I have bikes with three of the Nexus hubs-my olde schwinn replica has the 7,my Bianchi Milano has the 8 and I built a "race-recreation" bike with the premium 8.The premium 8 is much superior it shifts better,seems to have less drag.Shimano is coming out with a new version called Alfine that has a forged casing for better rigidity,needle bearings for reduced friction,and is lighter.Can't wait to get my hands on one!