8spd on a roadrat, 11spd waiting to be built up on MTB.
Liked the 8 so much for its simplicity, lack of maintenance, bung-it-in-the-shed that splashed on an 11. If I can ge teh same ease and useability out of the 11 on an MTB throughout the year I'll be in hog heaven.
Personally, as a non-lover of road bikes and with less inclination and time than I used to have for bike faffage, I think Alfines are great 
No point in using a duel ring - you might as well use dérailleurs as you loose one of the best bits - fixed centres chain and you would need a rear mech or a tensioner that can take up a lot of slack.I have one and its great bar the slightly restricted gear range - same as a 1x9
IMO, this is hogwash, although TJ's not the only one to say it.
There are all sorts of benefits (significance / importance being highly subjective) to Alfine hubs that are not purely limited to whether you don't have to use a sprung tensioner / rear mech' equivalent and the chain line.
As bikes are broadly speaking toys-for-boys and if you want to try a dual ring set up go for it. I still wonder whether the 11 will have enough spread for me and off-road but have decided to try it with a single ring and only fiddle around if I perceive the need.
I fitted mine on Monday and had my first proper ride this morning.
Apart from the ring of doom fitting and adjustment was very easy.
I moved from a singlespeed set up and to be honest didn't notice the extra weight, but maybe I'm not as in tune with my bike as others 
On my morning loop, a mixture of road, gravel and mud track I was 0.5mph faster than my previous best on singlespeed. So on that highly scientific basis an Alfine is obviously 'better' 
I don't find the gap in gears an issue, in fact on my road bike (3x10) I usually find myself shifting 2 gears at a time. The close ratios may be better for a highly tuned athlete but I don't count my self as one of them 
I notice a few people are saying that changing the wheel is bit of a PITA and it was for me when I was taking the plastic shift mechanism off the rear hub, as I assumed was the correct method. I then realised I could just pop the cable out of the stop and disconect that instead, which made life a lot easier.
They are easy to fix a puncture if you carry a spanner, just takes a little longer than a QR wheel.
All the singlespeed-like joy of a tight chain but, with added gears. I don't notice the gaps or the limited range.
I don't think they don't weigh that much more than a 18/27 speed setup. But the weight is all in one place. And I sense some extra internal drag in the 4 lower gears.
Only problem i have when changing wheel is the cable ferrule is a really tight fit in the gear changer arm thing so its a bit of a bugger to get out. Not any where near as annoying as remembering i cant fit the wheel with the tyre pumped up and having to let it down again after 5 minutes with a mini pump.
Neither of the above are really an Alfine issue.
As for all the weight being at the back, I've not noticed it at all and was popping the bike off rocks and roots same as normal the other day.
Does or has anyone tried it without the full length outer? It seems a bit silly to be running a full length cable tied to the cable stops
As Buzz Lightyear said if you unhook the cable at the stop you can just rotate the mechanism round and unclip the cable without any tools.
I love my Alfine 8. I have mine on a Saracen pylon 8 frame with mavic rims and kojak tyres.
Its a great combination for the road, im not as thin as i used to be so i find the bike a bit more comfy to ride. Absolutly no issues with the Alfine hub, i think i get more drag from the disk brakes than the hub.
I use the bike to get out on the road for 20-30 mile runs so couldnt care less about the last few % of efficency.
on the road the 8 speed is fine, all the greas you need. I run out of leg speed at about 25mph which is about where most people are better off just getting in a tuck downhill anyway, on the flat i cant push top gear anyway.
If i was touring i would like a slightly lower gear and the 11 speed would fit that bill better.
Gear chainging is perfect on mine, no issues and being able to change while not pedelling is very handy.
I have a flat bar race bike with a triple chainset and i much prefer riding the Alfine bike, its not quite as fast but just a nicer ride for me anyway.
I would definatly consider an upgrade to the 11 if i could get one at a decent price, right now they are just a bit out of reach.
thepodge - I put a spot of grease in that ferrule .. helped a lot. pre grease I was having to use my leatherman pliers, post grease I could use cold fingers.
just sold mine though as new multi-purpose bike setup is on the way that I've decided needs an wider range that the '8' could give me. (loaded bike packing versus road commuting versus XC)
Temporarily running a 2 x 10 setup on the bike that had the alfine though and I don't know if it's new hub + bearings+ lighter weight but it does just seem to coast and roll so much easier compared to alfine. just got to get my head back into the 'normal' shift pull versus the alfine 'reverse' trigger again. Few dodgy moments in traffic this morning
Yeah, greased it up and tried crimping the end onto the cable outer a bit tighter. still not perfect but much better
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