If you hit the gears right on snow you will go much better even faster on snow. For beginning for this type use start on the middle front and middle on rear.

I don't know anything about Canadian bike shops, but in the USA the ratio of derailleur to IGH bicycles in most shops runs at least 100:1, if not higher. Most shops have no IGH bikes at all.

I think a lot of casual-use people would prefer IGH, but it's almost wasting your breath to mention it.
Between the hassle of having a shop convert a single-speed bike and the resulting total cost, I've not heard of any non-bicycling enthusiast who has ever bothered.
"Why pay $700 for this, when wal-mart has nearly the same thing for $100?"
'Because this will work right and last longer and be a lot nicer to use. If any of that matters.'

I believe the extra S in the word guy is the problem. Sorry about that.

IGH's have a place and a use. It may even be that the OP would be better served by one. However, to say that derailleurs are stupid technology is just ignorant trolling.

The initial problem was the tone you took talking about the OP, actually.

I did? well i said he doesn't know how to shift... that's a problem? Seen threads like this way too many and people just get tired of reading them and is not even funny. To me the guy doesnt know how to shift or use the gears, is that being rude? I can be rude if that makes you happy...

Did you read Airburst's comment? Here it is again.
Here's your first contribution to the thread.
The tone is elitist and dismissive. If that was not your intention, you should work on your writing skills.
The next post after yours had a helpful tone, and offered suggestions as to how to shift properly.
Thanks for trying to spare us. But many of us actually like to help people who are having problems. It's actually the intended purpose of this subforum.

For me the problem was posting the comment after the OP had been given information on using his gears and said "Thanks, I understand now," thereby implying that he could not learn.

As I initially said in my response to the comment (post #6) "That was undoubtedly true initially. Let's take him at his word unless we hear from him again."

I suspect butthurt at failing to understand the system enough to look after it.

Hey GORD, did you know the derailleur drivetrain is the most efficient drive transfer system ever invented, and is virtually certain to never be eclipsed?

Thought not.

Holy jeebus, folks. Pretty sure he was joking.

Bicycle wrenching is serious bidness. Save the silliness for foo.

I took the fact he's Canadian into account; inclement weather of the Canadian variety may well be cause to prefer an IGH...

But don't be dissing derailleurs, yo.

If dRs are SO efficient ....
Then why does every LHT rider complain they ride like SLUGS ???
Then why do all tour guys all think they need a 20 GI ???
Then why does weight weenie matter SO much ???

All I can compare is the bikes I have used, none were less than 40 lbs as used.
dRs are LESS efficient in any gear is what I concluded after riding 2800 miles with my XL-RD5w and XL dyno front hub.
They accelerate faster mostly because of WEIGHT difference, they certainly are less aerodynamic. and pathetic when the chain gets dirty in the real world.

My Fastest ever speed = SA on the first try, 44.63 mph wizzout from standing start on a bit over 1/4 mi hill.
This spring it will go up to 50 easily, when it is on my custom roadster and use a 48/17T.
Best at hill climbing = SA, with un-low of 43.5 GIs Less strain, more speed for same effort, even on 20% heavier bike.
I went farther with the SA than I ever thought to go with dRs, Zero worries.

I quit.

None of that is relevant. It's the 98% percent efficiency vs somewhat less for meshed gears that matters.

And yes, you're right that it all goes out the window when it gets dirty.

But just because a derailleur drivetrain doesn't suit your needs, that doesn't mean everyone running one has drunk the kool-aid.

GamblerGORD53, there is more to the world then your limited life experiences. You sound the the owl in this video;
The mechanical efficiency of a drive system is defined as the ratio of the power output to the power input; often measured in percentages. In a vacuum on a flat plane, all things being equal, Dr and IGH are close to being equal, but overall the IGH requires 8% more inertia in some gears to get going and has little to no input momentum (when you are coasting with a freehub/wheel there is little resistance bringing the drivetrain up to speed; with a IGH you feel more resistance as you bring the internal workings back up to speed. Another issue is not only are IGH do not lend themselves to quick releases, add to that the rear wheel weight and linkage to the hub and rear wheel removal can be problematic. To answer all three of your question, the answer is weight. When all things are not equal and you start climbing, weight becomes a major factor. I don't race anymore, but most of my bikes are 20-22 lbs and riding a 30lbs+ road bike feels like I'm riding in mud. Depending on the number of gears this will add 1 to 3 lbs to the rear end. The weight distribution of a bicycle is usually around 60% rear. With a 22 lbs bike, a rear 3 lbs difference (7-8 gears) would increase 7% weight to the rear, which would likely effect medium to high speed fork stability.You also have the fact the gearing of an IGH is fixed, while with a derailleur it can be changed to fit the ride (the widest gear spread is not always the best option).

I don't normally call BS, but really GORD! You expect us to believe you can achieve 44+ mph on any bike? C'mon down here to real bike territory and I'll bet you get dropped by the commuter chicks heading home from work. 50 mph on your "custom roadster" with 48-17s? What's the cadence on that one? LOL!@

Long Haul Trucker, as in Surly? Dn't think I've ever heard a LHT rider complain about anything but possibly weather and aggressive motorists.

Gear Inches?
For any mere mortal, a loaded ride up https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Col_du_Tourmalet, or even one of the lesses passes would make that eminently clear. Or pretty much any climb longer than spitting distance, when there's a 3" layer of mushy snow on the ground

Because if the main thing separating you from the guys you're riding with is that your rig is heavier, they will be able to drop you when you hit a serious climb.

How nice. Now we can say that you don't know what you're talking about, because you don't have a relevant reference frame.

Well sure, if you're happy making statements w/o access to decent comparison material, why would you care about what readily repeatable and controllable lab results has to say.

True, but not important. The drag generated by the derailer is entirely insignificant compared to the drag generated by the rider. As long as a rider can't maintain the perfect tuck throughout the ride, there's virtually nothing to be gained aerodynamically by removing the derailer.

Sorta true. But at least derailer setup contamination is easily verifiable. How much gunk do you think you have hiding inside an unserviced IGH after a couple of seasons.

If you're that fast on the flat you shouldn't be here posting, you should be out there, riding for money. If you're that fast downhill, you're maybe a bit brave.

So? That says more about how long you've kept at it than what effort and/or speed you used. There may well be people who've run farther than I have ridden. That doesn't make running more efficient.

Well aside from general problems with the OP's attitude and pseudo-science, i's quite possible to achieve 44+ pedaling on a XL-RD5 with a 48-17. The 1.6 high gear yields 44 mph at 12 rpm. It would take a long steep hill to do so, and yes 50 mph is possible on a bike. I was paced by a car going through the Cajon Pass on I-!5 in California at a 50 mph coasting in a tuck (hey, I was a foolish 23 year old). The OP is unlikely to achieve that speed without a bigger hill or a bigger tailwind, and pedaling rate would be in excess of 140 rpm.

So, what chain lube works best on an IGH drivetrain? Can you use the same lube you would on derailleur chain?

Don't forget, we all were beginners once too and did find out these same thingsourselves over time. Most of us were lucky enough to learn to ride with experienced dads, brothers, friends, etc. and probably when we were 6 or 7. My wife rode her first derailleur bike with me many years ago and I remember that it probably was a good thing she rode a lot with me and was not out there on her own at first figuring these things out. I am pretty sure if she were on her own to figure it out she would have abandoned biking after a few rides, or had the bike back at the bike shop with all sorts of complaints about it.

Evan, I hope you got it figured out and hope you come back to the forum for more help as your experience increases.

Best of luck!

No, not a good idea. Just Google Sturmey-Archer hub lubrication.

I looked at my bike last night and i wasn't cross chaining it when it "stuck" it was on the big cog and the big chain when it did. So you might be right.. I'm starting to get the hang of everything through reading online.. it's still snowing and cold, so i haven't got out again yet. Also there seems to be some arrogance on these boards whenever i post.. people gotta learn somewheres. Thanks for this post i quoted.

Maybe there's a typo in here, but otherwise big-big is cross-chaining - as is small-small.

Welcome to the internet! You learn to filter out the bollocks people talk and only hear the sensible stuff eventually...