Is the Rohloff a perfect solution?....I'd be afraid to say anything is a perfect solution, but here is what I can say about a Rohloff:

- the shifting will stay consistent regardless of external conditions [mud, dirt, etc...]
- since you have two shift cables the shifting is very fast and precise plus there is no spring so you will always get the shift when you turn the shifter
- maintenance is minimal...a yearly 15min oil change
- service life of a Rohloff is 150,000kms+
- Rohloff offers great customer service and sells even the smallest part separately [rubber cover for their shifter for example] so you can always get anything you need.

I bought one at the start of the 2008 riding season and used it for all sorts of riding incl...touring, cargo hauling and fun/recreational rides. I liked it enough to buy a second I'll use on a touring bike and a mountain bike - swapping between them as needed.

I'm sold enough on IGHs to put one in the last 3 bikes I've bought.



My Rohloff'd Surly Big Dummy after hundreds of kms of dirt road touring. The bike pedaled and shifted as well the last km as the first and I did zero maintenance to the drivetrain. On another part of this tour that was dry I passed two tourers using derailleur gears who were trying to clean there drivetrains because the heavy dust from the dry road was messing up their shifting.



This is the same wheel from the Big Dummy above that will be used in a MTB for riding in Sedona and Moab on an up coming road trip...I just bought a spare Rohloff shifter and I can move wheels between bikes in a few minutes.



Here is my 2nd Rohloff in a touring frame.



I can't afford 6 Rohloffs so I swap my 2 Rohloffs between as many bikes as I can and I use the cheaper, but quite nice Shimano Nexus 8 or Alfine in other bikes where I don't need a massive gear range.



Nexus 8 in a Bike Friday NWT....