my wifes been using a bianchi milano with 8-speed shimano nexus hub since late last summer and we've nothing but good things to say of it so far.It still won't cover as broad a gearing range as is possible with conventional derailleurs but for commuting & general schlepping around on the flats and up moderately steep hills, it seems ideal. I esp like that you can change gears at a stop. The twist grip shifter is also about as intuitive as you could ask for and its drum brake has good stopping power for the application it's given. All-in-all it's an amazing mechanism and hopefully will turn out to be as trouble-free as all the reports seem to indicate.
best,
k