Originally Posted by
DropBarFan
Rohloff is pricey for sure but OTOH for decades Sturmey-Archer made cheap & dependable IGHs. Shimano's 11-speed Alfine is a fraction of the Rohloff cost though it's not really for hard-core touring. But it's a positive step. I remember when derailer bikes became popular in the USA. They caught on quickly despite the higher cost--mostly due to fashion & marketing & not benefit to avg rider. I live next to a major bike path & see 1,000's of riders on 18 & 27-gear bikes. Vast majority of those riders don't know how to maintain those derailers & chains & have to rely on bike shops.
FWIW, I had one of those cheap and dependable Sturmey-Archer hubs as a teenager. Pretty much destroyed that sucker in two years. Not what I thought was abuse, but the LBS guy who replaced the hub explained that I was climbing hills in my neighborhood, and weighed about 150, and the hub wasn't build for that. Not sure what applicability that would have to 3-mile, 10% climbs with a 30-50 pound load -- I suspect the S-A would not survive.
Ran the replacement with derailers all over the north end of town, up far more, and even steeper hills. Probably five to ten times as far. No problem. And minimal problems going across country with the aforementioned 30-50 pound load on a different derailer bike, some 30 years later. Not to mention the gear range, even on an old 10-speed, was far wider than the S-A.
So if a Rohloff can handle that kind of hill and load, if someone wants the simplicity of an internal geared hub, and wants to take it touring, I guess the Rohloff's price is the alternative (or one of the Shimano IGHs, but I've not read about their durability).
Not clear to me what bike path denizens has to do with the a touring bike/touring cyclist, unless you think they'll pay to more to subsidize mass production of touring gear.