Three Speed Bicycles

Three Speed Bicycles is a paen to the english bicycles that were popular in the United States in the two decades before the "Bike Boom" of the early 1970s. These internal-hub geared bicycles can still be found in garages and yard sales, but are becoming scarcer and more coveted in recent years. The author opines:

Once upon a time there were bicycles that seemed to invite you to go for a ride. They had fenders to keep themselves and their riders clean. They had a chainguard to protect their rider's trouser cuff. They had a saddle that, though not as comfortable as an easy chair, at least didn't seem like it was on the attack. They had few enough gears for the correct one to be easily chosen, (3, 4, or 5), and yet there were enough to make the bicycle easy to ride. They had tires that were just wide enough to go just about anywhere except in the rough and mud. They had handlebar grips that were padded well enough that gloves were usually not needed by their rider. It was easy to hang bags and baskets on them if your travel required that you take luggage and such with you. Their parts, except for cables and brake blocks, seemed to be almost permanent.

English three speeds are relatively heavy, compared to modern racing bikes, but are extremely durable and practical vehicles. The author (I can't seem to find his name on the site, only a photo) reproduces vintage owner's manuals, parts diagrams, and picture galleries of tantalizing machines.