New bike on C2W scheme - help please

gregster10217

My company will be starting the C2W scheme again from 1st October and I've been busy looking for the best bike upto £1,000 (scheme tied into Halfords unfortunately, but that's another topic entirely!!!) As well as some commuting, I'll be using it for general fitness and sportives.
Anyway, I think I've narrowed it down to 2 and they are Specialized Allez Elite and the Boardman Carbon. I'm using an old, borrowed steel frame Dawes so anything will be an improvement!
Anyway, I was hoping to get some opinions on both and their respective groupsets. I'm led to believe the SRAM Rival are on a par with Ultegra gear and the Spesh uses Tiagra throughout. I have ridden both and like them both, but still unsure of the 'double tap' SRAM as I'm using Shimano at the moment and like the way it works.
Any opinions on either would be appreciate, as would further bike suggestion if any spring to mind.
Thanks, and sorry for it being another 'what bike/help' post.

sturmey

Are you absolutely sure you HAVE TO buy this bike from/through Halfords?
Doesn't seem right that. Who is tying you into this arrangement? Your employer? I would ask for some clarification as I would have thought you could buy the bike from any participating cycle to work retailer.

gregster10217

Unfortunately I do have to use Halfords. I've been to some other LBS and they all say the same thing - you've got to use Halfords. I wish I didn't have to purely due to the set up problems I've read about on here. I will be taking any bike I get straight to my LBS for check up!
I can choose pretty much any bike to order and have selected the 2 mentioned after a good bit of research, but someone mentioned the Orbea Gavia today and looks like a nice bike, good groupset but no many reviews about them.
HELP!!!!

ex-pat scot

The Halfords scheme #can# be used to source non-Halfords bikes.

Our scheme has been used for
-Cannondale
-Brompton
-Focus (sadly no longer)
-Planet X -again sadly no longer available.

hopper1

I had Shimano on my first road bike, and liked it, comfortable on the hoods, ok gear changes.
Recently, I test rode several potential purchases, most with Campag, very comfortable hoods, positive gear changes.
I did however go for a frame build and specced SRAM Force, just to be different! But, I'm so glad I did, I love it. The 'double tap' is second nature very quickly and I doubt you'll ever regret it.
Get any bike you like, but get it with SRAM!

cluke92

our c2w scheme is set up with halfords as well, but I wanted a Trek, so I called the 'special bikes' number on halfords c2w website and they told me where I could source the bike from. I ended up going to Leisure Lakes bike using my halfords c2w voucher. Well worth having a look into

gregster10217

I'll definitely check the last post out, thanks cluke. Would make it so much easier to be able to go where the bike is.

marcthehammer

My wife also got her trek from leisure lakes on the halfords c2w scheme.They also let her spend the rest of the voucher in store too.

gregster10217

Just spoken to Halfords, won't give out details of suppliers in Kent even though my LBS has supplied bikes to them so will just have to order through Halfords and get LBS to set it up. Shame.
Also wanted a Bianchi 1885 but they cannot supply those so going for the Specialized Sectuer Elite which is Shimano 105 equipped over Tiagra on the Allez Elite. It's a tripple so may look at changing that to a compact if I don't get on with it and would cost me more than £200 to upgrade to 105. Same frame on both, better forks (?) on Secteur although got 25 wheels.
Choices choices, but think I'll stick with this one - maybe!!! LOL!!!

donnie murdo

Condor Cycles will accept the C2W Halfords voucher

Give them a call

gregster10217

Thanks, I'll take a look

gregster10217

Now you've done it. Looked at Lakeland Bikes today and really like the new Trek 2.1C.
Spoke to them as well and they will accept the Halfords C2W voucher, but they are a long way from me in Kent. Anyone know of they'll ship to Halfords for me to collect and set up? Says on their site that Trek bikes are for collection only.
So another one to add to the list I thought I'd whittled down!