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I agree. It almost seems like Shimano was trying to get all the benefits of a single speed (low maintenance, reliable, zero-though when riding), but with gears.

Single speeds are amazingly cheap, simple, near-zero maintenance.. but are not good for casual riders unless your city/metro is very flat.

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In my experience the reliability of single speed bikes is overstated. Several times when I rented or borrowed single speeds the chain kept dropping when I pedaled hard over rough roads. Sure that problem can be prevented through proper maintenance but in some circumstances it's sure nice to have a proper derailleur maintaining chain tension.

The chain should be tensioned enough to be impossible to fall off, so those bikes were just not set up correctly. But that is still a good point about problems people can have with bikes.

IGH are not much more complicated than SS.

Indeed, I ride both, and the complexity of dealing with the gearing is negligible.

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