Working with a budget of say $650 what IGH bike would you choose and why? I'm looking for a general purpose bike for around the neighborhood and around town running light errands or going for a sandwich. Thanks for any and all input/comments/discussion.

I like the Schwinn Coffee 3-speed.

A used Raleigh or some other English, Dutch or German 3 speed.

Retrofit a IGH wheel in an old bike you are comfortable riding.

I like My Brompton M3L..

Love the old Raleigh and other English 3-speeds.

There's also the Brooklyn Cruiser Driggs 3.

I was gonna laugh at the $500 price tag on this '72 Raleigh in your area until I saw the pictures. Snap that thing up, I say.

https://houston.craigslist.org/bik/3541394235.html

I had an identical but for color '72 Sports model. Eventually was left in a bike rack in Freiburg, Germany in 2002 by my daughter when she departed.
Only picture of it is of me and children in 1983.

Very nice!

Just now went up to Bike World on Broadway in San Antonio and looked at a Driggs 3. Steel frame (hi-ten, can't have everything at this price) and two top tubes, comes with the wooden crate on the back, quite the workhorse.

26" wheels with 1.75" tires, should ride smooth.

I would totally get one of those if it had a few extra speeds. There's a blog article/interview on the Brooklyn Cruiser site implying that a "Driggs 7" is in the works....
https://www.brooklyncruiser.com/blog/...founder-owner/

It is definitely in the works, with a Nexus 7.

Works

There are a lot of options out there. My go to bikes are all IGH and run the gamut from 70's vintage Raleigh Sports/Superbe/Twentys to a custom build up on a Dawes Galaxy frame using a 4 speed IGH. My newest one happens to be a Redline R530 with an 8 speed Alfine IGH. That bike was about $600 new in 2008, similar bikes are being built today by Trek, Giant, Linus, Electra and many others.

Aaron

I like both of those bikes. I think I'd lean toward the Raleigh though. It seems like an ok price although no super bargain either. I do like the look of the double top tube too though.

In that condition, the Raleigh is worth it. Elegant bike. Lugged frames aren't something you generally see on new bikes for under $1500 these days, I think.

The Brooklyn is nice, too. Just remembered, it's a coaster brake, if that makes a difference to you.

I have to hand it to the man who started selling the Brooklyn Cruiser. There's already a bicycle company in Brooklyn selling cruisers for close to 100 years. Worksman. Although I must admit, his bikes are probably lighter than a Worksman.

I really like Worksman, but I never see them around.

I like the Giant Via 1- https://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-us/...1/11502/55837/.

If you want more than 3 speeds, you basically have to go the online route to stay within budget. At least that's what I observed when I was kicking around the idea of getting an IGH bike.

That Via 1 is awesome.

The Schwinn IG5 has a couple more gears and is still well within budget. I think it's a neat bike, but it's an aluminum frame.

8-speed $499: https://www.bikesdirect.com/products/...sers_bikes.htm

If you buy a 3sp consider changing the front chain ring to a 36 tooth to make the 3 speed really friendly to ride.

It might be cheaper to use a larger cog in the back instead. SA cogs go for ~$5, chainrings are usually more than that.

Get serious. He lives in HOUSTON TX for crypes sake. My 88 YO dad rides a 46/18 SS heavyweight.

I would use a 44 /18. 49.8--66.4--88.5 GIs. I shift to 92 GIs at about 18 mph.
If someday he drives it to someplace hilly, a 21T would still be plenty low geared.

Yea, the highest point is probably bridges over the shipping channel.

theres 60M clearance under the the bridge, across the Columbia here, at high tide.

My hero has always been the tortoise not the hare.

Now that we all know you're a rude smart ass what else ya got??