Boardman Vs SCR

bossman13

After much deliberation, I have narrowed my first roadbike purchase down to two options. (I will be purchasing in the next week or so through halfords with my £600 C2W voucher)

- Giant SCR 2

- Boardman Comp

Here's the final (BIG) dilemmas…

1. Boardman seems to be better spec, including Tiagra/105 mix + decent wheels. SCR2 is full tiagra and from what I read on here the wheels are not great to say the least.

Decisions: no brainer, it has to be the boardman.

2. I am going to be commuting 25m a day on this through winter and so muddies will no doubt be required. The SCR accepts full muddies whereas I will be reliant on race blades for the boardman. Never having used either I am not sure how much difference this makes. I have also read that the SCR is a more 'relaxed' riding position + pretty durable, which would probably suit my commute more as it’s a bit bumpy in places and a few curbs etc to jump up.

Decision: from a commuting perspective, the SCR2


Basically boils down to better bike spec + raceblades + possibly uncomfortabloe commute VS good bike (need new wheels though) + full muddies + more comfy commute
I also plan to start some longer rides over the weekends too soon (30-50m)



Really stuck for a decision between the two. All comments/advice welcomed!... - Thanks

stevec205gti

Do you want to change your clothes at work? If you don't/can't then go with the bike you can fit full mudguards on - race blades are good but you'll still end up with soaking wet feet.

mea00csf

To be honest, if it's your first road bike and your longer rides are in the region of 50miles i don't think you should be particularly worried too much about the wheels, you don't NEED to upgrade them.

If your going to be commuting on it a lot i would probably want the relaxed position, the slightly bigger tyres (particularly if your on bad roads and up and down curbs) and the full guards.

Buy the SCR2 from a local bike shop and it'll be setup well, you'll get a free service and if they're anything like decent you should be able to negotiate a discount on any bits (guards/commute lights/waterproof jackets/locks etc) you buy in the future

The boardman bike will most likely require you to set it up and service it after a few months (as Hlafords aren't well known for being great at this) and you'll get no nice loyalty bonuses

just my toughts on it.......

Zendog1

Some thoughts:

If I remember the spec correctly the only 105 on the Boardman is the rear deraillier. This is a common marketing ploy to allow a claim of Tiagra / 105 mix. The difference in ride quality this gives is negligable.

Race blades do keep most of the crud off you but are poor at protecting the bike = more cleaning needed. Not a fun activity in the winter.

If I was in your position I'd go for the SCR from a LBS.

bossman13

Thanks for the replies guys.

The LBS purchase is not an option as i need to order it thtough halfords, who will source for me. With either option though i fully intend to take it down to my LBS for a check up and get it properly sized etc, even if this means i have to fork out for it.

my olf mtb at the moment has no mudguards and this morning i was getting lots of spray up from the front wheel into my face. Does the raceblades stop this? or do they just fit on the front?

Thanks again, some good food for thought here.

Zendog1

They fit behind the front forks so stop water heading for your face. The back ones fit behind the rear fork and stop skunk stripe. Feet and lower legs tend to get wet from both directions.

meesterbond

I'm sure I've read on here that there are other shops which will accept the Halfords C2W vouchers... Condor spings to mind as one which does..

Can I advise that you check thorough as to whether there is another option other than buying it through Halfords... they're just too hit and miss to chance (in my personal opinion)...


edit - this thread says that Condor will accept the Halfords voucher, so there may be others...

Russell Smith

What is the differnce in the Pricing between the Boardman and the SCR 2.0. Boardman list price is £5999 is it available cheaper ???////////////////////////

bossman13

should be able to snap it up cheaper than £5999

boardman is 599. scr is 545. when halfords source they only do so at Manufacturers retail price, and these are they.

very interesting re Condor accepting the voucher - not sure they have much in the 600 range though...

i agree that halfords could be hit and miss but then if i plan to take to LBS straight away surely they will sort anything that looks poorly prepared/put together ???

reefman

I was very interested in the Boardman, But went for an SCR ltd (same as 1.5) Full tiagra group set including brakes and crank.
I bought it online from a bike shop for £430 yep £430.

I know you are committed to the ride to work scheme but shop around a do your homework,you may find a similar bargain that you can fir into the scheme.
Reefman

meesterbond

Presumably though you'll have to pay your LBS to dismantle the thing, do whatever work's required and reassemble it... I know I'm in London but you'd be looking at £50+ for that, assuming that BBs, Headtubes etc don't need facing etc..

Condor do start at £699 though for their own models... can't remember what other brands they stock but if memory serves they tend to be shiny and expensive...

ash68

The Boardman looks a nice bike,but for winter commuting,I would go for full guards on the scr.You could keep the current wheels over winter, then upgrade them in the summer if you feel the need.Agree with comments made earlier, pity your stuck with the Halfords voucher, nothing against them, but my LBS wins every time for service,advice and reduced prices for regular customers.

reefman

Presumably though you'll have to pay your LBS to dismantle the thing, do whatever work's required and reassemble it... I know I'm in London but you'd be looking at £50+ for that, assuming that BBs, Headtubes etc don't need facing etc..


I forgot to mention my scr ltd was brand new

giant_man

The Giant would be my choice every time, with fully mudguards for the winter, not some halfords half breed with some bloke's name on it!!

The damn thing will be out of fashion next year anyway.

Shavedlegs

I use race blades and I think they are very nearly as good as full mudguards, my feet tend to get wet from passing vehicles.

I'd try and use your LBS if you can, they will probably throw in race blades\pedals\first service and a water bottle. Mine did anyway without me even asking, just mentioned I'd be commuting on it in winter. I have no experience of Halfords so I don't know if they'd do the same.

For what you will be using the bike for it doesn't sound as if the spec is too important so don't be drawn by the 105.

Ribble do a winter bike with Tiagra which is good value, I don't know if they do the C2W but Condor may well do a winter bike too. Try and shop around a little more £600 is a lot of money for a commuting bike.

DavidTQ

The Giant SCR range is very good Ive been using my SCR1 for some time now, They arent kidding about the comfort, mine is more comfortable than my old hybrid was! I thought I would be replacing the wheels, but after a couple of journeys on it I realised that the wheels it came with were plenty good enough for my commuting, maybe I would be faster and more precise on better wheels but the bike as a whole was a revelation compared to the hybrid. At no point am I thinking "I wish I had got something else" or "I need to upgrade this"

The boardman range I have no clue on at all.

meesterbond

reefman wrote:

Presumably though you'll have to pay your LBS to dismantle the thing, do whatever work's required and reassemble it... I know I'm in London but you'd be looking at £50+ for that, assuming that BBs, Headtubes etc don't need facing etc..


I forgot to mention my scr ltd was brand new

Sorry, the original quote was aimed at the OP...
If he doesn't trust Halfords to bolt the thing together properly, and has to pay full price, then you'd need to add another chunk of cash to get it rebuilt... I'm not sure how much money you'd end up saving...

As mentioned, Condor's Race and Audax bikes start at £699 - expensive for a bike with Sora / Xenon, but might be worth a further look...

bossman13

meesterbond wrote:

reefman wrote:

Presumably though you'll have to pay your LBS to dismantle the thing, do whatever work's required and reassemble it... I know I'm in London but you'd be looking at £50+ for that, assuming that BBs, Headtubes etc don't need facing etc..


I forgot to mention my scr ltd was brand new

Sorry, the original quote was aimed at the OP...
If he doesn't trust Halfords to bolt the thing together properly, and has to pay full price, then you'd need to add another chunk of cash to get it rebuilt... I'm not sure how much money you'd end up saving...

i think (hope?) that when halfords source it direct from GIANT it comes already fully built. If that was the case i think i would trust them. If not, and it came in bits for the bikehut experts to stick together...i'd be straight down the LBS.

can anyone else who's ordered non-halfords brands through halfords confirm if they arrive ready to ride away?

decisions decisions. condor look really nice but forking out extra for the lower spec sora does seem a bit silly

meesterbond

It'll come from Giant mostly assembled... however, when I bought my last road bike, my LBS told me that they strip and reassemble ever bike they sell as they've found enough errors in the factory builds to warrant it... that was a Cannondale, but they also sell Kona, Litespeed, Scott and others...

I didn't mean to alarm you and am perfectly ready to be proved wrong, but I've always assumed that it was standard practice at good bike shops... things like headsets and BBs can be decidedly temperamental if the frame isn't faced properly, and the bike needs to be largely stripped for that to be checked...

enjoy_the_ride

bossman13, year round commuting - got to say I like the spirit!

But, if its year round all weather commuting that’s going to be your main use, then (IMO) its not only full mudguards that are a must (race blades are nowhere near as good) but a pannier rack and decent waterproof bag as well. Sexy stuff I know, but a rucksack will make you hot in the summer and wet in the winter.

Do either of the bikes you have short listed have the fixing points for a rack? Not sure the Boardman bike does, but I think the Giant SCR 2 does.

As for pannier bags, you get what you pay for. I’ve used an Ortlieb Bike Packer Plus for 3 years plus now and it is excellent, in all weathers.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/Manufacturer.as ... %20Pannier

Nothing against the Boardman, but full mudguards, pannier rack fixings (?) and a more upright position (which is good for riding in traffic, as well as longer distances) lean me towards the Giant SCR 2.

davelakers

I see the bike snobs are out in force again!!!

I am extremely satisfied with my Boardman Road Comp. It is a comfortable and responsive ride, well spec'd and I think it looks the bollox!!

Make sure you insist on everything being checked and double checked after set up (which is your right) and you will be ok!!

Go for the Boardman in my opinion!!!!

gkerr4

the boardman appeals more to me than the giant - they are nicer looking in my eyes

but I have to agree - the SCR has the ability to take full guards and a rack for panniers - which you will NEED if you are serious about year round commuting. so it has to be the giant.

don't worry too much about having another shop "re-build" the bike - ride it, see how it feels and if it needs adjustment, have a go yourself - there's mots of help on here and other online sources. they are pretty uncomplicated machines you know - it's not like we are recommending servicing your own nuclear submarine.

bossman13

just when i thought the Giant had stolen it, in come two more votes for the Boardman !

I must admit, i think i do prefer the Boardman - looks classy and top rated in C+ last month.

Really boils down now to whether it's possible to make do with race blades through a winter of commuting???? To be honest i dont mind getting a bit wet on the legs as i get a shower at work, but it is the spray in the face and up my back that i just cant put up with.

:?:

top_bhoy

gkerr4 wrote:

don't worry too much about having another shop "re-build" the bike - ride it, see how it feels and if it needs adjustment, have a go yourself - there's mots of help on here and other online sources. they are pretty uncomplicated machines you know - it's not like we are recommending servicing your own nuclear submarine.

Little wonder shoddy service is all too frequent at this estabilishment if this is the sort of attitude which prevails in many people.

What is wrong with the expectation of a new bike being safe and setup to ride at point of collection. Am I missing something?

enjoy_the_ride

The thing with race blades is thats its about more than keeping the worst of the wet weather off you, there's the bike as well. IMO, the worst thing about race blades is they throw a lot of wet cr#p straight at the brake blocks, which means you will not only get wet legs, but excessive wear on the brakes and wheel rims.

You haven't said what type of roads you will mainly be cycling, or the duration/distance of your commute. But anything off the cleanest of main roads and longer than 10 to 15 mins and IMO you'll regret those race blades.

If you do go for the race blade option, make sure you tape the frame and fork before you fit them. If you don't you'll end up with some nasty scratches.

gkerr4

Top_Bhoy wrote:

gkerr4 wrote:

don't worry too much about having another shop "re-build" the bike - ride it, see how it feels and if it needs adjustment, have a go yourself - there's mots of help on here and other online sources. they are pretty uncomplicated machines you know - it's not like we are recommending servicing your own nuclear submarine.

Little wonder shoddy service is all too frequent at this estabilishment if this is the sort of attitude which prevails in many people.

What is wrong with the expectation of a new bike being safe and setup to ride at point of collection. Am I missing something?

thats a bit harsh mate.

All I was saying is that the bike is likely to be delivered by halfords in a safe and rideable condition - it just might not be ideal

What I really hate, is forum obsession with running to the 'LBS' everytime something doesn't quite shift perfect or feel right - or even worse, cos they are scared it might not have been setup properly.

Bikes are not complex machines and are easily servicable at home!!!!

top_bhoy

gkerr4, I understand what you are saying and if I was a little harsh, I apologise. However, numerous accounts from members here on this forum suggest that on occassions, not only have bikes left the shop incorrectly set-up but were actually a danger to the cyclist and other road users.

Poor set-up, incorrectly tightened parts and dangerous bikes are just not something I expect upon collection of a new bike. New owners should expect a certain level of service and they are obviously not getting it on a regular basis at this establishment (ooh errr )

Re. easily serviceable at home, fine if you have a garden or garage (and the tools) - for people living in flats and apartments, bike servicing is not the easiest thing to do. I've been there, done it (and still doing it). For all but the most mundane tasks I'd rather take the bike somewhere now for jobs as it has cost me more in paint and carpets over the years doing the work inside

mea00csf

I don't tend to do my own repairs, i live pretty much above a bike shop so know all the guys who work there and get preferential service (they rush my bike through for me) and discounts.

This, combined with living in a rented first floor flat (read, i can't get anything dirty, oily etc) and having a ridiculous amount on in my spare time (i also swim, run and spend quite a lot of time visiting friends in other cities) I simply don't want to or have time to spend working on my bike.

I hate that snobbish "bikes aren't complicated things, everyone should do 90% of the work on their own bike blah, blah blah...." attitute. It isn't always the best option. If i did all my own work on my bikes, i'd never have time to ride them