boardman urban pro ltd vs boardman team carbon?

domjon

hi all, newbie here looking for advice. I've been commuting come hell and high water for the past 12 months on a weighty old steel mountain bike...only a six mile commute but fairly hilly and working 12 hour shifts it's becoming a bit of a grind to get home afterwards. So, I've decided the time is right to splash out on something to make the trip a little easier before I become disillusioned with the whole commute by bike lark.

I've been round a few LBS's and sat on various bikes but the two I really liked were the boardman models in halfords. 'was just looking for any opinions on which would be the best option for me...my heart says the Team Carbon but my head says the urban pro ltd.

I've no experience of road bikes at all so really haven't much idea how fragile they might be....my route is all town/country roads...I currently do a bit of kerb hopping etc but could stop that without any problem, condition of the roads isn't great round here, probably the same as everywhere else in england following the crappy winter. I don't need to take much gear with me, just a small rucksack and I'm not bothered with fenders as I've plenty of biking clothing and dont need to be smart/clean for work. Also got secure parking at work.

So am i better playing it safe and going for the urban? Or is it worth chancing the road bike for a bit more speed and possibilities outside of the commute. Is it feasible to use the road bike 90% of the year and jump on the old mountain bike just when the weather is really bad or is it more likely to be off the road for 6 months of the year?

I think I know the answer really but would appreciate the opinions of those more experienced..

davis

Welcome!

The road bike will be fine.

I'd avoid the curb and pothole hopping personally, because it makes it more likely that you'll pop a tyre or a spoke.
I'm riding my road bike in very similar conditions to you, and it's entirely fine.

Two things to think about though:

Do you really want to use your £1000 bike as your commuter which will take a bit more of a beating (carbon fibre frame and flashier components will cost more to replace). Having said that, I ride it now winter's mostly over.

Do you have a Cycle2Work (Ride2work, cyclescheme) scheme in place at work? Makes it a lot cheaper!

UndercoverElephant

Road bikes can take a hell of a beating on the road. They would probably get knackered if you tried using one on a mountain path (as would you), but so would most hybrids.

domjon

thanks for the welcome, and the reply.

We've been pestering the management for 12 months about cycle2work...some progress has been made but still awaiting a final decision..whatever happens I'll need a new bike anyway in order to keep my motivation.

you say you are riding yours now the winter is over...how long roughly has it been out of action because of the weather? If we're talking a couple of months or more not being able to use it then it's probably pointless me getting one at this stage..at least until I can afford a competent back up bike aswell. Excuse my ignorance, I really have no idea on the fragility/practicality side of things.

davis

domjon wrote:

you say you are riding yours now the winter is over...how long roughly has it been out of action because of the weather? If we're talking a couple of months or more not being able to use it then it's probably pointless me getting one at this stage..at least until I can afford a competent back up bike aswell. Excuse my ignorance, I really have no idea on the fragility/practicality side of things.

It isn't the fragility of the bike. It's me being a ponce about it, because it's my "best"/Sunday bike, and I like it clean and running nicely, so I treat it well.
I treat my commuter a little worse, but I don't mind so much. I'd imagine I'd struggle to treat any bike brilliantly after 12 hours' work!

Really, you can ride it through the winter (probably not the snow though!) if you're prepared to give the drivetrain a daily spray of GT85 and probably a weekly clean and re-oil. Like I said, I'm being a ponce about it; plenty of people treat their bikes in many different ways, and they're fine.

The two questions to ask yourself are "how much would I be willing to do to a bike after getting home", and "how upset would I be if it started misbehaving". The correct bike is probably decided by the balance of the answers (This is a lie. The "Correct Bike" is always the next one, and the one after that, and just one more...)

Edit If you're asking which one I think you should buy, it's probably 1) the one that fits you best, and 2) the one you like the look of. Seriously.

domjon

hmmm, thanks...food for thought.

"how much would I be willing to do to a bike after getting home"

very little probably after 13 or so hours out of the house and only another 10 to wash, eat sleep etc before climbing aboard again. However 12hr shifts mean 4 days off every week so realistically I've plenty of time for a simple maintenance routine...not that the current nail gets much attention at the moment

and "how upset would I be if it started misbehaving".

probably quite upset, but would the road bike really give that much more trouble than the urban? It's not like I'm looking at an enclosed hub or anything as the alternative choice.

Again, thanks for the opinions...maybe I should follow my heart and go for the sexier option after all. 8)

holybinch

If you can spend some time cleaning it at the weekend, only in winter will it require a bit more attention. And it will be probably a matter of 5-10mns just to wipe it/dry it a bit.

I wouldn't worry, and would go for the roadie. But since I have a roadie already, i'd probably go for the boardman CX (if the bike HAS to be a boardman )

fenboy369

How far are you riding, oh yes, 6 miles. Get the roadie, And have a longer ride home last day of shift.
I'm looking at the Boardman roadie too. Looks a nice bike. I also like the Cannondale CAAD8 105 thing in cycle active? this month.

davis

domjon wrote:

very little probably after 13 or so hours out of the house and only another 10 to wash, eat sleep etc before climbing aboard again. However 12hr shifts mean 4 days off every week so realistically I've plenty of time for a simple maintenance routine...not that the current nail gets much attention at the moment

You'll have bags of time. Maybe in winter a 3 minute spray and wipe down at the end of the day, then clean it once a week. I can't imagine it being any hassle.

I think you've just sold yourself on the road bike by now :-)

domjon

davis wrote:

I think you've just sold yourself on the road bike by now :-)

looking that way

UndercoverElephant

Mine got less maintenance than that most days. Get home, clean loose crud off with hose (when possible) and give it some oil. At the weekend I would then clean it properly.

Must be said it feels much better at the beginning of the week than the end

Stevo_666

Either will do you fine for the commute - it'll be more down to your personal prefs. I have the Hybrid Pro Ltd but am trying to be unbiased....as I also quite fancy a 'roadie' for weekend fun rides. You mentioned the condition of the roads were not great round your way and one advantage of the Hybrid is that you can fit fatter tyres (up to 38's) to get a bit more comfort and puncture resistance.

If you can have a commuter and roadie then get both

Daver27

I am having exactly the same dilemma with exactly the same bikes!

i am fed up with £60 a week in fuel (soon to run to around £80 robbing government/fuel companies) so am going down the C2W route with one or the other.
The carbon looks awesome and for the money it seems it simply cannot be beaten. I am a little nervous about having a carbon frame for commuting as i have zero road bike experience also (20+ years MTb tho)

I'd be interested to hear which route you decide on and how it goes, as i am not going to be able to do anything for a few weeks, so that could help me out as well!

tempted by the road bike purely becasue that is where i am going to be riding, no towpaths or light bridleways as i have several MTbs for that, making the hybrid irrelevant i feel.

spursn17

I've been commuting on a Team Carbon since last June. Been knocked off by a car, fell off on black ice, hit every pot hole in East/central London and ridden it in really filthy weather.

It's still OK, I've cleaned it every 2 weeks with baby wipes and it still looks good. They're tougher than you think.

cjcp

GIven you've got some mtbs, go for the road bike. The Boardman does look a nice bit of kit.

Road bikes are, after all, "road" bikes, so they can take some stick. With all the pot holes, just keep an eye on the wheels remaining true.

If it's your first time on a road bike, too, I'd recommend taking it for some rides before heading out on the commute so you can get a feel for the different hand position and the width of the bars.

cjcp

Fyi:

http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12687501

Avanti Roman

No reason you can't use a roadbike for your year round commute (apart from snow, ice & floods!). If you're concerned about the poor roads you can fit good lightweight 25c (or even 28c frame permitting)tyres which will protect the wheels more effectively and actually roll better than 23c tyres on harsh surfaces.

I think the £650 Boardman comp (or £800 team) roadbike would also be an excellent option and the ali frames & levers will be a little more resilient to scrapes than carbon.

Wrath Rob

I've been riding an '08 Boardman Comp for the last 2 years in all weather and its been great, just the usual consumables (brake pads, chain, rear cassette). However it did need a little fettling when I bought it as the rear shifter wasn't dialed into the index properly and the front brake tension needed adjusting. The rear shifter also lunched the cable which was sorted under warranty. About 5 months ago I replaced both wheels as the hubs were failing. I've still got them as I need to get them serviced to provide me with a spare pair for the next time something wheel related happens.

I know that sounds negative but I'm riding 70-90 miles a wheel and reckon I've clocked up around 10k miles on it all in, at a running cost of about £1.20 a day including the purchase price of the bike. That definitely beats the tube even before you start thinking about the health benefits

Eau Rouge

You have 4 days off in the week, ideal for doing some non-commuting cycling. That's what will really get you hooked, get you a lot fitter, and mean you'll still cycle to work on those days you don't really feel like it and it's cold and raining.
That is why you should get the road bike. You are far more likely to do those non-commuting rides and the rest follows. You're a lot less likely to want to drag the hybrid around the local hills on your day off, won't get much fitter, won't get hooked, and find yourself chickening out when it looks a bit cloudy in the morning.

mousetoo

I used by Focus Cayo every day this winter - 15 miles a day even on the salted roads in London - and didn't clean it once. The chainand drivetrain were caked in old oil and it was filthy, but I gave her a deep clean a couple of weekends back and she's like new. I reckon that within reason you can do as little or as mcuh maintenance/cleaning as you like

Irri_Tant

domjon wrote:

but the two I really liked were the boardman models in halfords. 'was just looking for any opinions on which would be the best option for me...my heart says the Team Carbon but my head says the urban pro ltd.

bought mine because I liked the frame style and it had disc brakes, no other reason

very happy with it having covered 1887 miles in the year

fitted mudgaurds as I use it for a 12 mile round trip on the flat 2 or 3 times a week but it does the hills just as well

here's a 25 mile ride http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8A67o0pDf4

Irri_Tant

just got the CB Hybrid Pro over the weekend

domjon

Ah well I'm fed up with waiting for the bike2work scheme and the old mountain bike is getting too dangerous to continue using without spending money on so I've ordered the pro ltd hybrid online tonight...woo hoo...can't wait , my first decent bike. 'bit nervous about the halfords set-up issues, crossing my fingers all is well. Will report back in a couple of weeks.

domjon

well, had the urban pro ltd for a few days now and what can I say...fantastic. I absolutely love the thing. 'pretty sure I made the right choice in the end...the more familiar riding position was what swung it in the end rather than concerns about fragility.

I've gone from a semi-reluctant commuter to an enthusiast in one week...my previous longest trip was the six miles to work and I've done 25 milers every day on the new machine since I've had it. 'planning my first century already

I'd heartily recommend the bike to anyone, a joy to ride and absolutely flies up the hills. Only problem now is...I can't imagine subjecting my new pride and joy to the the harsh realities of the winter commute....well, I was warned

as an aside, I ordered through the halfords website and had it home delivered...set-up was pretty good, admittedly I gave the LBS £15 to give it a quick once over and tweak the gears a bit but that was probably more for my own peace of mind after hearing all the horror stories.

biondino

You've made a terrible mistake