Originally Posted by
livedarklions
Yeah, I don't get this either. It's been several decades since I've had an IGH, but the one clear advantage is you got a whole hell of a lot more miles on a chain before it wore out. For me, having to buy a new chain every few thousand miles is by far the most annoying aspect of chain maintenance. Lubing a chain isn't any big deal, and cleaning on an IGH chain is pretty much limited to running a cloth over it once ina blue moon.
Perhaps chain maintenance is not as critical with IGH chains since the straight line means less drag & wear. But with continuous commuting or touring etc a weekly lube-wipe, at least, would seem to be in order. OK, 5 or 10 minutes extra maintenance per week doesn't seem like much but if one is busy or weather is bad that would be nice to avoid. Chain life is not crucial, one can buy 10+ chains for the price of a Shimano Alfiine 8-sp IGH. Belt life is reputedly so good that they're cheaper than chains in the long run. Chains stain clothes & car interiors.