I went with the internal gear hub mainly due to the snowy/icy winters. Last winter was my 1st winter with this bike, & I'm sooo glad I had it. So far, the hub has proved to be very rugged & reliable. The only possible negative would be that it takes a bit more time to change a flat than a deraileur bike, as the hub/shifter hook-up is a bit of a PITA, as well as the obvious lack of a quick release.