Originally Posted by
Winfried
I have both, and if you do a lot of climbing, would recommend you get a double chainring and 8-10 gears in the rear: While a good solution for urban use*, an IGH is indeed heavier and has more drag than a well-tuned derailleur.
Going back to a derailleur-based bike after riding around with an IGH is like removing your shoes after a day of skiing. Light feet :-)
* Lets you change gears even at a stop, and requires very little maintenance
Based on the efficiency numbers for most IGHs and derailleur systems I've seen, tires are likely to make a bigger difference than transmission.