Originally Posted by
Loch
My thoughts.
They work well for 16" wheeled bikes. I have a SA 5 speed and a dualdrive (best and worst of both worlds, I guess).
I've found if you ride in the rain and dirty wet roads, they do get gritty, the seals aren't the best.
If you ride agressively they need more attention.
I've put over 1500 mi on my SA5 since July 07, and thousands on my Dualdrive......This is where the hub totally sucks, It is very tricky to service, and requires very precise adjusments to the cones to get it shifting properly. I'd bet you'd have a hard time finding someone close by that could do it right. I'd hate to even imagine servicing an 8 or 9 speed hub......They are very hard to find parts for which can leave you stranded. Everything is special order, stock up on axle nuts.....They are heavy and don't offer as good a gear range as a freehub cassette. Slightly less efficient.,,,If you are a leasurely rider that doesn't put a lot of miles on a bike in a year you will probably never notice the difference.
....cassette gears......they are easy to repair and adjust. I can clean them more frequently and more easily. No fiddling with stinking chain tension, and you can use quick release hubs. You don't need to readjust the gears everytime you remove the wheel or completely disconnect the shifting system....internal gears....They are probably the best choice for very small wheeled bikes. If you need a high gear range, something like the dualdrive is a must....I just don't think they are God's gift to bicycles....It's give and take either way, there is no perfect solution.
I did had it both ways in the past. I had the derailleur equipped road bikes for thirty years after I "graduated" from single speed bikes. These bikes were fine because I rode similiar to Loch's way of riding except for the wet conditions. I rarely went out then on any bike. I ride in a different way now. I purchased an old internal hub three speed bike from England several years ago. I felll in love with the simpicity and reliability of these gears. They are so easy to maintain and to use. I gave away my old road bikes and now exclusively use this type of drivetrain. And I only use folding bikes now. To each his/her own I guess.