Originally Posted by
Elvis Shumaker
The Nexus 3-speed is probably the cheapest option and not a bad choice if you can route the cable through the frame. The twist shift can be matched up with Nexus-specific grips (Ergon etc.) to make it blend in more. There's nothing much on the shifter to catch and break anyway I reckon. 80% of riding in 'high' gear, middle for starts and hills, low as as a rarely used granny gear is my pattern. So not much thinking about shifting, or even shifting full stop.
The Nexus 3 speed is the hub I have on my non-folding bike. I've used Sturmey AW-3, Sram-3 and Nexus 3 and I have to say the Nexus is the best. I feel less friction in third gear than my prior Sturmey or Sram. Things might have changed but who knows.
I think the OP's fear of breaking parts of a three speed hub should not be an issue. I've broken the chain on a three speed and purchased a new one in no time. It's rare to break parts unless your careless with a folder.
What's more important when creating a hub gear bike from scratch is establishing a sweet gear that you can ride 95% of the time. If the OP does now know what gear he likes riding most of the time, the bike will be constructed and hardly ridden. There's nothing worse than riding a hub gear bike where none of the gears feels comfortable. This is even more important on a 2 or 3 speed where your gear selection is very limited. In a three speed, if second gear does not feel great and allows you to ride the bike all day, you'll rarely use it.