I will make sure to report back here often (and in the Winter Cycling forum) regarding my new ride's ability to handle what winter can throw at it. We get a lot of Great Lake effect weather here, an ice storm or three every winter, and the City Fathers use a lot of salt on the roads. I'll be dropping the bottom bracket and headset for some rustproofing in November and putting some oil in the cable housings. I'll then add my studded tires and platform pedals and my bike will be winter-ready. My biggest concern is that the IGH will stop functioning if it gets too cold; I don't know if Shimano recommends a cold-weather lubricant for its Alfine hub. I will find out before I winterize the bike.

@ tjspiel: Fellow BF member canyoneagle owns the sister of my bike, a 2010 Norco Vesta. It's a single-speed, belt-driven, drop bar commuter. He converted his to the Alfine IGH and it looks great! I doubt it has clearance for 40mm tires but there is ample clearance for 35s (ala Schwalbe Marathon Winters). You can read about his build here:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...got-a-new-ride

One caveat: The Vesta is a one-off model for 2010 so it may be hard to find. Norco's replacement for 2011 is a more track-style bike called the Diamond:

http://www.norco.com/bikes/urban/suit/diamond/

Alternatively there's the Civia Bryant. but I have no idea about its tire clearance (it comes with 32s):

http://civiacycles.com/bikes/bryant/