I hear you on all that, Joe, and basically agree as well. And I don't mean
to turn this into a IGH debate - but in this case it's vaguely relevant to
the discussion at hand about how best to add gears to a QB/SO. The things
that I personally like about IGHs happen to be the same things that appeal
to me about single speed bikes in the first place:
- Cleaner aesthetics.
- No noisy chain slap.
- No chain suck, ever.
- No derailleurs to get ripped off or twisted into the spokes by branches,
sagebrush, etc.
("Yes," this happens to me once every couple of years, and "no," I'm not a
reckless bro-brah rider who thinks he's entitled to ride off established
trails at breakneck speed.)
- No bent derailleur hangers to have to re-align
- Less affected by ice buildup
- Barely affected by mud
- One single adjustment (cable length) necessary for most IGHs versus that
adjustment plus three more (upper limit, lower limit, B-screw) for a rear
derailleur, plus three MORE if you add a front derailleur.
- More durable components which, if they are maintained, will outlast any
derailleur setup.
Lack of maintenance has never been a rationale for me. Only the EASE of
maintenance.
Regarding ease of wheel removal: I have a rohloff-equipped snow bike, with
a quick release skewer and the external gear box attached with a
thumbscrew. It is easier and quicker to remove and install than any
derailleur bike I own. On the other hand, I have to use a wrench every
time i remove or install the wheel on the quickbeam anyway, and then
re-center the wheel by eye. I don't see how an IGH is different. Except
that the wheel always goes back in the exact same spot which just gives you
the bonus of a good fender-line.
Regarding the common "what if it malfunctions while I'm on a tour"
argument: I kind of see that as similar to the threaded vs threadless
headset thing, where people say the later is better because they can make
adjustments on the side of the trail with a single hex wrench. How often
is that actually necessary in real life?!
On Thursday, June 7, 2018 at 9:26:37 AM UTC-6, Joe Bernard wrote:
>
> I had a chat with Grant a few months ago about IGH which was mostly two
> guys agreeing with each other, so take that for what it's worth. I don't
> hate 'em and I don't think he does, either; my complaint is the "no
> maintenance" marketing-speak that proponents invariably present as a
> feature over a cassette and derailer. I don't know what the heck is going
> on inside that hub, and wouldn't have the first clue how to fix it if it
> crunched to a halt out on the road. I can see and get to the workings of a
> cassette and derailer, and when a derailer gets wonky I can either adjust
> the shifting or leave it on one cog and ride home. There's also the matter
> of getting an IGH out of the frame to fix a flat.
>
> In summary: Heavy, not no maintenance, harder to remove a wheel on the
> road. I've never been convinced an IGH solves a problem caused by a
> cassette and derailer, which I think is where GP is coming from on the
> issue.
>
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