Originally Posted by
msweig
So in my looking for a new bike I've run into some curiosity on how feasible it would be to swap the IGH on a bike. I'm tempted to get a Priority Bikes Classic Plus Gotham, which has a Shimano Nexus 3 speed IGH, but I'm not sure if that will be enough gears, and if I'll get annoyed with it down the road. How viable is it to swap that hub out with a Nexus 7 or 8 or Alfine 8 down the road if I want? I realize this would consist of taking the old hub off and dropping the new one in (with needing to redo all the spokes), but is this viable? I have no idea if there would be frame differences, or other things I need to consider.
Your best bet is to find a bike that you can actually ride first and see for yourself. Don't buy a cheap-o online bike that you cannot ride and then try to upgrade, it will cost a lot more then getting what you want from the get go. You might even find the Alfine 8 isn't quite enough and the 11 is better or you may find that IGHs aren't your thing or you may find the 3 speed stuff is ok but you won't really know till you test ride some stuff.