Nexus 8sp here. The flat thing is bad if you default to tube removal, but most flats can be repaired easily enough and that doesn't require removing the wheel. Unhook one side, use cotton balls to find the snag, then use a tube patch and if needed a tire boot (paper dollars work really well for this). Reinstall tire, inflate and off you go. Worst I had was 3 repairs. I changed out tires between summer/winter. Now I'm using a derailleur setup, and keeping the chain clean is much more difficult.

For a commuter, I like the IGH, but I wished for lower gears sometimes in winter with nasty headwinds, snow on the ground, cold temps and hills.