I need a new bike ASAP and as such I ordered one from a national chain store earlier in the week, as they were the only supplier for the cycle to work scheme I wanted to use (NB “Cycle to work” is a UK government scheme where you buy the bike through your employer, meaning you pay small monthly instalments through your salary in a tax-efficient way). However, I now find the scheme is not running at the moment, so it’s not an option. That being the case, I’d rather buy the bike from my local independent shop, all else being equal. However, the two stores do not offer the same bike.
The national chain option is the Boardman Hybrid Comp. Through the local shop I could get a Ridgeback Flight, which comes in three flavours: 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0.
I have ridden the Boardman and the Ridgeback 2.0 (albeit only around the shop/car park) and liked both. As I see it, the advantages of each are as follows:
Boardman
I have already ordered it (but could cancel for free - I think), it’s the cheapest, it’s slightly lighter.
Ridgeback
I get to support my local bike shop (which is where I usually go for accessories, parts, servicing as they have been very helpful in the past), it’s a more established manufacturer, has more gears.
You can view the specifications of each bike from the links - does it look like the Ridgeback 1.0 has significantly better quality parts than the Boardman, justifying the slightly higher price? Is it worth paying the premium for the 2.0 for the same reason? I think I have discounted the 4.0 as it comes with hub gears - I have never ridden with hub gears and although I’m not against trying them, I’ve never really had a problem with traditional gears.
You probably want to know what I use the bike for - year-round commuting, which is 9 miles each way 4 days a week, mainly on roads but with a fair amount of slightly uneven gravel path. As such I don’t need the expense or weight of suspension, but a pure road bike probably wouldn’t cope (especially in winter). I also prefer the riding position of a hybrid. I like to ride fast though so want a high ratio on the top gears. I tend to power up hills so not worried about the lower gears/climbing ability. In fact I am tempted by a single- or even fixed-gear but in reality I’m not fit enough for that yet (and there is one very steep hill on my route that I do need gears for).
So, bike-riding dopers - can you help?