I prefer Sturmey Archer hubs over Shimanos, and Hercules over Ross, but in this case I have to vote for the Ross. Like Tom said, the Herc is pretty far gone. I don't know why this is, but I've never seen a Ross that was really classy looking. But they have thick chrome and durable paint and seem to hold up well.
While we're on the subject, what's wrong with the Shimano hubs? Seems to me they are easy to adjust, and when working properly they're a little easier to deal with than the Sturmey Archer. The problem is if something goes wrong inside the hub, you have little chance of finding replacement parts, or instructions for how to overhaul the thing. So if you are really into internally geared hubs, the Sturmey Archer is the way to go, for sure. But if you're just looking for a reliable bicycle, the Shimano hub may do the job just fine.
Nothing really wrong with the older Shimano 3 speeds, except getting parts. I had one bike with the Shimano hub and it took me almost a month to hunt down a working shifter. I can still order shifters for the SA hubs.
Aaron
