Originally Posted by mdilthey

If you say so... I am in the same environment and have had no damage. I think you're the minority if people keep kicking in your derailleurs.



There's a big difference between a 3-speed cruiser IGH and a Rolhoff touring IGH. namely, the latter is extremely complex, and much more difficult to repair. In fact, I'd put your chances of a field IGH repair at near-zero unless you work for Rolhoff (or NuVinci, etc.) Someone with a dissenting story can chime in, but I've never heard it in my time. Ask yourself; can you field repair your IGH right now?



This is what it boils down to, which is good, because it likely means the argument is over. Derailleur "issues," which for me adds up to about an hour a year, if that, is the trade-off for something that is field-repairable and easily replaceable. Your IGH, despite working beautifully the majority of the time, despite having a low probability of failing, has an inherent flaw; in the event of that 1-in-a-million break, you're utterly shipwrecked.

In the UK or USA, maybe that's just an expensive fix and a 2-day wait for fed-ex. In a foreign country, that could mean hitch-hiking a week back to civilization and buying a plane ticket home.

That's why, for me, the ultimate touring gruppo isn't the cream of the crop of IGH super-drivetrains. It's something quickly fixed or replaced. My tour experience has shown me time and time again that NOTHING works exactly as planned. There are no guarantees.