Originally Posted by Thor29
I have to disagree with this love fest for internal geared hubs. They are heavier, less efficient, have less gear range, and the rear wheel is much harder to remove and replace when changing flats. In my experience derailleurs don't require much maintenance at all. If you want a simpler bike for commuting in a flat area get a fixed gear or single-speed bike. I ride fixed gear in San Francisco, all you have to do is get out of the saddle and stomp on the shorter hills and do your best to avoid the mega steep ones.
I guess it depends on the type and weight of the bike. I have two fixies but my grocery-getter is a German-English 3-spd that I built up into a SS. Even after all the aluminum crap I installed it still weighed 32lbs. Needless to say I was unhappy with it as a SS so I installed an almost new condition Shimano 3S hub and shifter. It's about 36lbs now (with Wald basket) but much easier to live with now going up that honkin' hill to the grocery store.
I also kind of like that ticking sound in high gear. Kind of like a grandfather clock or metronome but faster!