aka Tom Reingold
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York, NY, and High Falls, NY, USA
Posts: 40,691
Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem
Mentioned: 510 Post(s)
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Drum brake hubs have been around for a long time and are lower maintenance than disc brakes. And you can be sure that weather won't affect their performance I'm not sure if the argument is compelling enough, though. Drum brake hubs are heavy.
3-speed hubs are extremely reliable, but I don't expect IGH's with more speeds are as reliable. If reliability is at the top of your list, then a 3-speed is a good choice. 5-speed might be good, too.
You can get a 3-speed hub with a drum brake, a disc brake, or a coaster brake.