive is provided by the carrier and the output by the ring gear. The individual gears are shifted using a sliding clutch, which engages with the respective components. To ensure that the wheel can continue to rotate even whnen the pedals are stationary, two overrunning clutches are realized using ratchets.

00:00 Planetary gear
01:03 Overrunning clutch on the carrier (freewheel)
02:09 Overrunning clutch on the ring gear (freewheel)
03:22 Sliding clutch
04:09 Shifting gears
05:23 First gear (input: ring gear, output: carrier)
06:38 Second gear
07:39 Third gear(input: carrier, output: ring gear)

[michasurowiec]

Really helpful explanation, thank you very much! First time user of this gear, so I'm happy that I could have learned how it works inside.

[our-story]

Perfectly explained, just what I was looking for, thank 😎👍

[nyrd]

30 years I have wondered how these work, forgot they exist until 25 minutes ago. Planetary gears... I feel thick. How I never arrived at that boggles my mind more than you might imagine lol

[stephencrowfoot]

Superb explanation of the hub gear type!! 🤓

[georgemas]

Im trying to solve a problem on my bike. And this is very helpful! What i got from it is that loosening the chain that changes speeds, it automatically slides to gear 3 (and perhaps makes shifting gears obsolete). The problem i had was mitigated (:the pedals were "Jumpy" and felt like losing the chain or changing gears by itself) !

[rstoick]

Best simulation I’ve seen yet. 😊 Picture = thousand words. Love the pointer hand. ❤ But please … slow down!

[adrian_zombturtle]

I know they make a 3 speed with a coaster break, any one know if the break drum was in the video ?

[georgecoffey]

The explanation is great but get someone to do a real voiceover and it would be so much better

[oxforddon]

I've heard that about 1 in 7 males are colour blind. It's bad luck if you are one of them trying to follow this explanation.