In fact, the hybrid has had a big boost in the last few years with the adoption of hydraulic disc brakes and wide-range single-chainring setups, both of which this Boardman comes with. And SRAM's Level brakes and gearing are both highlights of the HYB 8.9's spec. Braking via the 160mm rotors is effortlessly smooth, powerful and controlled – even without thru-axels – and the gears are equally efficient with a knee-and hill-friendly 44x42 bottom gear.
The Mavic rims and 35mm Schwalbe tyres deliver puncture – shrugging toughness and big-air comfort, which is a fair trade for their speed-reducing weight. The bar is narrow enough for most traffic gaps, the handling confident and the ride itself is comfortable, helped by the compact frame, full-carbon fork and dropped seat stays. Finishing off a fine a versatile package are mudguard and rear rack fittings. We did find the saddle overly padded, but that's our only criticism of this excellent flat-barred bike.
VERDICT
"Urban-friendly bike with good comfort and great kit."
4/5