Originally Posted by catatonic
Either way, i think electronic shifting is a bad idea....i say bring back the 3-sp internal hub, and we should move towards disc brakes on more bikes...yeah disc. Even the worst disc brakes stop on par with decent v-brakes....and that's plenty for anyone looking for a practical bike....and it's even better for those that will actually haul stuff with it.
I wouldn't agree that it is an inherently bad idea, but I do agree that I would like to see more bikes with internally geared hubs. I recently went bike shopping with my mom who has not ridden a bike in 45 years or so and she liked the ride and look of the cruiseresque style bikes like the Specialized Expedition but was put off because they were all 8 speed, triple chain ring jobs.
She ended up deciding on a single speed beach cruiser with a coaster brake, but I think I could have easily sold her on an internal 3 speed.