[MENTION=365305]kickstart[/MENTION] That bike is a thing of beauty! Thanks for sharing

This is the closest I've seen, but not widely available in the US unfortunately:
Day One Alfine 8 | Genesis Bikes

I think you may be forced to do your own build to get what you want, starting with an appropriate frameset.

Those "significant penalties" aren't very apparent in the real world, and the ability to select any gear at will at any time more than compensates for it. Unless one is planning on using the same bike for fast club rides too, its not really an issue unless one wants it to be.

According to wikipedia (which references Bicycle Science), IGHs are only a few % to 10% less efficient than a derailleur depending on the condition of the components of derailleur system, what cog you're using, and whether or not you're cross chaining. I think that's acceptable considering the reliability and convenience of the IGH. Besides, my commuting bike rarely takes rides over 8 miles.

When I say "go fast" I don't mean I'm racing to work, I just don't want to be stuck on a bike meant to go ~10 mph when I want to go around 15-20 mph depending on terrain and wind.

It was a $75 craigslist find.

Gah. I hate living in an area where all bikes are overpriced, even the $100 wal-mart bikes sell for much more than they're worth.

My feeling is impossible to quantify precisely, but if you are a 15+ mph rider, you're conceiving a bike that's too heavy. My cruising speed is slower than yours, around 14 mph, and I don't want drum brakes or IGH's because of the weight penalty. But I would not worry about internal friction. I doubt it makes much difference. I use a dynamo front hub on two of my bikes, and I can't discern the drag they create.

That describes most bikes other than cruisers, or BMX bikes........depending on the engine of course.

The best use for an IGH is on bike with a dog and a wide chushy "seat."

Thanks to both of you for your honest opinions. I think I really just have to find an IGH bike and take it for a serious ride, instead of just around the parking lot. Maybe I'll just try to put an IGH on one of my bikes first, to see if I'll notice the difference. Then, if I like it, build a bike up around it.

That's a good plan.

I highly recommend you test ride a bike with a Shimano Nexus hub before you buy. My Breezer Uptown 8 has one.

Read Sheldon Brown's article - it's true there is a "clunk" when you shift sometimes - I notice it most after shifting into 6th gear: Shimano Nexus and Alfine Eight Speed Internal-Gear Hubs

You can do 20 mph or more on the 8th gear on flats, at least on this Breezer, according to Cyclometer GPS - MapMyRide says I've never done faster than 18 mph, but it also stopped reporting elevation too so who knows how messed up that app is now. Because of my current level of strength/conditioning, it takes me a while to get up there - maybe you can accelerate faster. I'm not sure though you will like the performance as much as you might with a Shimano 105 set or something.

Thank you. There's no way I'd put 105s on a commuting bike though. Maybe that though will change one day when I have more money to spend, but for now I feel like 105s are too nice to be used on a commuting bike. My current commuter has Soras, so almost anything will be an upgrade. I'm not saying they don't shift well (they do), but I can definitely tell the difference between them and my 105 bike. (It could also be that the 105 bike has very many fewer miles than the commuter bike, who knows.)

Perfect as you wish, out of the box, maybe Not, But, you can always change component parts.
just needs Money added.

The point is not that you should get a 105 set but that you may or may not get the performance out of the Nexus 8 that you might be used to seeing, in comparison to non-IGH, geared bikes like the 105 or the Claris or the whatever.

I converted a derailleur MTB to a 7 speed Shimano IGH, and I couldn't tell any difference in weight, or efficiency within comparable gear ranges.

Well we are limited by the OP's $1000 price point.

My Rohloff bikes easily cruise at 15-18 on the flats but the hub alone is well over $1000.

The BMC Alpenchallenge and the Spot Brand bikes with Alfine hubs will all likely outperform any sub-$1000 IGH bike given the same or comparable rider.

[MENTION=345109]corrado33[/MENTION], what you want is a decent steel road bike frame from the early 70's, which you build up to your specifications.

I suggest you forget about hub brakes. Rim brakes are just so much easier to deal with.

Look at the IGH shifter options; comparatively few fit on a 23.8 mm bar (which is standard for drop bars). Sturmey Archer makes a good 5 speed hub that comes with a bar end shifter; and there are aftermarket options for some others. But most IGH shifters fit on a 22.2 mm bar, which is standard for "upright" style bars but also some older steel drop bars. Soma makes a "Lauterwasser" shape bar that's 22.2 mm and works well with IGH shifters. That's what I have on my commuter.

And who exactly would expect 7 speed road gearing to be fully comparable to MTB gearing.

Sounds nice to me. My cruising speed on flats with my Shimano Nexus 8 is more like 10 mph. I only get into the 20s when I have momentum from a descent, or traffic conditions (when sharing roads with cars) forces me to pedal harder/faster.

That said, I'm more of a "take responsibility for the bike's engine (me)" than a "blame the tools" kind of person.

Good suggestions.

You might be happy with mounting the shifter on an accessory mount. The mount clamps to the handlebar, next to the stem. Here is one with a bike computer attached to it.

typical MTB (24/32/44 12/34) 519%
Rohloff 526%
Nexus 7 245%

not exactly comparable gear ranges
https://www.rohloff.de/en/technology/...ge_comparison/

That depends a lot on ones environment, hub brakes have real advantages in most conditions other than clean and dry.

Yes, thank you, my point is that within that 245% range the difference in efficiency is hardly perceptible. If the gear range is inadequate for ones needs, the type isn't going to make a difference.