Boardman Comp Road or Orbea Enol

zootsuit

Hi There

Im just about to buy my first road bike (budget £550) and have narrowed my choice down to 2 - a Boardman Road Comp and an Orbea Enol.

The situation is Ive taken a 57cm Orbea for a test ride from my LBH who are very good, and it felt great, even though i'm new to road bikes. The 2200 groupset drivetrain did feel a bit clunky but worked well enough . First question -most bikes in this price bracket have Sora, is there a big difference?

My local Halfords also has a Boardman Road Comp 09, which is reduced by £150 due to a few minor scratches, to the same price as the Orbea. The group set this is Tiagra/105 , Truative GXP chainset and the wheelset is also Ritchey Pro, which seems to be much better specced than the Orbea's 2200 hub/Kronos rim wheelset.

As they are the same price my immediate reaction would be to go for the higher specced Boardman. However Halfords would not let me take it for proper test ride, only round the carpark. Its a slightly bigger frame - 57.5 and the top top is 58.5, 1.5cm longer than the Orbea. It felt fine and th egear changes felt a lot smoother but didnt really have a chance to really test it properly and Im worried this small difference will make it harder to ride longer distances

So, Im wondering should I go for the slightly smaller Orbea I know fits well and sacrifice the components or take a risk and go with the Boardman. As a commuter will I really notice the difference in quality, willI be replacing parts twice as much on the Orbea? Overall I prefer the appearance of the Orbea, and although the spec is slightly lower I wonder whether this is too my advantage as it looks less 'flash' its less likely to get knicked when locked up around town?! Onthe other hand fitting a shorter stem and lowering the seat a little on the Boardman may give me a similar ride! Halfords are quite adamant I cant take it out the store for a proper test!

http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/product/114540.html

http://www.boardmanbikes.com/road/road_comp.html



Any thoughts?


Thanks!

Zootsuit

duncanw

Would be the Boardman for me, wouldn't really want the cheapest entry level Shimano components that come with the Orbea.

Lots of reviews of the 2008 bike, scroll down.

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/ ... p-08-22946

N0bodyOfTheGoat

zootsuit wrote:

As they are the same price my immediate reaction would be to go for the higher specced Boardman. However Halfords would not let me take it for proper test ride, only round the carpark.

In that case, insist on a minimum 20-minute spin around the carpark. If they want your money, they will agree!

DomPro

The colour schemes for the Orbea looks brilliant, but the components on the Boardman are much better spec. The 105 is bullet-proof in my experience and should be a deciding factor.
Just remember that buying your first road bike is a special thing, and is an important landmark in a mans life. So make sure you're happy with whatever you go for.

volvine

i have the 105 on my trek madone and i think it is brilliant spec on the boardman looks far better tbh it would be a no brainer for me

Bar.

Ihave a Boardman Comp and am thus farvery happy indeed with it. I think that if you buy one you won't be disappointed.

Clockworkali

My mate has got the 08 Boardman comp and it is a very good bike for the money. The spec is very high for an entry level bike and the ritchey comp finishing kit and wheels are a nice touch. The 08 bike is £499 so I would have a look at the Halfords web site and see if it is in stock near you. Got to be better having an 08 model than a scratched 09.

STEFANOS4784

Definately the Boardman if ite Orbea had tiagra then i'd go the other way but find those thumb shifter jobbies a pain in my buttocks, the Orbea is nicer to look at but this will increase the chances of it getting knicked, for all reasons you've stated this seems a no brainer