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Old 07-23-10, 12:52 AM
  #21  
PaulRivers
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Location: Minneapolis, MN
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Originally Posted by pwdeegan
my IGH added barely any weight (converted from a 1x9), and the bonus in reliability more than offsets any conceivably penalty. it also shifts much faster than my derailleur, and makes stop-and-go riding a breeze. of course, i got mine to handle the long rides which it more than excels at. no hassles, no dirtiness, just pure lovin' bicycle riding.
I can only say that I think mine weighs more (my mom even had the chance to try identical bikes, one with an IGH and one without, and commented about how it was easier to get up to speed with the derailler), there is no bonus in reliability - both an igh and a derailler are reliable. It doesn't shift any faster than a derailler. In fact, one aspect of igh shifting is that it's less predictable than an adjusted derailler (and contrary to the mythology, the igh does actually need to be adjusted for initial cable stretch just like a derailler).

It does let you shift at a complete stop which you cannot do with a derailler. The tradeoff is the unpredictability of shifts under load (they work, but you can't predict exactly how long they'll take).

If you have an igh with a belt you avoid a chain - that's great. If you have a chain, there's little or no benefit in maintenance or "less dirtiness" vs a derailler - the chain is the issue, not the derailler.

If you're unsure, please feel free to go ride one yourself. I'm sure you'll experience that the IGH "feels heavier and slower". After probably 500 miles on mine, the feeling doesn't go away. It's not a big deal if you're going 5-10 miles. It is a larger deal for 50.
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