Choices-please help !!!!!

myro

Having used a mountain bike for the last ten years of daily commute I've decided to leave the 'dark side' and buy a road bike with which to do sportives. I'm looking in the £1500 range and wanted a machine that would suit my 5ft 9in frame.
I initially started looking at a Boardman as every magazine I picked up, the write up give it 10/10, then I spoke to the Halfords assistant :evil: who looked me up and down and proclaimed I would need a medium before he went back to texting on his phone. If ever there was a 'marriage' made in hell it has to be Halfords and Boardman how can you have any confidence that should you buy, any problems would be sorted out.
As a result of this experience I decided that service was equally as important as the choice of bike and that I would check out my LBS.
I've narrowed my choice down to the following and would greatly appreciate any comments good or bad
2010 Orbea Onix T105 Special Edition which I can spec up exactly as I want from the factory
2010 Felt Z5 which will be a stock item
I have a set of Mavic Ksyrium SL's which I intend to fit so wheel choice is not important.

Am I on the right track for sportives or should I be looking at different makes and models.

Thanks for any advice

keyser_soze

Try different Halfords stores. Their service in general is rubbish but find the right guy and you will get what you're after - the boardmans are so well specced it will likely pay off to find the right store. They have some stores which are specifically staffed for the bikes and have some good people working in there who actually know what they're on about.

Chip \'oyler

The Viner Magnifica - Special Limited Edition

Just under £1200

http://www.epic-cycles.co.uk/Viner.htm

STEFANOS4784

Chip \'oyler wrote:

The Viner Magnifica - Special Limited Edition

Just under £1200

http://www.epic-cycles.co.uk/Viner.htm

Another 20 quid in the kitty eh?

Garz

If you do go with the LBS try to discount the entry wheels that would come with it and get them mavic' on there.

gregster10217

keyser_soze wrote:

Try different Halfords stores. Their service in general is rubbish but find the right guy and you will get what you're after - the boardmans are so well specced it will likely pay off to find the right store. They have some stores which are specifically staffed for the bikes and have some good people working in there who actually know what they're on about.

+1 for the above.

I've recently got a Limited Edition Team Carbon, but I wouldn't have bothered if I'd stuck with the original store I went to. Eventually went to the Maidstone store, where the guys were very knowledgeable and helpful and instilled a confidence that I hadn't got at the first store. You're right, the Pro it's and awful lot of bike for the money and if you can cope with just buying the bike from them and then using your LBS for all your servicing etc, then you never have to see them again.