[CelestialMystic]

I've found the exact opposite when looking at this in the past. The last time I bothered looking there are sturmey archer designs which have an odd slop in the pedalling, shimano designs (which are ok) and Rohloff (super expensive).

Contrast that to chain, cassette and the entire wheel is probably cost less than a hub. A new chain and cassette can be found at any bike shop and they are inexpensive. The maintenance concerns regarding chains are derailleurs are vastly overstated by the proponents of such hubs.

I have built and repaired my own bicycles since I was a kid. I've found that anything remotely fancy becomes a PITA. There is a reason why most bicycles use Shimano or Shimano compatible kit, it is cheap, available anywhere and reliable.