Originally Posted by
rollagain
Sadly, I don't see internal-gear drives ever competing with derailleurs in cost or weight, both of which limit market appeal and thereby cancel economy-of-scale advantages.
I believe there are about 4x as many IGH's in use worldwide as derailleurs. They are the drivetrain of choice for commuters in most countries outside of the U.S.
Both have their place. We have derailleurs on our sport/recreation bikes - road and mountain. They are lighter, provide a greater range and are a bit more efficient.
The bikes we use for daily transportation all have IGH. The fully enclosed drivetrain means we can wear whatever clothes we want, they are ultra-reliable and largely maintenance-free, and don't get gooked up during snowy winter rides.