Originally Posted by
genejockey
The thing about what we have now - disk or rim brakes, chain drive, derailleurs, etc. - if you're even slightly mechanically inclined, you can install, adjust, and repair/replace all of it with simple tools. A gearbox hub sounds to me like "No User-Serviceable Parts Inside". The question I'd ask would be how much improvement do you get for the price, and giving up the ability to fix it yourself?
This would be exactly at least one major reason the manufacturers would go this route. Dealer servicing and reliance is a boon to their distribution model and distributor loyalty building. In a number of areas, buyers already have given up some things -- ie. think of proprietary seatpost shapes, 1-piece stem/handlebar systems that make an old-fashioned fitting a pricey proposition. Tubeless rim designs (becoming a default even if you want to run tubes) apparently make it really difficult for some to even change a flat tire. I understand, though haven't done it myself, that running new cables on the fully internal-routed frames is not an easy prospect. Some of the Di2 setup threads make it sound like you need a degree in computer programming. Bleeding disc brakes in my apartment isn't probably something I'd choose to try. Is servicing any of the proprietary shock absorbing systems now becoming common in the frame or headtube, an at-home type of repair? etc etc