• Hiho fella. A few points. If your frame has 120 mm spacing, then the dimension you should be concentrating on is the 'OLN' = over lock nut dimension. The axle length, which I reckon are the '170mm, 163mm and 148mm' is secondary to the hub fitting between the fork ends. The OLN of 117mm has a 163 mm long axle (according to the SJS website). I reckon 117 would be fine in a 120 frame.
    I commute on a drop bar thin tyred machine with a three speed hub and I reckon they are the best. As I use a large chainring and large rear sprocket, connected via a 1/8" chain, the transmission is ridiculously reliable and long lived. For hard core city commuting I can pretty well outstrip any other machine. Fixed wheel is lovely but crap for getting through bad traffic filled roads. I would never ride fixed in town. But I've never seen another racer on 3 speed.
    The s-rf3 is the latest version of the good ol' fashioned AW series, which has been going for decades. I use the AW, but old ones cut from mundane roadster bikes. Unless the old machine has been submerged or really badly abused, the old 3 speed is usually well good enough to rebuild without any need for major servicing. This latest version seems to have an aluminium shell, which is a rare thing in old SA gears. The more usual old steel shell is normally slightly oily on old bikes, so the chrome is good. The main neg though (apart from being 4oz heavier) is that the steel flanges are thinner than aluminium ones, so you need to stack washers under the spoke heads so that they don't break.
    So unless you are keen to shell out £90 odd for a bright new shiny hub, just look around for any abandoned old sit up and beg bike with a 3 speed hub and get the rear wheel. If you are unlucky it'll be a 40 spoke, which can be a pain as these rims are rare (but gettable: go for Rigida Sputniks). But any 1970's onwards will be 36 spoke.

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