Originally Posted by alanbikehouston
I have the Nexus four speed hub on my "rainy day/tropical storm/hurricane" bike. That's the bike I use when the weather turns bad, or I need to go through streets covered in a foot of water.
After both tropical storm Allison and hurricane Rita, my "storm" bike took me into areas that were closed to motor vehicles. Last year, I was visiting a friend whose low-lying neighborhood was so flooded that even the bridges out of the neighborhood were under water, and the Nexus hub was underwater for several blocks.
The combination of a Nexus hub, wide fenders, and coaster brakes enable the bike to work well when the water is up to the wheel hubs.
But, on a sunny day, with dry roads, I would rather be on a lighter bike with a few more gear choices. The Rohloff hub on a light frame would be my "ultimate" choice for an all-around urban utility bike, if the day came I had lot of extra money laying around. The Rohloff has enough gears to climb Mt. Everest, and is tough enough to last longer than I will.
I would too, alan. Especially for longer rides. Most cyclists like to enjoy a big ride with a fast bike.
But for my everyday 6.5 mile commute with two hills, I'm better off with this internal gear hub. I need the excersize and the features this bike has.
Regarding that wise crack on my maintenance, I know I'm fussy and want every gear to work. I had a tough time on my hybrid with that and it was getting worse. I know I would need a new derailler if I rode it more. But, regardless of that, I know a lot of people with derailler bikes and many need tuning. I tune my kids bikes a couple of times a year. I much prefer a low or no maintenance bike--like the old Schwinn's when I was a kid. I'm sure a new, high quality derailler bike would probably change my opinion regarding these, but I remain frustrated with them at the moment particularly with the front sprocket.