Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 19,810
Likes: 597
From: NJ, NYC, LI
Bikes: 1940s Fothergill, 1959 Allegro Special, 1963? Claud Butler Olympic Sprint, Lambert 'Clubman', 1974 Fuji "the Ace", 1976 Holdsworth 650b conversion rando bike, 1983 Trek 720 tourer, 1984 Counterpoint Opus II, 1993 Basso Gap, 2010 Downtube 8h, and...
I've used old Sturmey Archer 3, 4, and 5 speed hubs a lot in recent years; also a new Sturmey Archer 5, several new Sturmey Archer 8's, the Shimano Nexus 8, and also Rohloff and NuVinci hubs. I pretty much gave up on derailleurs for several years, have started using derailleurs on a couple bikes in the last year or two. I still do most of my riding on bikes with old Sturmey Archer hubs.
The main advantage of any IGH is that you can shift while stopped. If you're in the habit of downshifting your derailleur before you stop, this isn't such a big deal.
As for maintenance, efficiency, and the pleasure of riding... well, these are all matters of opinion. I still prefer IGH's but as I've got used to using derailleurs again, I find I really don't care that much.