Originally Posted by
Happy Feet
Not as complex but I have wanted to make a project bike with an IGH drive and a front derailer for a while now.
....
IGH ranges from 3 up to 14 gears. (Or is there still a two speed IGH available?)
When I first got my Rohloff, I disliked how far apart each gear was, but quickly got used to the the 13 percent jump.
But I can see wanting a wider range of gears with an IGH that has a lot fewer gears. The gears on my old three speed are much farther apart from each other, that could benefit from closer gears.
If you pursue this further, keep in mind that some IGHs use a 135mm dropout spacing, some narrower. You will need to get the frame to match your hub. I tried to eyeball a caliper on my three speed, it appears to have a dropout spacing of about 115mm, but that also has a drum brake, not sure if the non-brake version is the same. And mine was built when inches instead of mm were the norm, so mine might be 4.5 inches.
I think an IGH with a rear derailleur makes more sense than front derailleur, unfortunately the Sram Dual Drive is no longer sold, but I am told that Sturmey Archer makes a similar hub. I have a Dual Drive on my folding bike, the IGH gives me 3 speeds, the cassette is eight speeds, so I have 24 gears.
What is your goal?