Jeff & I both have Bike Fridays. I own an Air Glide, Jeff has a New World Tourist. We took our bikes on a 2 week trip to New Zealand just over a year ago. I wrote about the bikes and our trip here: http://www.teamestrogen.com/adventures/nz.asp There's some photos of the bikes and some mention of how it was to travel with them.

One thing I don't really discuss in that story is changing flats (well, Jeff had 3, but not me ) When we bought our bikes, we went with the decision to but the sram 3-speed internal hubs. I liked the idea of the hub for a couple of reasons. 1) you can shift standing still, which can be quite convenient when loaded touring. and 2) I like the idea of keeping these moving parts enclosed and clean (unlike my regular road bike, which always needs to be cleaned...) But choosing this option meant sacrificing a quick release rear wheel. At first this didn't seem like a big deal - I just carry a wrench. But with the rack on the back, there's almost no room to maneuver the wrench into place. Plus, it requires a lock washer to keep the wheel in proper position and I frankly have the damndest time getting the wheel on and off with that stupid washer staying in the right place. By the time I wrestle the wheel off the bike, I'm frustrated. Then, once I manage to get the tire changed (those little tires are tight and requires the world's beefiest tire lever) I usually can't can't the wheel back on without assistance.

Now, I'm a woman who prides herself on being able to take care of her own bike and *certainly* not needing a man's assistance to change a %^$$#ing flat tire. But I confess, I can't do it on the Friday, and I blame the decision to choose the internal hub.

Soooo, long story short, if I had to do it over again, I would get a plain old derailleur and triple chain rings.

Susan