Oh these look very nice. If only I didn't work from home and live in a blumming hilly place.
Some nice bikes and good prices.
But one thing i can never understand with urban bike manufacturers, is why they don't come fitted with mudguards standard?
The 8.6 would get you up hills.
If they actually had any stock they would have been on my radar back in December, settled on a Cube Editor instead.
Yeah seen them. Undecided between the Boardman HYB 8.8 or the flat bar Sonder El Camino. I'll definitely be using mainly on gravel/bridleway stuff rather than road. So I'm guessing that the El Camino is the way forward.
They look nice but tbh the minimum tyre size I'd want on any commuter bike would be a 35c. 32c these days barely copes with all the potholes unfortunately
Cube Hyde can run up to 55.
The entry-level URB looks great value and ripe for conversion to a gravel bike, so it's a shame they don't make one big enough for me 🙁
Nothing there that I'd call a proper urban bike, though. More like sport bikes with different marketing.
I brought the 8.6 last week. Nice bike. First thing I did was wang some mudguards on:)
Belt drive and hub gears? I like that, a lot. I'd prefer drop bars myself, but other than that it looks good for the money.
Those are great and would do for the cycling 90% of people in this country do. Prices reasonable too.
“But one thing i can never understand with urban bike manufacturers, is why they don’t come fitted with mudguards standard?”
When I got my Brompton (almost 20 years ago!) it was a revelation how much less wet I got on a bike with full guards and mud flaps (is that what they’re called?)! Makes an urban bike so much more usable in the UK.
I guess they don’t fit them because they don’t look great and add cost. But any urban bike needs them.
I get so wet commuting on my Levo but just try fitting an effective rear mud guard when you have a 29” rear wheel, 150mm of suspension travel and 185mm of dropper post travel!
It's probably better to let people decide what mudguards they want. I swear by SKS aluminium ones and won't use anything else but other people will want something longer.
Those look great, especially the belt drive ones. Wonder if they'll do an XL size if their a success this year?
It’s probably better to let people decide what mudguards they want.
Wouldn’t agree, personally: most of the decision about mudguards is down to what’s a decent price and a good fit for the bike, and if you’ve got a product manager making sure they’re a good fit then there’s basically no need to have to think about it.
I suspect the reason they don’t spec them is one or both of two things: either they believe bikes with mudguards won’t sell as well (and if so you’d hope they were basing that decision on good evidence; it’d be frustrating if the eternal lack of guards was down to prejudice and assumption); or it’s just not economically viable to spec guards and have them fitted on the production line (thus would affect the former point, of course: the retail price would have to rise to account for this).
The UK just doesn’t really “get” accessible urban cycling and thus the market is immature and sport-oriented. What’s not necessarily clear from outside the industry is to what extent this is a supply issue and to what extent it’s a demand one (which itself is hampered by supply of infrastructure etc).
It’s probably better to let people decide what mudguards they want.
I don't agree- mudguards, the fit of and the fitting of, can be a minefield- I'd much rathe the manufacturer have a decent stab at fitting a product which works when the customer wheels the bike off.
RE guards -
Bikes with hub gears, swept bars and guards don't sell as well as the same bike with mech, straight bars and no guards, to my general frustration. Probably just a UK market thing. If Halfords find the opposite here then power to them. Either they're confident they will or they simply have the other options covered already and owning a minority market is usually worthwhile.
Speccing them on the bike at the factory adds cost but is cheaper than AM guards and fitting labour. But bear in mind how a bike is packed for shipping, they tend to get damaged in transit too easily and (rightly) a customer will want a matching replacement. Less easy with TW / CN guards compared to some retailed SKS.
The UK just doesn’t really “get” accessible urban cycling and thus the market is immature and sport-oriented.
100%
What’s not necessarily clear from outside the industry is to what extent this is a supply issue and to what extent it’s a demand one (which itself is hampered by supply of infrastructure etc).
Build it and they will come? (so we're fked here aren't we...). Read earlier that Paris currently seeing 6 new-to-cycling riders in every 10 using their new cycleways.
I think a more mature utility cycling market in future would see a shift towards more practical bike specs through user experience. As it is the bikes probably don't get used enough for it to matter unless they're owned by enthusiasts / the converted, either that or they're £99 BSOs and the owners have no wish or ability to spend more.
They’re a lot less ugly than their latest full suspension monstrosities
Might have been tempted by at least the 8.6 if they had been available last summer when I needed a new commuter, but back then choice was very limited and I ended up with a Voodoo Marasa (which does the job, but doesn't entice me out for winter outdoor rides).
Used to have a fluro orange Saracen Pylon8 hub gear disc 26er hybrid, was great until it developed a crack on the seat tube.
Look pretty good- I have an old Boardman hybrid and it's just a brilliant, well thought out, practical bike, I think it's something they've always done pretty well.
TBH I'm not entirely sure any of these does anything better than it does though!
try fitting an effective rear mud guard when you have a 29” rear wheel, 150mm of suspension travel and 185mm of dropper post travel!
Mudhugger 29er. Problem solved.
Just a quick "thank you" for posting these up OP. should be picking up an 8.9 for Mrs brain next week off the back of this thread.
👍
But bear in mind how a bike is packed for shipping, they tend to get damaged in transit too easily and (rightly) a customer will want a matching replacement.
Been buying hybrids for many years, they come with the rear fitted and the front separate along with its wheel. In 10 years we haven't had a broken guard arrive. Some bent metal-work due to the courier lying them flat in the vehicle despite the packaging saying not to do this.
watch out for the disclaimer
*Some parts may be subject to substitutions of similar quality due to Covid-19 related supply chain issues
I recently bought my daughter a nice looking MHT 8.6, advertised as having a full Deore drivechain; I had it a month before I noticed that what I'd been supplied with was not a Deore Crankset but some **** 'Prowheel' crank (and BB) - not even approaching a similar quality. It's not an insignificant component! They (Halfords) said that it was not possible to supply the advertised crank and in the end gave me a bit of money back but I would have far preferred the correct crank. They still advertise it as Deore even though they say they say they can't get that component even on a new bike, they have even put up the price £50 since !
They look nice but tbh the minimum tyre size I’d want on any commuter bike would be a 35c. 32c these days barely copes with all the potholes unfortunately
There's a good 10mm of clearance all round without guards so you'd easily get 40s in there without guards. With guards may be a different story mind depending on fit.
