The Three Speed October Challenge is October 1-31, 2023. Registration now open!
Thanks for stopping by!
The Society of Three Speeds (or SOTS, if you are into that whole brevity thing) was founded in 2013 in Portland, Oregon, USA. To put it simply, our society appreciates the humble three speed bicycle. Once the ultimate in human-powered transportation, the three speed bicycle has been sidelined by first the road bike or “ten speed” and then the mountain bike. The three speed has been either disparaged or just forgotten about during the past 40 years or so.
But there’s nothing wrong with a three speed bicycle!
We aim to provide the resources and inspiration for people to enjoy and ride three speed bicycles, whether vintage or modern. For a nominal fee, you can become a member of the Society of Three Speeds and get a membership packet sent to you!
We also typically put on a series of Three Speed Rides in and around Portland, Oregon through the year. The first one occurred in 2011, and we have about three rides a year, though pandemic has put a hold on in-person rides for the indefinite future. Fear not: we also have two annual challenges that can be done on three speeds anywhere in the world: Three Speed April and Three Speed October
Please peruse the many pages on this website for more information. Please be gentle on us, this website is still a work in progress, and it is a labor of love by one obsessive man. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
Viva Three Speeds!
Updated 1 September 2023
Society Of Three Speeds 
Just when I thought Portland couldn’t get any better… YES!!!
Hello from the East Coast.
Another East Coast Hello….”Hello!”
YAY! Midwest hello!
Hello from St. Louis too!
Chicago checking in!
Hey from another Chicago area 3 Speeder
Greetings fellow 3 speeders from little ol’ England
…and another English welcome, from the home of the Three-Speed. Thank you so much for the truly lovely little introductory pack. I will be ordering more stickers, and another couple of memberships as gifts.
Hi from the hilly part of the Midwest… sometimes 5-speeds are handy here. 🙂
Hello from Colorado. I have more than 500 3-speeds at my disposal via Denver B-cycle.
Yes…. I´m now a member of this great cycle club.
I ride my three speed every day here in Denmark and people do comment on the bike. Mostly things like `can you manage with only three gears´ or `how do you cope with hills´ I manage fine and I can always walk up the hills.
Nice web site as well.
Veteran-Cycle Club (New England Section) bids you Hello!
Riding my three speed here in Florida leaves me with two EXTRA gears just in case.
That’s a good way of looking at it.
Tally-Ho from Wisconsin, USA, home of annual The Rural Ramble, first Sunday in October. Details at http://www.bicyclingbackwards.com. Cheerio, Wrongway Pete
Nice blog! I’m a three speed fella myself. I ride a pretty new Worksman Ritchie. SA hub. Great bike for NYC.
[IMG]http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a226/ebrandwein/60557F88-F944-4000-BCD3-11E6696E9F75-27397-00001E301E2742D2.jpg[/IMG]
Edward, thanks for dropping by! Nice looking bike, too. Just to note, it doesn’t look like wordpress allows for embedding of photos into comments, so if anyone else wants to see it, here it is:
http://s12.photobucket.com/user/ebrandwein/media/60557F88-F944-4000-BCD3-11E6696E9F75-27397-00001E301E2742D2.jpg.html
Good morning gentlemen from England…. Good luck with your preservation work from all the chaps of the Guvnors’ Assembly… pop by and say hello, plenty of 3 speeders in out little club http://www.theguvnorsassembly.com/
And I’ll add another Midwestern “hello” to the fray, from Kansas City.
3 Speeder here in Sellwood!
How much fun can riding around with a bunch of bike nuts grasping onto an outdated form of transportation be?
Wait,…..probably a blast! New stuff sucks! And everyone there knows it! Wonder if I’ll meet my twin siblings there?
Thanks for coming by, Arnie! But I’d hardly consider a three speed “outdated.”
I want to join SOTS… I have a Steyr-Puch 3 speed…here in Hollywood, Florida
Send info please
Thx
Don
Hello Don. All the info you need can be found on our “Membership” page.
https://societyofthreespeeds.wordpress.com/membership/