I am new to the forum and a newbie bikerider (unless you count riding a single speed with rear brakes when I was 9!).
I am interested in bikes with "Nexus 8 speed Internal Rear Hub". Closest thing I can find to automatic gear change plus can change gear without pedalling. My kind of bike.
Can you make any suggestions to types of bikes that have this? And what have your experiences been?
I don't belong on this forum but couldn't pass up that title.
The Cadillac AV-8, available at Target and Amazon, comes with a Sturmey Archer 8-speed hub as well as totally enclosed drum brakes. I got one just to get the wheels and put them on a MTB frame but the project bogged down and I wound up just riding the thing. It's great but heavy. Also, the full suspension eats up a lot of power, making distance cycling more difficult.
Maybe try a modern derailleur-equipped bike at a shop. It's a lot lighter and the system has less mechanical drag than an internal hub. Index shifting is almost as easy as automatic. You do not find just the right spot with a friction shifter like in the old days. You press the shift trigger until it clicks, then release, and you've gone up or down one speed.
