good frame for internal hub town bike?
 

I'll looking to build up a runaround bike with 26" wheels, an internally geared hub and either hub or disc brakes. (Sturmey Archer stuff.)

All of the frames I see with horizontal dropouts are single speeds for mountain biking or road: performance oriented. I want relaxed geometry, sloping top tube, and suitable for mustache bars and front basket.

Any ideas?

When I was looking for that, there wasnt too much around so u used a Dahon Cadenza 8.

Consider a Kogswell P/R ?
Also as mentioned above the Surly 1x1 is a good choice, as is a Soma 4x5.
I know they are MTN bike like - but I've seen a Surly 1x1 set up with a SA3 as a
town bike - it was very nice.
In UK - how about a Raven Tour or Nomad frame set ?

Thanks, all. Will look through these suggestions. Yeah, I'm in the UK now, but moving to the Pacific NW.

It's not actually for me, but my gf.

I'm pretty sure you don't want moustache bars. All the versions I'm aware of are standard road diameter. That means the grip shifter for an IGH won't fit on the bar, since they're all made for mountain bar diameter, and that's thinner than standard road. So unless you're using a hub that is set up for a bar end shifter, or you're lucky enough to have one of the clamp on Sturmey Archer shift boxes... you're gonna be cursing at moustache bars.

Nitto's North Road/Dove bar and the various clones in that style is mountain diameter, gives a neutral wrist position like 'stache bars, and will take the damned twist shifters.

You also might want to double-check with her... a sloping top tube tends to go with more compact frame geometry. I'm all in favor of this, since I've got a long torso and short stubby legs. Compact and cargo-friendly chainstays means the bike fits me juuuuust right. If that isn't her build, she might be happier if you get her a frame to suit. Doublecheck too that she's not planning to ride in a skirt. I do sometimes, and I have learnt to my sorrow that a sloping top tube makes skirts kinda exciting to ride in. The wrong kind of exciting, where the skirt tries to fight your every move.

If she's one to bike in a skirt, I'd look at Soma's Buena Vista mixte frame. If she's not, Surly's Crosscheck. The 1 x 1 is *really* me friendly geometry wise... North Roads will help, but I dunno that the chain stays and bottom bracket position would really be what she wants.

The best thing for IGH use is an old steel frame.

And Torrilin's quite right; most IGH shifters won't fit on a mustache bar. Sturmey Archer is coming out with a bar end shifter that will, but so far they're not available. Maybe in a few months, though.

Thanks, rhm and Torrilin. Soma Buena Vista is very appealing. VERY appealing!

My GF just got a Norco Corsa ST1 it's got 700c wheels, but otherwise it's a great urban bike at a decent price. I couldn't build a Surly 1x1 city bike for that price with an IGH and she really wanted a step through frame.

1) Riders have been mounting classic Sturmey triggers on road bars for over 80 years.
2) I'm sitting here holding my Sturmey SL-S30 bar end shifter in my hand. I've had it for about a month.

tcs