Originally Posted by
blakcloud
I suspect your drive train is worn out and needs replacing, hence the skipping gears. Even if you upgraded the drive train I don't think your bike is the best for the long commute you have. The front shocks to me are dead weight and only hinder you especially on the up hills. I like the other bikes you posted but there is a huge price discrepancy between the two you posted. The Lync 5 with belt drive is the cat's meow when it comes to commuter bikes.
Depending on the money you want to spend, I would suggest a MEC Chance or the 8 speed version the Hold Steady.
The Lync 5 seems really nice, are the commuter bikes suitable for steep hilly terrain? Google maps says in the first 5 miles (8km) of my ride I have 240 feet of gain. Dunno if that is a lot or not, but sure feels like it, and makes me really tired. Luckily the rest of my ride is relatively flat. I have a total of 320 on the way there and 456 feet of gain on the way back