"...With the move to 148 Boost 12mm through axle hubs on MTB's, are there any IGH's that fit this new frame standard?
Do any IGH's allow for a through axle? Or do all IGH's require an open mount (dropout or track style) to allow the axle of the hub to slide in and out of the frame?..."
Those are good questions. I am learning about this on a steep learning curve, so I won't claim to be an expert. This is the first I've heard of these considerations, so...I would guess "probably not".
In my discussions with certain vendors, a typical provisional product can be produced if it does not require extra custom tooling, and somebody (group buy?) has to pay cash up front for any custom request. One request I have seen in person, is a group buy to have "X" hub produced with a longer axle so it would fit into 170mm rear dropout "fat" frames (215mm?). 100 units is often quoted as the Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) during initial discussions. However, if you can find a dealer for that product, they can often add only 20 custom units to a larger order (with the custom parts being delivered in a very vague and long-term schedule)
A "side by side" dual bearing flanged-freewheel (labelled "heavy duty") is now being produced and stocked by "sick bike parts". These have been requested for over two years that I know of. It is being used in freewheeling bottom bracket cartridges, which is a core component for the most common style of "mid drive" ebike kit.
If I was approaching a vendor about a batch of custom IGH's, my first stop would be Sturmey Archer. They definitely already have the greatest variety of IGH features, even if they are not competitive in "certain" models.
Last edited by spinningmagnets; 06-08-16 at 03:02 PM.
Reason: spelling