Boardman Bikes
Comments
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On the ally / carbon issue...
I've got high-end frames in both materials ... and like them both. Carbon has a better stiffness to weight ratio and can be made to do more things if done well. it certainly allows for a more comfortable ride if done well. but alu is underrated in my opinion ... cheap, and at it's best, responsive and light.
but it's alu's cheapness that is the critiicism of the Boardman bike. if the material is cheaper then shouldn't the bike be as well?
at the very least ... in the current climate of carboneverything, it's poor marketing to release a fairly expensive bike with an alu frame.
my guess is that next year boardman will have hooked up with a far-east cookie cutter carbon framemaker and will be selling something similar to the planet-x.0 -
Why should high end bikes be exclusively all carbon fibre?
Cannondale currently make very expensive, high end bikes that are a mix of carbon and aluminium. Their Six13 bikes use an aluminium head tube and rear triangle with carbon top tubes and down tubes and their SystemSix series uses a carbon front triangle co moulded to an aluminium rear triangle.
These alu/carbon frames are supposed to be stonking to ride, get great reviews and come specced up to DA/Record and cost up to 4k! See here Just because all-carbon fibre frames are fashionable doesn't mean that alu/carbon frames will be crap and cheap.0 -
First of all, cheers wildmoustache for being able to actually read my post and follow its thread, yes that was my point, the Halfords manager did slate the Boardman range...
With regard to the point of Boardman just putting his name on it, which I suppose is exactly what has happened, but lets just drill down a little further and see what the admen scumbags are trying to tell us....the following quoted from the CBOARDMAN catalogue...
Lets start with this, it has his signature under it...
"We've created this range to enhance your cycling experience - I've been personally involved to ensure that all bikes and accessories meet my own high standards of performance, design and quality"
Ok Chris....what else do you have to tell us about hese fine machines that your dab hand has created...
ohhh here is something else....
" Throughout Chirs's professional career, he has always paid meticulous attention to each and every detail, which comibined to form the basis of his success - from the equipment he used (utilising the latest designs, materials and aerodynamics) to his race tactics through to rigerous training and diet regimes (ensuring supreme physical stamina) - earning him thenickname of "the professor"
"chris has the unlimate sign-off on all bikes and accessories...."
Ok so we should be absolutley clear that these are Mr. Boardman's be all and end all of bikes,he seemingly has poured all of the above into the design of these cutting edge machines....is that what everyone here gets from the above marketing drivel....
Aside from the fact that a lot of the above is complete and utter generic rubbish, and just not true....
It is a rip off...lets look at how much "meticulous attention to each and every detail" he has given to "utilising the latest designs, materials and aerodynamics"..
Pro Model...
Ultralight triple butted race spec frame .... I truly understand everyones point about carbon vs aluminium...but aluminium is (as wilmoustache points out) very cheap, and is very far from the latest material...so a lie...
Tektro R750 carbon fibre brake calipers....Oh come on...Tektro on a 1400 quid bike....kind of takes the shine off the Dura Ace spec..which it clearly is not...
Reinforced by
Travativ Rouleur carbon fibre GXP chainset.....cutting edge? no....
Ritchey WCS wheelset...130 quid mate....if you want "latest designs, materials and aerodynamics"..check out those sweet new LEW pro VT1s or a pairof LWs...do not give me this junk....
Ok I am off on one...rambling, but my point is...this is adland sumbag rip off junk....and Boardman is cashing in on his name, which makes him a sell out and somewhat of a rip off artist...because he has allowed himself to be dragged through the mud on forums such as these for selling such utter utter rubbish to (as clearly outlined on this forum) people who do not know any better...
Just who does he think he is doing a favour to, enchance my cycling experience....jesus, for 1500 quid you can buy a second hand Merlin CR 6/4 hardly used, it is on ebay right now...ksyriums the lot....
Oh and if you saw the Tour coverage, when he was riding around the course, he was on one of these pieces of crap, but I guess the TV people had made him tape over the name, as they aint giving away advertising for free....
Boardman, shame on you....you are a legend in British cycling and you put your name to this junk...and have the balls to gob off, or allow the admen scumbags to gob off on your behalf like that in the brouchure...you did not have to do it, there are lenty of examples of cycling legends making fine fine cyclingcmachines that have their name on them...and you come up with this...yeah cheers Chris for raising the image of Brisitsh Cycling to the exhalted highs of comp / team and pro.....how embaressing for you....
SELL OUT.....RIP OFF MERCHANT...I hope these machines end up taped together with Pacman at the bottom of the Woolworths bargain bin, I would't take one off your hands for free....I like riding nice bikes...and anyone who is new to the game should have the opportunity to get the buzz, to get hooked from doing the same....1400 quid for that...what a joke...there is no defence...none...SELL OUT....
has everyone seen the rest of the range by the way....go on get a catlogue, I even think there is .pdf on the web somewhere...the bikes are just the start of the utter humiliation for Chris, check out the cycling computers, the 50 quid bib shorts, the 30 quid carbon bottle cage....the 60 quid helmet, hey you can get an ATMOS for about that on sale....
I should stop here.....yes....0 -
So this all means that I should be able to get one cheap, 2nd-hand, or in the bargain bin. (Although being in Australia makes it difficult).
Why would I want one? Vanity. My name is C Boardman. he he.Commute - MASI Souville3 | Road/CX - MASI Speciale CX | Family - 80s ugly | Utility - Cargobike0 -
I would consider a name change dude....
To C Parlee or something....which is interesting in itself as I happen to know that this is actually the brand that the other C Boardman has recently bought to ride for himself.....not quite sure why he is not content with riding his own brand...oh no...yes, I am very sure....0 -
Sorry Zero - I did get lost half way thru your post.
But blimey - he's a cyclist - they're expected to make money off the back of their experiences. Merckx, Roche, Museeuw, Ullrich - they've all done similar.
And how can you slag a bike off by saying - you can buy a second hand bike thats better than that cheaper ? That applies to every new bike surely ? Same with the atmos thing - if you can find that for £60 = please let me know.
I'm thinking you're not a fan of Boardman and are v keen on slagging him off ?To go through the catalogue bit by bit and put the bike down cos it uses Aluminium ? Lots of makers do that.
Nobody needs a £30 carbon cage - but the elite cage is £50 so how over priced is that ?0 -
great that we're all keeping this going
I agree with a lot of what zerosum says. the £1400 Pro has some really poor equipment on it for the money. The bike seems almost calculated to rip off the naive buyer in my view. can't be bothered checking the model, but one of the focus bikes has a great frame and a full shimano group (either ultegra or DA), and aksiums ... that's a good package for a cheap (ish) bike (good frame, good group, cheap but robust and upgradable wheels).
on the carbon/alu debate ... i wasn't knocking alu. in my stable i have an E5 which is a streetfighter of a frame ... and the canondales are good from my limited knowledge of them (though note that C'dales top bikes are now full carbon and that C'dale have had to do a volte-face on their previous "alu is the future" philosophy as carbon technology and framemaking has moved ahead).
the point i was really trying to make is that alu is cheaper and that this should be reflected in the price. it isn't. the bike is priced above full carbon bikes with superior spec. it's poor value.0 -
Yeah, Ok I admit I took a total dislike to the whole deal as soon as I read the catalogue and saw what was on offer, I do not really have feelings for Boardman either way to be honest, I do think he is a little negative though...
Wildmoustache has put it perfectly for me, I should have just said what he did...claculated to rip off the naive buyer...and in my eyes that is really unfair...
point taken about second hand vs new, very true, however I suppose I was just trying to point out what else could be had for the money... and what tyoe of ride quality you can actually get for 1500 quid...
I will be most interested to see the full review that someone mentioned....
Over n out on CBOARDMAN...0 -
If you were Halfords and you wanted to market a new range of bikes , would you prefer to market them under the Apollo brand or chuck a few extra quid into to the marketing budget and get an ex pro's name on the bike ? errrrrrrrrrrr ????Luke0
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Amid all this bashing, some of which is ill informed, has anyone actually ridden any of the bikes? if not your opinion is not really worth anything.
BTW on the pro model the Ritchey WCS DS wheels are worth something like £300 and weigh less than 1500g per pair.
http://www.beyondbikes.com/BB/ItemDesc. ... AC-wcsDSsh
roadcyclinguk, seem to think that the tektro callipers and the truvativ crankset are ok.
http://www.roadcyclinguk.com/news/artic ... 1522551548
this also seems to be where the figure of 8.5kg comes from, this was a rough maximum weight estimate from the reviewer, if anyone has an official figure please share it.
Finally, there is no full carbon bike because it is not ready yet, there will be one called the elite apparently. Supposed to be out next year.
as for the frame material/crap frame because its alu, well look at the price of a condor squadra with DA, its a lot more than £1399.
The bikes seem to be good spec for the money and all the parts are from reputable manufacturers, all that remains to be seen is whether the frame is any good. If you dont know, dont rubbish them.0 -
Maybe the Condor Squadra with DA is over priced as well
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Well I have just picked up my Boardman Comp road bike, from Halfords in Lancaster and I have just got home from the 26 journey without any hiccups and the bike rode really well.
I must admit I'm new to road bikes but it was smooth and light to ride.
The only thing I'm not happy with is the excuse for a saddle which Im going to change immediately for the saddle off my hybrid.
So far thumbs up!! 0 -
LJAR wrote:Amid all this bashing, some of which is ill informed, has anyone actually ridden any of the bikes? if not your opinion is not really worth anything.
BTW on the pro model the Ritchey WCS DS wheels are worth something like £300 and weigh less than 1500g per pair.
http://www.beyondbikes.com/BB/ItemDesc. ... AC-wcsDSsh
roadcyclinguk, seem to think that the tektro callipers and the truvativ crankset are ok.
http://www.roadcyclinguk.com/news/artic ... 1522551548
this also seems to be where the figure of 8.5kg comes from, this was a rough maximum weight estimate from the reviewer, if anyone has an official figure please share it.
Finally, there is no full carbon bike because it is not ready yet, there will be one called the elite apparently. Supposed to be out next year.
as for the frame material/crap frame because its alu, well look at the price of a condor squadra with DA, its a lot more than £1399.
The bikes seem to be good spec for the money and all the parts are from reputable manufacturers, all that remains to be seen is whether the frame is any good. If you dont know, dont rubbish them.
some very good points made here !!!!0 -
Another 30 miles covered and with my "old" saddle on, it was even more of a pleasure than yesterday.
Im really looking forward to the Manchester 100 on Sunday now, to give it a proper blast.0 -
ascurrell wrote:LJAR wrote:Amid all this bashing, some of which is ill informed, has anyone actually ridden any of the bikes? if not your opinion is not really worth anything.
BTW on the pro model the Ritchey WCS DS wheels are worth something like £300 and weigh less than 1500g per pair.
http://www.beyondbikes.com/BB/ItemDesc. ... AC-wcsDSsh
roadcyclinguk, seem to think that the tektro callipers and the truvativ crankset are ok.
http://www.roadcyclinguk.com/news/artic ... 1522551548
this also seems to be where the figure of 8.5kg comes from, this was a rough maximum weight estimate from the reviewer, if anyone has an official figure please share it.
Finally, there is no full carbon bike because it is not ready yet, there will be one called the elite apparently. Supposed to be out next year.
as for the frame material/crap frame because its alu, well look at the price of a condor squadra with DA, its a lot more than £1399.
The bikes seem to be good spec for the money and all the parts are from reputable manufacturers, all that remains to be seen is whether the frame is any good. If you dont know, dont rubbish them.
some very good points made here !!!!
coincidentally i test rode one today. didn't think much of it.
disagree with the above post. the componentry is poor. DA stuff is good but not for this money. The fact that a Condor bike is more expensive doesn't make it good value!! LMAO at that reasoning! 0 -
Almost all of the above posts are preaching to the converted
Nobody with a serious interest and basic knowlege of road cycling would buy a mid range bike from Halfords
The great thing about boardman bikes in Halfords is:
That middle age male menopausal blokes (the sort who would never go into a real bike shop) with cash to spare lurking in Halfords on a Sunday morning may just impulse buy a DECENT first road bike instead of that Honda Fireblade thay may have been contemplating.
Next thing you know they may have lost a couple of stone, joined a club and be thinking of upgrading to a Colnago 8)I want to climb hills so badly;
and I climb hills so badly0 -
is there a degree of bike snobbery here,my brand is better than your brand.whilst the value for money debate is valid and interesting to a point,is cycling as quoted in the press prior to Le Tour becoming the new golf beset with gear freaks obsessing at the latest space age development and weight saving device? After all someone quite sucessfull at cycling once proclaimed its not about the bike!0
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robert millars vapourtrai wrote:After all someone quite sucessfull at cycling once proclaimed its not about the bike!
....and given his 'success', he should know what its about!!!0 -
My suspicion also. I got a bit fed up with the whole "mine's newer / better / lighter / better reviewed / prettier than yours" schtick during my many years of motorcycling, and it's not much different with crank bikes. Honestly, if someone buys it and is happy with it, then it's worth what they paid. I can't speak for anyone else here, but while I might be able to tell the difference between an ok bike and a great bike, I'm certainly not good enough to fully exploit it...robert millars vapourtrai wrote:is there a degree of bike snobbery here,my brand is better than your brand
Meh, I lost where I was going with that 'cos I'm a tad squiffy right now, so I'm just going to agree with "it's not about the bike".Even if the voices aren't real, they have some very good ideas.0 -
I promised myself no more...but just have to say...again Moustache of the wild variety..aye!
Kevin Stephens, good point, good point...if they get people out then yep, fair enough...
This thread is like Pringles, once you pop you just can' stop...although I can..i hate those reformed potato covered in carcinogenic powder charlatans of a crisp...
How about we start the green vs blue packet for Salt n Vinegar argument...
Anything to get away from ..... the overpricing that is Boardman Bikes.....balls, off I go again...0 -
Green of course! :PZero Sum wrote:How about we start the green vs blue packet for Salt n Vinegar argument...Even if the voices aren't real, they have some very good ideas.0 -
Couldn't agree more 0
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heathens! it must be blue.
As or the brand snobbery thing, I reckon it would be interesting to do a blind test where you got people to ride unpainted frames from different manufacturers, with the same spec and see which ones they liked. I would be prepared to wager that the best ones would not be the most expensive!
(that said they might well be)0 -
Completed 57 miles of the manchester 100 today, (see thread on the 100 for the reason) and it never skipped a beat. It was riding superbly all the way, especially during a mad 10 mile sprint to Nantwich.0
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davelakers wrote:Completed 57 miles of the manchester 100 today, (see thread on the 100 for the reason) and it never skipped a beat. It was riding superbly all the way, especially during a mad 10 mile sprint to Nantwich.
Congrats on the baby daughter. A good excuse to bail out of a '100'.0 -
gavintc wrote:davelakers wrote:Completed 57 miles of the manchester 100 today, (see thread on the 100 for the reason) and it never skipped a beat. It was riding superbly all the way, especially during a mad 10 mile sprint to Nantwich.
Congrats on the baby daughter. A good excuse to bail out of a '100'.
ha ha.............
Im seriously gutted about it in a way, Ive trained for it for weeks, it was my first 100mile.
I think i'll do the ride of the roses in 2 weeks instead!!0 -
Just noticed that my 220 mag reviewed one of the CB bikes vs a Cannondale 613 last month.
They seemed to think the CB was great value, let down by its handling only.
(then again I'm not sure 220 know too much about bike kit)0 -
cougie wrote:Just noticed that my 220 mag reviewed one of the CB bikes vs a Cannondale 613 last month.
They seemed to think the CB was great value, let down by its handling only.
(then again I'm not sure 220 know too much about bike kit)
If it's handling is poor how can it be considered great value, even on a bottom of the range bike? Surely handling is a prime consideration when selecting a bike! Putting it in perspective and not relating it specifically to the CB bikes - this area I guess can often be down to a reviewers personal preferences.0 -
Shadowduck wrote:robert millars vapourtrai wrote:is there a degree of bike snobbery here,my brand is better than your brand
My suspicion also. I got a bit fed up with the whole "mine's newer / better / lighter / better reviewed / prettier than yours" schtick during my many years of motorcycling, and it's not much different with crank bikes.
Honestly, if someone buys it and is happy with it, then it's worth what they paid.
I can't speak for anyone else here, but while I might be able to tell the difference between an ok bike and a great bike, I'm certainly not good enough to fully exploit it...
I agree with that.
It's better than no bike at all, if you're happy then that's fine.Richard
Giving it Large0 -
There's also the 'Gear junkies'
£2,000 bike and 10p legs....
Someone on a £300 bike from Halfords who enjoys their cycling is a better person than a gear junkie who goes on about how good his bike is, but doesn't enjoy it.Richard
Giving it Large0
