Originally Posted by
Kuto
I was looking at some town bikes for around $500 or less, including maybe a $100 lock if possible with that budget.
I found a Firmstrong Bruiser with the same derailer (but a revoshifter, which I less prefer), and no rack for $300.
Then I found a Virtue bike for $599 with the SA 5 IGH, and fenders.
Another Virtue bike has a 7 speed derailer, rack, fenders, and bell for $399.
The virtue Seven is at downtownlabicycles.com (EDIT The Vitue bike here is a SIX an not the Seven. My bad)
I have my eye out for some 3 speed hub bikes.
I am mostly concerned with finding out which has the lowest gear available for hilly areas. The rest is of lesser importance to me.
Who has experience with any drivetrains like this?
OK, I'll give my opinion.
First, I like the SA 5 speed overall. It's important to find a cog/chainring combination to make 3rd, your sweet gear. This way, you'll have two gears for climbing and two when going down hill. Learn to set this hub correctly because doing it wrong will cause it to slip!
There are plenty of threads on the SA 3 speed hub. Some people like myself perfer to set 2nd gear as the sweet gear but others perfer to ride in 3rd gear all the time thus giving you two low gears.
A 7 speed derailuer will give you more options because you can increase your range easier by changing clusters or rings. It will require more maintenance but not a whole lot since you don't have two or more chainrings.