Cyclocross bike recommendation
Discussion
Long time lurker here but how about a potentially helpful post to start things off. If you are not too far down the line with your purchase you might be able to save a few extra quid off your Boardman by looking into the following:
1. Join British Cycling (BC) - members currently get 10% off Halfords purchases (including Boardman bikes). I will be able to confirm whether this works tomorrow when I pick up and pay for my Boardman comp road bike. I did however successfully use the BC voucher (printable from their website following joining) on the purchase of a cycle computer and other bits earlier this week.
Costs £15 (Bronze annual membership) to join British Cycling but you can potentially get £5 cashback if done via Quidco (a cashback website)(my purchase has tracked but it remains to be seen whether the cashback actually arrives).
Be aware that you need to complete a direct debit payment form online for BC membership so you may need to cancel this at a later stage if you do not wish to pay the subsequent annual membership fees.
2. Use Quidco to reserve and collect your Boardman from Halfords online. Quidco appear to be offering 3% cashback for Halfords purchases at moment (I reserved mine when it was at 5% earlier this week potentially saving £36 if it pays out).
Might all sound a bit penny pinching and a faff but will potentially save me ~£100 on my Boardman purchase if it all works and didnt take long to do (plus it helped justify my first +1 (n+1) to go with my boardman MTB).
Will let you know how I get on with my purchase tomorrow
Hope it helps
PO
1. Join British Cycling (BC) - members currently get 10% off Halfords purchases (including Boardman bikes). I will be able to confirm whether this works tomorrow when I pick up and pay for my Boardman comp road bike. I did however successfully use the BC voucher (printable from their website following joining) on the purchase of a cycle computer and other bits earlier this week.
Costs £15 (Bronze annual membership) to join British Cycling but you can potentially get £5 cashback if done via Quidco (a cashback website)(my purchase has tracked but it remains to be seen whether the cashback actually arrives).
Be aware that you need to complete a direct debit payment form online for BC membership so you may need to cancel this at a later stage if you do not wish to pay the subsequent annual membership fees.
2. Use Quidco to reserve and collect your Boardman from Halfords online. Quidco appear to be offering 3% cashback for Halfords purchases at moment (I reserved mine when it was at 5% earlier this week potentially saving £36 if it pays out).
Might all sound a bit penny pinching and a faff but will potentially save me ~£100 on my Boardman purchase if it all works and didnt take long to do (plus it helped justify my first +1 (n+1) to go with my boardman MTB).
Will let you know how I get on with my purchase tomorrow
Hope it helps
PO
Pot Odds said:
Long time lurker here but how about a potentially helpful post to start things off. If you are not too far down the line with your purchase you might be able to save a few extra quid off your Boardman by looking into the following:
1. Join British Cycling (BC) - members currently get 10% off Halfords purchases (including Boardman bikes). I will be able to confirm whether this works tomorrow when I pick up and pay for my Boardman comp road bike. I did however successfully use the BC voucher (printable from their website following joining) on the purchase of a cycle computer and other bits earlier this week.
Costs £15 (Bronze annual membership) to join British Cycling but you can potentially get £5 cashback if done via Quidco (a cashback website)(my purchase has tracked but it remains to be seen whether the cashback actually arrives).
Be aware that you need to complete a direct debit payment form online for BC membership so you may need to cancel this at a later stage if you do not wish to pay the subsequent annual membership fees.
2. Use Quidco to reserve and collect your Boardman from Halfords online. Quidco appear to be offering 3% cashback for Halfords purchases at moment (I reserved mine when it was at 5% earlier this week potentially saving £36 if it pays out).
Might all sound a bit penny pinching and a faff but will potentially save me ~£100 on my Boardman purchase if it all works and didnt take long to do (plus it helped justify my first +1 (n+1) to go with my boardman MTB).
Will let you know how I get on with my purchase tomorrow
Hope it helps
PO
I've reserved it but I haven't paid for anything so I look forward to your update with interest. Thanks for taking the time.1. Join British Cycling (BC) - members currently get 10% off Halfords purchases (including Boardman bikes). I will be able to confirm whether this works tomorrow when I pick up and pay for my Boardman comp road bike. I did however successfully use the BC voucher (printable from their website following joining) on the purchase of a cycle computer and other bits earlier this week.
Costs £15 (Bronze annual membership) to join British Cycling but you can potentially get £5 cashback if done via Quidco (a cashback website)(my purchase has tracked but it remains to be seen whether the cashback actually arrives).
Be aware that you need to complete a direct debit payment form online for BC membership so you may need to cancel this at a later stage if you do not wish to pay the subsequent annual membership fees.
2. Use Quidco to reserve and collect your Boardman from Halfords online. Quidco appear to be offering 3% cashback for Halfords purchases at moment (I reserved mine when it was at 5% earlier this week potentially saving £36 if it pays out).
Might all sound a bit penny pinching and a faff but will potentially save me ~£100 on my Boardman purchase if it all works and didnt take long to do (plus it helped justify my first +1 (n+1) to go with my boardman MTB).
Will let you know how I get on with my purchase tomorrow
Hope it helps
PO
Shiney new Boardman Road Comp now in garage having picked it up this morning.
I just presented the BC voucher at the till and got 10% off (£72 in my case)
It says you need to present a valid BC membership card with the voucher but I wasnt asked for this on either of my purchases this week. The sales guy had said he'd accept the BC confirmation email earlier in the week but didnt even ask for this today. Having had my BC membership card arrive when I got back this morning the membership number is the same as the one I was emailed when registering.
Current BC voucher is valid until 31st May 2013 - I think I was able to download mine online as soon as I joined.
If you fancy having a play with Quidco I have no idea if I will get the cashback or not never having used it before (& I understand it can take quite some time - my claims are scheduled for June) but it was worth the small effort of registering in my opinion. I understand that if you register your bank card with Quidco you may be able to get cashback when using it in store (havnt looked at the T&C or how this works though as I made my purchases / reservations over the internet).
Best of luck and even if you dont bother you'll be getting a great bike - I had a good loook at the cyclocross when looking at the road bikes.
PO
I just presented the BC voucher at the till and got 10% off (£72 in my case)
It says you need to present a valid BC membership card with the voucher but I wasnt asked for this on either of my purchases this week. The sales guy had said he'd accept the BC confirmation email earlier in the week but didnt even ask for this today. Having had my BC membership card arrive when I got back this morning the membership number is the same as the one I was emailed when registering.
Current BC voucher is valid until 31st May 2013 - I think I was able to download mine online as soon as I joined.
If you fancy having a play with Quidco I have no idea if I will get the cashback or not never having used it before (& I understand it can take quite some time - my claims are scheduled for June) but it was worth the small effort of registering in my opinion. I understand that if you register your bank card with Quidco you may be able to get cashback when using it in store (havnt looked at the T&C or how this works though as I made my purchases / reservations over the internet).
Best of luck and even if you dont bother you'll be getting a great bike - I had a good loook at the cyclocross when looking at the road bikes.
PO
Pot Odds said:
Shiney new Boardman Road Comp now in garage having picked it up this morning.
I just presented the BC voucher at the till and got 10% off (£72 in my case)
It says you need to present a valid BC membership card with the voucher but I wasnt asked for this on either of my purchases this week. The sales guy had said he'd accept the BC confirmation email earlier in the week but didnt even ask for this today. Having had my BC membership card arrive when I got back this morning the membership number is the same as the one I was emailed when registering.
Current BC voucher is valid until 31st May 2013 - I think I was able to download mine online as soon as I joined.
If you fancy having a play with Quidco I have no idea if I will get the cashback or not never having used it before (& I understand it can take quite some time - my claims are scheduled for June) but it was worth the small effort of registering in my opinion. I understand that if you register your bank card with Quidco you may be able to get cashback when using it in store (havnt looked at the T&C or how this works though as I made my purchases / reservations over the internet).
Best of luck and even if you dont bother you'll be getting a great bike - I had a good loook at the cyclocross when looking at the road bikes.
PO
You sir are a legend. I saved £77ish by using the 10% discount after signing up for a BC membership. I also signed up with quidco so if I get anything further in cashback that will be a bonus.I just presented the BC voucher at the till and got 10% off (£72 in my case)
It says you need to present a valid BC membership card with the voucher but I wasnt asked for this on either of my purchases this week. The sales guy had said he'd accept the BC confirmation email earlier in the week but didnt even ask for this today. Having had my BC membership card arrive when I got back this morning the membership number is the same as the one I was emailed when registering.
Current BC voucher is valid until 31st May 2013 - I think I was able to download mine online as soon as I joined.
If you fancy having a play with Quidco I have no idea if I will get the cashback or not never having used it before (& I understand it can take quite some time - my claims are scheduled for June) but it was worth the small effort of registering in my opinion. I understand that if you register your bank card with Quidco you may be able to get cashback when using it in store (havnt looked at the T&C or how this works though as I made my purchases / reservations over the internet).
Best of luck and even if you dont bother you'll be getting a great bike - I had a good loook at the cyclocross when looking at the road bikes.
PO
Thank you very much for the tip!
And here she is. I had the (frankly ugly and pointless in my opinion) mid-handlebar brakes removed. I also spent a while removing myriad bloody stickers which were all over the bike.
I took it out today and it felt really great. Quick on the road and I also flew down a very bumpy off road trail for a short section of my ride and it felt very assured.
I took it out today and it felt really great. Quick on the road and I also flew down a very bumpy off road trail for a short section of my ride and it felt very assured.
2seas said:
And here she is. I had the (frankly ugly and pointless in my opinion) mid-handlebar brakes removed.
They are good for steep and bumpy descents, where you need your weight higher and further back than riding in the drops will allow, but pointless if you are not going cyclocross riding on your cyclocross bike.BadgerBenji said:
Never ridden with the extra brake levers, don't need anymore excuses to brake 
(must remember trust the bike)
Tend to find there is enough braking from the hoods, and tricky descents are on the drops as your arms are wider apart adding to the control.
...and when you fall off you'll be closer to the ground. (must remember trust the bike)Tend to find there is enough braking from the hoods, and tricky descents are on the drops as your arms are wider apart adding to the control.
Gizmoish said:
BadgerBenji said:
Never ridden with the extra brake levers, don't need anymore excuses to brake (must remember trust the bike)
Tend to find there is enough braking from the hoods, and tricky descents are on the drops as your arms are wider apart adding to the control.
...and when you fall off you'll be closer to the ground. (must remember trust the bike)Tend to find there is enough braking from the hoods, and tricky descents are on the drops as your arms are wider apart adding to the control.
gazza285 said:
They are good for steep and bumpy descents, where you need your weight higher and further back than riding in the drops will allow, but pointless if you are not going cyclocross riding on your cyclocross bike.
I love them on mine. It feels like I have more control on steep bumpy downhills when I prefer riding on the tops of the bars anyway. Cyclocross is my favourite bicycle, and it feels very weird going out on my road bike without the extra brake levers. They do take up a lot of space on the bars though which makes fitting lights and cycle computers interesting. I've played with a few types of tyres. It depends what you want and what you use the bike for. I like fairly low resistance tyres for the tarmac sections, and just accept that they don't work so well in mud and on sand. Puncture resistance was my biggest requirement: punctures from flints and brambles getting really boring after you've had to walk home a few times.
A first aid kit is also really useful for when you get carried away on a steep downhill and suddenly hit a big patch of gravel. A short length of bandage, a safety pin and some sterile wipes work wonders for stopping you dripping blood down your nice new bike.
2seas said:
Pot Odds said:
Shiney new Boardman Road Comp now in garage having picked it up this morning.
I just presented the BC voucher at the till and got 10% off (£72 in my case)
It says you need to present a valid BC membership card with the voucher but I wasnt asked for this on either of my purchases this week. The sales guy had said he'd accept the BC confirmation email earlier in the week but didnt even ask for this today. Having had my BC membership card arrive when I got back this morning the membership number is the same as the one I was emailed when registering.
Current BC voucher is valid until 31st May 2013 - I think I was able to download mine online as soon as I joined.
If you fancy having a play with Quidco I have no idea if I will get the cashback or not never having used it before (& I understand it can take quite some time - my claims are scheduled for June) but it was worth the small effort of registering in my opinion. I understand that if you register your bank card with Quidco you may be able to get cashback when using it in store (havnt looked at the T&C or how this works though as I made my purchases / reservations over the internet).
Best of luck and even if you dont bother you'll be getting a great bike - I had a good loook at the cyclocross when looking at the road bikes.
PO
You sir are a legend. I saved £77ish by using the 10% discount after signing up for a BC membership. I also signed up with quidco so if I get anything further in cashback that will be a bonus.I just presented the BC voucher at the till and got 10% off (£72 in my case)
It says you need to present a valid BC membership card with the voucher but I wasnt asked for this on either of my purchases this week. The sales guy had said he'd accept the BC confirmation email earlier in the week but didnt even ask for this today. Having had my BC membership card arrive when I got back this morning the membership number is the same as the one I was emailed when registering.
Current BC voucher is valid until 31st May 2013 - I think I was able to download mine online as soon as I joined.
If you fancy having a play with Quidco I have no idea if I will get the cashback or not never having used it before (& I understand it can take quite some time - my claims are scheduled for June) but it was worth the small effort of registering in my opinion. I understand that if you register your bank card with Quidco you may be able to get cashback when using it in store (havnt looked at the T&C or how this works though as I made my purchases / reservations over the internet).
Best of luck and even if you dont bother you'll be getting a great bike - I had a good loook at the cyclocross when looking at the road bikes.
PO
Thank you very much for the tip!
.Off topic:
I would post a pic of my new boardman road comp but its rather embarassingly got one of these on it today:
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...
Check out the size of that bad boy
. I swapped it over from my boardman MTB for this mornings 30 miler after initial rides on the road bike reminded me that my arse is not compatable with the boardman stock saddle. I previously got measured for a replacement after suffering with the original boardman saddle on my MTB and needed a wider saddle. I tried a specialized jobbie from the LBS who fitted me but just didnt get along with it (maybe didnt give it fair chance) before someone recommended the bike hut one (which I initally laughed at). However, whilst it may be an old chesterfield its covered the best part of 2000+ comfortable miles blasting the canals and some 50 mile road runs.Only problem was whilst it was much more comfortable on my sit bones this morning it did numb my jacobs by the end of 30 miles. May just need a tweak as it was a quick swap out. I am however tempted to give a wider road saddle another fair crack as the Bike Hut one really does look a dogs dinner on a very pretty bike. Any recommendations would be welcome, especially something with perhaps a middle ground of padding between a road saddle and my chesterfield (or do I really have to relent and get padded shorts).
Saddles aside, I am having a blast and loving the new found speed
although I am finding that the potholed and gravelly country lanes deserve a new level of respect and awareness.Happy days
Edited by Pot Odds on Saturday 18th May 22:20
matt 74 said:
Have looked into the British cycling membership and can't find it through Quidco, does anyone know if this is still available?
I propose to make a purchase using the cycle to work scheme, would these discounts still be available if doing this?
Thanks in anticipation.
It looks like the Quidco deal is over. Using "TFL13" should reduce the annual Ride membership from £28 to £23.33I propose to make a purchase using the cycle to work scheme, would these discounts still be available if doing this?
Thanks in anticipation.
As for the bike itself, are there any taller PH'ers riding one? The Frame sizes only go up to 57.5cm and i'm 6'3" tall with a 34 inch inside leg. I've read elsewhere that Boardman sizes are slightly different and that the 57.5cm should be fine.
I will get down to the local Halfords some time this week but the chances of them actually having one in are slim at best!
MonkeyHanger said:
It looks like the Quidco deal is over. Using "TFL13" should reduce the annual Ride membership from £28 to £23.33
As for the bike itself, are there any taller PH'ers riding one? The Frame sizes only go up to 57.5cm and i'm 6'3" tall with a 34 inch inside leg. I've read elsewhere that Boardman sizes are slightly different and that the 57.5cm should be fine.
I will get down to the local Halfords some time this week but the chances of them actually having one in are slim at best!
I checked for British Cycling on Quidco when responding to another post this week and agree that it no longer appears to be listed on there - I got in about 2 weeks ago so am hoping mine still pays out (a fivers a fiver !).As for the bike itself, are there any taller PH'ers riding one? The Frame sizes only go up to 57.5cm and i'm 6'3" tall with a 34 inch inside leg. I've read elsewhere that Boardman sizes are slightly different and that the 57.5cm should be fine.
I will get down to the local Halfords some time this week but the chances of them actually having one in are slim at best!
I bought my Boardman outside of cycle to work as my employer didnt offer it - I managed to combine a multitude of in store 10% off, british cycling 10%, 5% (at the time) quidco etc to come down to almost cycle to work prices. I did ask the sales person whether the BC voucher could be used in conjunction with C2W (just out of interest) and he didnt think it could - I would personally check this out with head office though as 10% off a grand is well worth looking into.
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