Originally Posted by
MacMorrighan
They also didn't seem to know about any other gear options than the derailleur system, which I personally find to be ugly since I am not an athletic biker it's unnecessary.
What's the issue with the "American" derailleur system? Just the looks?
Because it's a well proven system, works well and is easy to repair/replace. It'll likely give you a lot more gear choices as well which is a good thing even if you're not an athletic biker.
I'm not an athletic biker but love my 10 and 20 gear systems for the range - low enough to crawl up hills, high enough to get a decent speed on the flats, and enough jumps for there to usually be an ideal gear.