looking to upgrade from boardman comp hybrid 2013 - maybe Genesis 2018 Skyline 30?

[apeshake]

I've had the boardman for about 5 years now i think and it's fine but the gears are playing up (2nd time they've done this) - not always moving into the next gear reliably. I'm biking more than ever at the moment so I'm wondering if it's worth upgrading rather than spending more on the boardman. It was the first bike I spent more than about £100 on.

Any advice would be really appreciated as I'm completely clueless about bikes and the more I read online the more confused i get

I want a hybrid (i think) that can deal with the rain and crappy roads round manchester. It's fairly flat round here but very bumpy.

I like the convenience of the extras that come with the skyline (mudguards, rack and dynamo lights) but other than that I'm still pretty clueless. I'd rather not spend more than £1000 and I don't feel knowledgeable enough to brave the 2nd hand market

 

[John_S]

Hi apeshake,

Just because your bike is 5 years old doesn't necessarily mean that it definitely needs replacing. If you're using the bike a lot then wear & tear does have an impact on the components and they'll only last so long before they need servicing &/or replacing even if you are doing regular cleaning and maintenance.

If you're not happy with the performance of your bike at the moment due to issues with the gears perhaps take it to a local bike shop mechanic that you trust and ask for a quote on what needs doing to the bike before getting the work done if the LBS is happy with that arrangement. That way you'll have a price on the cost of the required work on your bike versus the cost of a new bike and you can weigh up which you think is best for you.

If you do go down the route of the bike then having one with mudguards, a rack, dynamo hub & dynamo lights already fitted because those are all great for a bike that's in regular use or a commuter so if the bikes comes with all of those fitted already then all the better.

If you do want to go down the route of getting a new bike and just want some other options to weigh up against the Genesis Skyline then there are a few options below although some might well be more expensive than the Skyline.

Flat bar bikes:-

Cube Travel
There are quite a lot of different bike models in the Cube Tour / Travel range but several of them come with rack, mudguards and dynamo lights fitted.
https://www.cube.eu/uk/2019/bikes/trekking/tour/
https://www.freeborn.co.uk/cube-travel-sl-2018-black-n-black-hybrid-bike-28395

Kalkhoff Durban
Several of the Kalkhoff Durban models come with rack, mudguards and dynamo lights fitted:-
https://www.kalkhoff-bikes.com/en/bike/urban.html
https://www.bikester.co.uk/kalkhoff-durban-8-city-bike-black-579733.html

VSF Bikes:-
A lot of the VSF bikes have rack, mudguards and dynamo lights fitted and are available with either hub or derailleur gears:-
https://www.fahrradmanufaktur.de/en/katalog/2019
https://www.fahrradmanufaktur.de/en...00-shimano-alfine-11-gang-disc-gates-808-2019
http://blog.chrisbikes.co.uk/2014/02/vsf-fahrrad-manufaktur-t500-alfine-8.html


Drop bar options:-

Genesis Day One Ltd
https://www.genesisbikes.co.uk/bike/day-one-ltd

Bombtrack Bikes
Further to the Genesis above the Bombtrack Arise Tour is another drop bar option and I'm not sure how easy it would be to track down because unfortaunetyl I couldn't see any stockists near Manchester ( https://www.lyon.co.uk/outdoor/bombtrack-uk-stockists ) .
http://bombtrack.com/touring/arise-tour/


One thing to consider is the weight of your new bike because quite a few of the bikes that come with everything included are targeted towards the touring market so it will be worth checking the weights against what your current Boardman weighes. Although that's not necessarily a deal breaker depending on your priorities and for example if the added features/ components with their added convenience are more important than the weight factor but it's something to consider.

If possible a good idea is to get out there and try as many of the bikes that you're considering as possible however that is easier said than done because not many shops stock the sort of fully equipped type of bike that you've suggested.

Good luck with your search.

John

 

[apeshake]

Hi John thanks for the info that's given me lots to think about - particularly the weight is a good point, I'm expecting all the add-ons + my pannier bag with laptop to add up to a heavy load but that just means looking for the lightest bike before the rack etc. will be important.

I don't have an easy way to weigh my bike but looking online it looks like it weighs approx 10.75kg before lights/rack etc. which seems pretty light (https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/2012-boardman-hybrid-comp-medium-barely-used/). I'll have to bear it in mind as the skyline looks like it might be a little weighty in comparison (I'll have to do some sums to see if the extra gadgets can account for that)

 

[John_S]

Hi apeshake,

No problem and I'm happy to help if it gives you some food for thought and some ideas of bikes to consider.

Whilst I mention the weight by no means is that the be all and end all when it comes to bikes. Everything is in the eye of the beholder and it depends on each individuals priorities and what they are using the bike for as to what order of importance certain things appear in. Don't get me wrong because I can certainly appreciate requirements for lightweight and aero if you're a professional racer and you're trying to win a race from a sprint or a breakaway or trying to climb a mountain. Then at the other end of the scale there could be somebody doing a worldwide tour on a bike carrying lots of equipment and weight for which a very strong reliable bike is required. Then there are all sorts of preferences & requirements on a scale in-between.

One potential way to think about it is to think of what you use a bike for. If it is a bike used every day for all sorts of purposes and a primary, or at least significant, means of transport in terms of your traveling about then the ability for a bike to be a jack of all trades can be an important consideration. Of course factors such as how far you travel, where your traveling (urban or rural, flat or hilly), how much & what you have to carry all come into when trying to find the bike that's right for you. If it's a bike used for everyday utility stuff and for getting from a-b all year around whatever the weather then I'd say that having things like mudguards, good lights and the ability to fit racks etc. are all very important and potentially more so than being completely focused on the weight of a bike. Also the comfort and fit factor is very important.

I use my bike all year around whatever the weather and one of the best things that I did was get my front wheel rebuilt with a dynamo hub and then fit dynamo lights which means that I always have lights and so in the autumn, winter & spring there's no stress about whether or not my lights are charged because they're always there and on as soon as I start to pedal. Therefore if having these accessories is important to you although you can obviously buy anything aftermarket and get all the bits fitted on retrospectively I can also see the appeal of buying a bike off the shelf with all of these things already included and ready to go. However having said that because the selection of bikes with everything included is more limited if you don't find what you want then if you have a good local bike shop on your doorstep then perhaps you could talk to them about buying the bike that you want and having them fit all of the aftermarket accessories that you want before you collect the bike. However if you want a bike with a dynamo lighting set up then bear in mind that if it doesn't come with a dynamo hub and dynamo lights then you will have the cost of buying the hub and lights as well as getting the front wheel rebuilt with the dyno hub. But if there is a particular bike that you want then as long as it comes with all of the braze ons/ mounting points for mudguards, racks etc. then this is an option.

Lastly as I mentioned I wouldn't completely rule out getting some maintenance and upgrades as required on your own bike but only if a local bike shop can give you a good price to get everything into the order you want compared to the outlay of a new bike. But if you do go down the new bike route then potentially you've got your current bike to sell to offset the cost of a new one.

Hope you manage to get things sorted whether that's buying a new bike or getting your current one sorted.

John

 

[MichaelW2]

It is usual for bike components to wear out after a couple of years of commuting in all weathers. The frame and wheels should be fine but the transmission may just be worn out. Get a good bike shop to look at the bike and give you a quote for refreshing the worn out parts. The Boardman frame is pretty good for the class of bike.
You should be dressing the bike in full, bolt-on mudguards such as SKS chromoplastic. A rear rack improves luggage capacity. Dynamo lighting is expensive up front but the convenience and lack of worry about battery management is worth it . esp on a grab and go utility style bike. I fit security skewers to my dynohub.
I added all of these to my bike and have been riding it everyday for 10 years.

 

[apeshake]

Thanks again both of you for your help - i'm going to see if I can try out a few bikes at some point, just to get an idea of what is around - it's hard to imagine how a pricier bike will feel when my current bike is the best i've had the chance to ride, but ultimately I do think I need something better suited to all year round commuting. I particularly like the look of the cube kathmandu sl, but for all I know the £1600 kathmandu sl is just a prettier version of a £800 genesis skyline with a nicer saddle... In the meantime I'm going to get my boardman fixed up and mull it over some more