A what bike... Boardman vs Specialized.. CX vs Adventure

[T1547]

Hi All,

It's been a couple of years since I last owned a bike (a c£500 MTB) and fancy getting back in the saddle with something reasonably decent.

I live in Surrey just inside the M25 (Wallington) and have a good mix of off road and on road cycling opportunities which I would like to do both. Unfortunately space means I only have room for one bike so am really looking for something with a good mix of capability.

I have narrowed it down to 2 bikes so far:

Specialized Diverge Comp 2016 Adventure Road Bike (RRP £1800 currently £1350) - can purchase for £1215.

https://www.evanscycles.com/specialized-diverge-co...

and

Boardman CX Team Bike (RRP £999) - can purchase for £800.

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/road-bikes/b...



I have test ridden the Specialized and thought it was a cracking bike, ridden after a Cannonade Ultegra CAADX which was also good but didn't quite fit as well. I was really impressed by the hydraulic brakes (also tried a lower spec Cannondale CAADX with mech discs which felt spongey after the hydraulics) and turn of speed on the road was excellent. Didn't get opportunity to take it off road on the test ride.

I guess the thing that is putting me off slightly is the cost. I can easily afford the asking price but wonder if I am spending a needlessly high amount on a first bike in a couple of years. Also how much could it take off road.

Enter the Boardman CX Team. This seems to receive excellent reviews and is a fair bit cheaper than the Specialized. Hydraulic brakes are included and SRAM Rival 1 set. It appears to be more aimed towards off road than road cycling but believe it would still be ok on the road, at least compared to a MTB.

I suppose my question is - is the Specialized the considerably 'better' bike? And therefore worth the extra few hundred £? I would like it to last me a good few years and to really get into cycling again as a hobby with some longer distance cycling involved. I won't be going on very difficult terrain but certainly bridleways, towpaths etc.

As you might have noticed from above I can get some discounts through work/cycling membership club which reduces the cost of each a bit.

Thanks for taking the time to read this post and any advice would be very welcome

PS am going to see the Boardman this afternoon so might get some further ideas then.

[anonymous-user]

Even if you buy the more expensive of the two, if you do 'get into cycling' the amount of £££ you invest in equipment, clothing, energy drinks etc. will soon have grown to such a level that the few hundred difference that you are considering now will become insignificant.

Ride them both and choose the one you feel best on

[frisbee]

Both look like cracking bikes. I have a GT Grade which is similar to the Specialised, mostly 105 with the far nicer 685 shifters. I haven't particularly taken it off road but I've been down some pretty potholed, gravelly roads and its been fine.

I've not even bothered getting my summer bike out yet.

[benny.c]

I can't help with the Boardman but I can't recommend the Diverge highly enough. I've had mine for around 18months now and still really enjoy riding it. The ability to nip on and off road is fantastic and you'll have no problem on tow paths, bridleways etc. It makes a superb winter road bike too.

Ultimately they'll both do the job, so get the one you like as you'll want to ride it more

There's a few thoughts on the Diverge here:

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=1&a...

Edited by benny.c on Monday 11th July 20:22

[numtumfutunch]

I paid full price for the same Diverge model a few months ago and its been ace

My use is commuting around pot holed roads where it excels and 'foul weather' bike with mudguards
I rode it for 5h through wind and rain this afternoon and it was excellent as ever

Ive ridden my local loop enough times over the years for me to be objective about bike performance
On my Duraace equipped carbon race bike my best time is 1h 50 mins
Best Diverge time is 2h dead - not bad really

The Diverge wheels weigh a ton and you can really feel the weight on climbs but a 30T cassette helps
However the Diverge can also lay waste to smoother bridleways which would just break plastic fantastic
Its not an MTB or a crosser but is fairly handy off road on the factory Roubaix slicks

Cheers

[bakerstreet]

numtumfutunch said:

The Diverge wheels weigh a ton and you can really feel the weight on climbs but a 30T cassette helps
However the Diverge can also lay waste to smoother bridleways which would just break plastic fantastic
Its not an MTB or a crosser but is fairly handy off road on the factory Roubaix slicks

Cheers

Don't really understand how its going to break the plastic fantastics?

OP: The CaadX is very different geo compared to the Diverge. Its not a case of fit. Personally, I would go for the CaadX in army green. Think they look brilliant

[T1547]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Really useful to hear thoughts from owners and read the other thread (thanks Benny.c).

To be honest I've read nothing but positive reviews for the Diverge.

Benny.c / numtumfutunch Could I ask how off road you've taken yours? And what you felt was the most difficult terrain it could handle?

The Specialized marketing paints a picture of it being practically a go anywhere bike so trying to get a feel for how much it could take - on different tyres if necessary of course.

I went to have a look at the Boardman yesterday and to be honest came away feeling pretty impressed, seemed good value for the money. There was one in that a bloke had brought in for servicing with slicker tyres on and said it was pretty quick on the road. They also went through the spec of Boardman vs Diverge and the Halfords guy felt they looked a similar level (perhaps he would say that!).

There's just something about the Diverge though...

Any thoughts between the two spec wise?

Thanks
Tim

[benny.c]

T1547 said:

Benny.c / numtumfutunch Could I ask how off road you've taken yours? And what you felt was the most difficult terrain it could handle?

If you Google "Wirral Way" and look at the images then you will see where most of my off-roading is done. It's an abandoned railway that varies from a hard packed surface to mud depending on the weather (most of the photos show it dry). I've also taken it on lumpier, rougher paths and it's been fine.

I tend to ride the Wirral Way in the summer on 35c CX tyres because they are more comfortable when the ground is hard but bumpy and I like the extra grip. It is equally fine on 28c Conti 4 Seasons though and I do swap to them fairly regularly if my ride is likely to have more road bias - I have two sets of wheels; The original Spesh ones and some cheap (£150) Mavics. During the winter I tend to use The Diverge as a road bike and don't use it off road quite as much. Not because it can't handle the muddy stuff but rather I can't be bothered cleaning the mud and crap off all the time.

If you have been used to MTBs then going off road on a drop bar bike feels a little unnerving to start with but you soon get used to the bike squirming and sliding when it's muddy. I think it's improved my handling skills a fair bit TBH.

Edited by benny.c on Tuesday 12th July 11:13

[egor110]

Have a look at the ridley x ride 20

http://www.londonbicycleworkshop.com/95128/product...


it comes with hydraulic brakes , 7005 ally frame rather than the usual 6061 in the sub £1000 area , 105 mech although it doesn't have a carbon front fork.

i've also been looking at the whyte devon/dorset they come with tiagra but some hydraulic hybrid brake system

[numtumfutunch]

Hi

First off my use is mainly road - with mudguards
The Diverge has geometry more in keeping with a road bike than a crosser and handles accordingly

Its gimmick though is that running discs (and some frame tweaks) gives it the ability to fit wider tyres than a conventional road bike which lends it to being a bit more adventurous away from the tarmac
Its off road capability is really limited by tyres and it easily takes some serious off road rubber

The standard wheels on my DSW are bloody heavy as mentioned above by me and engineered to feel absolutely indestructible when bashing cobbles, lumps, bumps and modestly sized rocks. It laughs at canal towpaths for example and I have no issues cruising flat out on them. The only problem is that on my standard issue slicks I occasionally come across patches of mud which give a reasonably sized adrenaline surge on a blind apex at 35kph 30cm from a stinking canal

For some cynical fun stealing Strava KOM's from MTBers I have "sometimes" ventured further off road
It isnt an MTB by any stretch of the imagination and without knowing what you normally ride I couldnt comment but TBH I take my crosser on some fruity off road tracks - I am an old school rigid fork psycho from yesteryear - and see no reason why the Diverge on 32mm and bigger nobblies wouldnt do the job

Finally a word on discs - dont bother with cable, too much faffing with constant adjustment, whatever you decide to buy hydraulic are fit and forget

Cheers

PS. My race bikes road wheels weigh just over a kilo for the pair and I wouldnt rely on them to stand up to a large pot hole let alone a bridleway - although maybe Id be surprised.............


EDIT: If you Facebook there is an owners group active:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1476446176002377/?...

Edited by numtumfutunch on Wednesday 13th July 07:39

[egor110]

The diverge looks nice and unassuming but for the grand price bracket you can get shimano 105 and hydraulic brakes with the ridley x ride 20 and sram/hydraulic forks with the boardman cx team.

Also the whyte dorset and devon have tiagra plus a pretty decent hydraulic/mech brake system and the frames look unassuming same as the diverge.

I guess the important thing though is to try them , on paper it might look spot in but just not suit you when you actually ride it.

[benny.c]

I agree, trying them is the key thing really. The Divege rides like an an off-road Allez, so feels at home on the road too. I had a Cube X-Race and Ridley X-Bow which both had more traditional CX race geometry and weren't as nice/comfortable to ride.

[T1547]

Many thanks again chaps for taking the time to reply and sorry for my late reply, all really useful info in steering me towards a decision..

I test rode another option today, the Jamis Renegade Expert - currently selling at £1238 reduced from £1650. Spec is carbon fibre frame, hydraulic brakes, 105 groupset. The only CF option I've tried at this stage.

Rode for around 10 minutes on the road, noticed the heavier wheels and increased tread of the tyres on the road. My memory of the test ride of the Diverge was of instantly feeling it being a quick bike. Tyres obviously have a lot to do with this but the Diverge really just felt 'right' in terms of speed and fit - as a couple of posters have stated above I think this is a good sign and potentially more important than some of the finer details of the specification.

Evans have been top notch so far at both branches I've been to, very patient with test rides and questions etc. Got talking with a group of the staff today and they could understand the dilemma of which to go for between the Specialized and Jamis. Got the feeling it was about 50/50.

So a day or two more of procrastination and review reading and think I may pull the trigger on the weekend. Tonight's feeling is still towards the Diverge, need to sit on it once more and perhaps take it round the block again. All this time spent decision making I could be out riding it!

Cheers
Tim

Edited by T1547 on Wednesday 13th July 21:38

[T1547]

numtumfutunch said:

Hi

First off my use is mainly road - with mudguards
The Diverge has geometry more in keeping with a road bike than a crosser and handles accordingly

Its gimmick though is that running discs (and some frame tweaks) gives it the ability to fit wider tyres than a conventional road bike which lends it to being a bit more adventurous away from the tarmac
Its off road capability is really limited by tyres and it easily takes some serious off road rubber

The standard wheels on my DSW are bloody heavy as mentioned above by me and engineered to feel absolutely indestructible when bashing cobbles, lumps, bumps and modestly sized rocks. It laughs at canal towpaths for example and I have no issues cruising flat out on them. The only problem is that on my standard issue slicks I occasionally come across patches of mud which give a reasonably sized adrenaline surge on a blind apex at 35kph 30cm from a stinking canal

For some cynical fun stealing Strava KOM's from MTBers I have "sometimes" ventured further off road
It isnt an MTB by any stretch of the imagination and without knowing what you normally ride I couldnt comment but TBH I take my crosser on some fruity off road tracks - I am an old school rigid fork psycho from yesteryear - and see no reason why the Diverge on 32mm and bigger nobblies wouldnt do the job

Finally a word on discs - dont bother with cable, too much faffing with constant adjustment, whatever you decide to buy hydraulic are fit and forget

Cheers

PS. My race bikes road wheels weigh just over a kilo for the pair and I wouldnt rely on them to stand up to a large pot hole let alone a bridleway - although maybe Id be surprised.............


EDIT: If you Facebook there is an owners group active:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1476446176002377/?...

Edited by numtumfutunch on Wednesday 13th July 07:39

Thanks numfutunch. Had a look around the Diverge fb page.. more stuff to look at to help decide..

Agree about the hydraulic brakes, this is a definite requirement.

Edited by T1547 on Wednesday 13th July 22:25

[T1547]

So...

Ended up buying this today








Looking forward to a ride tomorrow

[benny.c]