C2W - Boardman HT pro or FS team?
Discussion
Hey guys, didn't get any responses on my last thread, but can be more specific this time...
Ive experienced a little budget creep, talking with friends it seems there's a few up for riding some trails. Fairly light cross country to start with, then go from there. New Forest/ South Downs sorta thing.
Cant decide whether I want the hardtail or full sus.
Seems from reading that the geo on the hardtail is quite tight overall, but with slightly longer travel fork and relaxed head angle. The full sus has a slightly poorer fork and components to achieve the same price, but the difference to my out of touch eyes doesn't seem like much...
Whaddaya think?
Ive experienced a little budget creep, talking with friends it seems there's a few up for riding some trails. Fairly light cross country to start with, then go from there. New Forest/ South Downs sorta thing.
Cant decide whether I want the hardtail or full sus.
Seems from reading that the geo on the hardtail is quite tight overall, but with slightly longer travel fork and relaxed head angle. The full sus has a slightly poorer fork and components to achieve the same price, but the difference to my out of touch eyes doesn't seem like much...
Whaddaya think?
Sway said:
Hey guys, didn't get any responses on my last thread, but can be more specific this time...
Ive experienced a little budget creep, talking with friends it seems there's a few up for riding some trails. Fairly light cross country to start with, then go from there. New Forest/ South Downs sorta thing.
Cant decide whether I want the hardtail or full sus.
Seems from reading that the geo on the hardtail is quite tight overall, but with slightly longer travel fork and relaxed head angle. The full sus has a slightly poorer fork and components to achieve the same price, but the difference to my out of touch eyes doesn't seem like much...
Whaddaya think?
Hardtail Ive experienced a little budget creep, talking with friends it seems there's a few up for riding some trails. Fairly light cross country to start with, then go from there. New Forest/ South Downs sorta thing.
Cant decide whether I want the hardtail or full sus.
Seems from reading that the geo on the hardtail is quite tight overall, but with slightly longer travel fork and relaxed head angle. The full sus has a slightly poorer fork and components to achieve the same price, but the difference to my out of touch eyes doesn't seem like much...
Whaddaya think?
This is an increasingly tricky descision these days, as FS bikes get better and better, but really, it isn't too hard for a beginner to decide:
1) if you just want to ride, and not really worry about having to learn too much, want some comfort, and go anywhere capability, get the FS
or
2) If you want to be "good" at riding, take pleasure in learning how to it better each time and want to get the most from your riding, get the HT.
Without exception, in the group of people I ride with, those who started on HT's are "better" riders than those who started on FS bikes imo.
1) if you just want to ride, and not really worry about having to learn too much, want some comfort, and go anywhere capability, get the FS
or
2) If you want to be "good" at riding, take pleasure in learning how to it better each time and want to get the most from your riding, get the HT.
Without exception, in the group of people I ride with, those who started on HT's are "better" riders than those who started on FS bikes imo.
MElliottUK said:
I went for the FS team, very happy with the choice I made.
Did the same last year, Boardman FS Team really nice ride and nice kit for the money. HT is better for learning the skills (served my time on a very stiff GT with rubbish Suntour forks )
Still prefer the FS though.
Andy
I've got an FS Pro now where I previously had a Kona HT. It's my only bike so I need it to cover as many bases as possible.
I've been out a few times on the Boardman now and it's really an awesome bike (will probably be even better once I get it set up right). Great through forests and trails, which is mainly where I use it. It feels more or less as quick or faster in around 80% of situations.
Where the HT does excel though is where you can get the speed up (perhaps on a long straight). With the chunkier tyres and slightly more compromised geometry, the FS bike is much harder work and really bogs down on gravel, etc. Uphill however it's still pretty good.
I've been out a few times on the Boardman now and it's really an awesome bike (will probably be even better once I get it set up right). Great through forests and trails, which is mainly where I use it. It feels more or less as quick or faster in around 80% of situations.
Where the HT does excel though is where you can get the speed up (perhaps on a long straight). With the chunkier tyres and slightly more compromised geometry, the FS bike is much harder work and really bogs down on gravel, etc. Uphill however it's still pretty good.
The Boardman HT Pro has won a number of awards for its build quality and components. My friend brought one and has used and abused it, SPAM winter challenge, Straphpuffer, 2 Rounds of Midland XC race series, countless laps of Cannock and use in Brecon its been bullet proof, the only thing which happened to it was a snapped seat post on the Puffer which Halfords replaced. Cracking bike.
Went into my local yesterday and had a proper butchers.
Didnt have a FS Team, but had the pro.
Decided on the hardtail. Much lighter, really lovely spec, beautiful frameset. Need to decide on size - in the past I would have gone straight for the medium, but the top tube seemed high even though the reach was pretty much bang on. Having looked at the Boardman website, the small drops the top tube by two inches for a one inch reduction in top tube...
So I think a small is for me. The narrower bars will help with reach, and I'll feel a lot more comfortable with a bit of frame clearance. Can always get a layback post if necessary.
Reading up, think I'll get it ordered for me to build (used to build bikes for a proper bike shop, so more confident than some the things I noticed on their stock...). Heard about the bb30 issue they seem to have, so need to get a bearing press. Brakes and shifter will go straight onto the bay to swap for Hope and XT, didn't like the sram shifter feel and Hope have always been the daddy of disc brakes.
Gotta wait for my letter of collection, in the meantime I need to stay away from crc and their tempting cockpit loveliness!
Cheers guys, will post up pics once collected.
Didnt have a FS Team, but had the pro.
Decided on the hardtail. Much lighter, really lovely spec, beautiful frameset. Need to decide on size - in the past I would have gone straight for the medium, but the top tube seemed high even though the reach was pretty much bang on. Having looked at the Boardman website, the small drops the top tube by two inches for a one inch reduction in top tube...
So I think a small is for me. The narrower bars will help with reach, and I'll feel a lot more comfortable with a bit of frame clearance. Can always get a layback post if necessary.
Reading up, think I'll get it ordered for me to build (used to build bikes for a proper bike shop, so more confident than some the things I noticed on their stock...). Heard about the bb30 issue they seem to have, so need to get a bearing press. Brakes and shifter will go straight onto the bay to swap for Hope and XT, didn't like the sram shifter feel and Hope have always been the daddy of disc brakes.
Gotta wait for my letter of collection, in the meantime I need to stay away from crc and their tempting cockpit loveliness!
Cheers guys, will post up pics once collected.
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