Boardman Comp

[ML]

First, hi, I havent posted here before. Are these any good? I'm looking for a (relatively) cheap road bike that I can use every day without worrying about damage. I don't have much money, so it does have to be cheap

[Dudd]

You'll get great spec for the money with a Boardman. A mate has a hybrid and an MTB by them. Both are very good.

[ML]

Ok, cheers. So it's a good bike then?

[Zletsgo]

Worth you checking out some of the ex demo/sales stuff on www.wiggle.co.uk
Are you just going to use for a commute?

[ML]

I'm looking to use it for general cycling, just getting about really. I'm a student, so there's no commute.

[DamienCBR]

I have been looking at the Boardmans also. They are excellent value for money, i have been looking at the Team over the Comp, i know it is another £200 but believe that is £200 well spent.

Cheers
D

[anonymous-user]

i bought a boardman team back in the autumn of 2008 when they were fairly new. a lot of people scoffed because they were, and remain, solely available through halfords and the reputation of halfords and bicycles is not good... but the boardman is just so much fun to ride and i love pissing off purists with my "halfords special". i would recommend buying it online as i believe you get a discount, then take it home unbuilt and build it at home. its not too hard, most of the work is already done but you can spend some time and get it right. bike builders at halfords have a mixed reputation, the guys at weston super mare who sold me mine were ace and i would have trusted them to do a great job but i wanted to do it myself...

first up its made in the factory as merida, google merida and they are a well known and respected brand so you know straight away that they are not made in some back street of taiwan but are a good solid frame. there is a tiny amount of flex in the rear triangle of mine when pushing really, REALLY hard up a hill or on the flat but nothing to worry about. i weigh 80kgs and can push a good couple of hundred watts so this flex isnt a surprise.

secondly, chris boardman put his name to it and he wouldnt put his name to any old bike just to make a quick buck, he has too much to lose.... as for endorsements, nicole cooke rode one to olympic gold and alistair brownlee races one in triathlons to great success. these are, to lal purposes, off the shelf bikes with minor adjustments to suit personal tastes, not "factory specials"

finally, boardman got some very good deals on equipment, the ritchey wheels are reasonably light and bombproof, mine have suffered two winters on bristol roads and still run true and the level of shimano components on that price bike is crazy, you just dont get tiagra, 105 or sram stuff on the same price bikes from other manufacturers.

the bikes ride really well, i love mine to pieces, i commute on it, i race on it, i am planning to ride a 100 mile sportive on it later this year.

[ben_h100]

I bought a second-hand boardman road comp on Monday and absolutely love it. It is my first road bike, and having come from MTBs the speed is unreal. It glides everywhere, is comfortable, quick and fairly light.

Have done 40 miles so far - just got back in from a 20 miler.

Never really saw the appeal of road riding but now I can see it taking up loads of time this summer.

Go for the road bike over the hybrid

[AyBee]

They have a very good reputation and seem to be reasonably cheap for the spec. I desperately want the Pro Carbon RP:

[anonymous-user]

i just wish the graphics were a little more tasteful....

[Zletsgo]

Have you thought of getting a single speed bike? -

Less things to go wrong
Bike is cheaper
Bike is lighter

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Felt_Dispatch_20...

[tybalt]

Zletsgo said:

Have you thought of getting a single speed bike? -

Less things to go wrong
Bike is cheaper
Bike is lighter

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Felt_Dispatch_20...

There's always one.
What is it with singlespeeds? They are like some evangelical religion.

[Floor Tom]

I've got a singlespeed road bike and have mixed feelings about it. On one had it has been very cheap (same drive train after two years commuting and its still ok) and I can get everywhere in the city, but I live in Aberdeen so its not that hilly. On the other it is slow on the downs and a killer on the ups plus if you did want to you'd struggle to use it for proper big road rides.

Anyway, the boardman bike range look geat. Not convinced by the full sus mountain bike but apart from that I'd have any of them.

[anonymous-user]

we have an entire summer of this "i ride a single speed/fixie because i want to be mistaken for a cycle messenger" thing as well....

[Floor Tom]

pablo said:

we have an entire summer of this "i ride a single speed/fixie because i want to be mistaken for a cycle messenger" thing as well....

There really is only two reasons to ride a sinlespeed/fixie. Because you are cheap (like me) or because you are a trendy bd.

[Zletsgo]

tybalt said:

Zletsgo said:

Have you thought of getting a single speed bike? -

Less things to go wrong
Bike is cheaper
Bike is lighter

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Felt_Dispatch_20...

There's always one.
What is it with singlespeeds? They are like some evangelical religion.

Don't get me wrong - I don't have one but for someone who wants something durable/reasonably cheap then the argument starts to build.
Also if your looking for fitness then obviously being able to crank the same gear up hill and down will certainly improve your all round fitness imo

[Gooby]

Also try Trek - Great frames and a massive producer so they get the best prices on components.

[Floor Tom]

Gooby said:

Also try Trek - Great frames and a massive producer so they get the best prices on components.

Agree with this, Trek make decent road bikes. Same goes for Giant and Specialized. When you are looking at the lower end you just can't beat the mass producers.

[walm]

Zletsgo said:

tybalt said:

Zletsgo said:

Have you thought of getting a single speed bike? -

Less things to go wrong
Bike is cheaper
Bike is lighter

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Felt_Dispatch_20...

There's always one.
What is it with singlespeeds? They are like some evangelical religion.

Don't get me wrong - I don't have one but for someone who wants something durable/reasonably cheap then the argument starts to build.
Also if your looking for fitness then obviously being able to crank the same gear up hill and down will certainly improve your all round fitness imo

+1
£200 on fleabay and good for fitness.

Plus, I like to learn new skills and I already knew how to ride a bike (well, know how to commute on it).
Fixed sounded like a challenge and made the commute more fun/interesting. Has been so far.
No one is likely to mistake me in my lumo and baggies for a messenger.

That Felt is quite expensive though - if you want new I would go for a sub-£500 off-the-peg from here:
http://www.lfgss.com/thread9085.html

[dubbs]

Good for completely foobaring the knees more like - cranking it up a hill build muscle but doesn't build fitness any more than doing a high cadence climb and keeping the heart rate up. I know a couple of people that latched on to the singlespeed thing early on have now moved on due to knee problems cranking up hills.

Majority of fixies/singlespeeds are a PITA - I have nothing but problems with the dipsticks riding them (apols to any DECENT one's here!) They tootle around, generally with stupid dildo handlebars so every crack and pothole in the road sends them all over the shop, they're usually wearing trendy stuff that's completely impractical on the bike and makes them look overbalanced with their satchel/record bags, they jump the red lights and give us all a bad name only to be caught up 20metres later and have to get round them again.

They then bleat on abotu how their bike is so simple and nothing breaks... I've still got the same drivetrain on my Allez commuter bike and that's a 2005. Mechanical sympathy and learn how to change gear (and use the RIGHT gear) is what most of them need.