I've a Milano for about 3 1/2 years and it's been great. My only complaint is that it's geared too high - perhaps the new 8 speed version extends the range of ratios. I often carry alot of stuff when I commute and had about stopped using the Milano because I moved to the bottom of a mile long hill a couple of years back.

To solve this, I just put a double chainring on the bike (28/38) and now I have all the low gears I need and can again haul my BOB trailer with the Milano. It's a poor substitute for a Rohloff, but I don't have $1000 for a new hub lying around right now.

It is harder to change a rear flat with an internally geared hub, but what I've done has been to remove the tube and patch it while leaving the wheel on the bike.