Would you spend £5000 on a Boardman?

pastey_boy

ibbo68 wrote:

MrChuck wrote:

Edit: Reminds me of that Lotus Elise-type car Vausxhall did a couple of years ago- I expect it was every bit as good as an Elise, but if I were in the market for that sort of car I wouldn't buy a Vauxhall.

Our kid had an early Elise and all the instruments and switch gear were Vauxhall made Exactly the same stuff as my 02 plate Vectra

i actually owned a vauxhall vx220 on release and it was lovely. was a 6 month waiting list too, also from various tests it outdid the elise. lots of elises on the road but i hardly ever see 220,s. i wouldnt turn down a monaro either.

meesterbond

pastey_boy wrote:

i actually owned a vauxhall vx220 on release and it was lovely. was a 6 month waiting list too, also from various tests it outdid the elise. lots of elises on the road but i hardly ever see 220,s. i wouldnt turn down a monaro either.

I tried both a few years back and the VX220 was probably a marginally better car. Felt better built, handled just as well and easier to live with...

I of course bought the Elise because it made me smile... and for the same reason were I to spend £5k on a bike, it wouldn't be on a Boardman. Sure, it might have a better spec than comparable alternatives, but if you're spending that sort of cash it needs to do more than just work.

cagebomb

I wouldn't 'cos I don't like Chris Boardman, he's a cunt. :P

dodgy

cagebomb wrote:

I wouldn't 'cos I don't like Chris Boardman, he's a ****. :P

Go on then, tell us why

Bar Shaker

meesterbond wrote:

pastey_boy wrote:

i actually owned a vauxhall vx220 on release and it was lovely. was a 6 month waiting list too, also from various tests it outdid the elise. lots of elises on the road but i hardly ever see 220,s. i wouldnt turn down a monaro either.

I tried both a few years back and the VX220 was probably a marginally better car. Felt better built, handled just as well and easier to live with...

I of course bought the Elise because it made me smile... and for the same reason were I to spend £5k on a bike, it wouldn't be on a Boardman. Sure, it might have a better spec than comparable alternatives, but if you're spending that sort of cash it needs to do more than just work.

The VX220 was made for Vauxhall by Lotus, at Hethel. It was a better car than the Elsie and Lotus lost so much making them that it bust the company. The VX220 Turbo was true supercar performance.

Omar Little

I'd buy a Boardman (very nearly did) if i was looking at bikes around £800-1500 price bracket, they are good bikes and good value for money there. At £5000 i dont think i would though.

Above a certain price point there aren't that many bad bikes as such, there are ones which are bit better suited to personal preferances or riding style and ones that offer better value for money in terms of components or warranty back up. But not many bad bikes - so if i was spending £5000 i'd be pretty confident in getting a damn good bike and would then start to decide based on other factors like the design, frame colour, heritage etc.

(Although a Boardman with the Reynolds RZR 46T wheelset and a shimano di2 groupset for £5000 then i might be swayed to overlook these factors )

meesterbond

Bar Shaker wrote:

The VX220 was made for Vauxhall by Lotus, at Hethel. It was a better car than the Elsie and Lotus lost so much making them that it bust the company. The VX220 Turbo was true supercar performance.

But the Elise was much, much prettier and ultimately on any sports car, that's an important consideration! I happily did without the servo assisted brakes and a few luxuries to own a car that looked that good!

Plus neither really needed much more power - they're largely unusable over 120mph on the road. As you're so close to the tarmac, they both felt ever so quick. Ragging an Exige round Silverstone was actually far more fun than driving a Ferrari 360... great cars.

Actually, you could probably get an S1 for the price of this new Boardman!

dan shard

Theres a few on here that have / have had Elises. Myself and Miss Notax being two. I know several members on here from a Lotus owners club as well.

Having owned one the pleasure I got (And thats what its all about) is a mixture of numerous things, out-and-out performance is well down the list for many peopl. If performance is your bag you could buy a motor bike.. its far more than that, the roof off on a summer day experience can be had less expensively even.

Its the driving past the shop windon and catching a glimpse of yourself in a stunning car, getting up for work on a Monday morning sitting there looking down at a Lotus badge on the steering wheel and getting a big grin on your face at how your life has turned out, on a sunny day people jumping out into the road to take a photo of your car, or turing round from the car in front taking a photo, coming out of the beer garden and seeing a family taking a photo of themselves stood next to it, telling your friends or people you meet "I own a lotus" The comeradery of fellow owners, people shouting at lights "Nice car mate", people flashing you out of junctions because you own a true british sports car in every sense of the word.

Would I get these things in equal measure from brick shaped vauxhall? Even if it is essential the same car except arguably with some improvements. Personally Id say No

dan shard

PS heres mine

Shotsaway

There are a couple of car comparisons in this thread, so I'll add another.

Hypothetically I've got £100k to £150k to spend on a supercar. So do I buy a Ferrari, Aston Martin or maybe an Audi R8/R10?

For me and as much as Audi build premium quality vehicles, I couldn't spend that much on an Audi supercar. Yes it is a nice looking car but I couldn't spend that sort of money on one. Afterall it would always be an Audi! If I had the money, I would buy either an Aston or the Ferrari. Why? Well both of these brands have extensive history at building supercars. Their brand is supercars. When I was a kid, we would always double take if we saw a Ferrari, Lamborghini etc. Do the kids of today double take when they see an R8 or R10?

I guess the same applies to Boardman. Although by moving into the upper end of the mountain bike market, the brand will start to be seen as a top end product and in 5 or 10 years everybody may well see them as a premium product. However that will take time.

Shotsaway

pastey_boy wrote:

i dont buy the whole "boardman are separate to halfords" argument. try to contact boardman and you get through to halfords customer service which is feckless to say the least. surely if boardman are a separate entity then they would have their own advisors.

Boardman and Halfords have different registered addresses. Some of the other Halfords businesses (ie Nationwide Autocentres) share the same registered address as Halfords. This suggests to me that they are both independent businesses. Although they could have some sort of joint venture.

Although it will be interesting to see if Halfords customer service continue to deal with all Boardman customers once the £2k plus bikes, start getting sold through LBS's! I can't see this happening somehow, so Boardman will have to set up there own customer service operation.

supersonic

Would I get these things in equal measure from brick shaped vauxhall? Even if it is essential the same car except arguably with some improvements. Personally Id say No

Not so sure, many love the Vauxhall as has been proven here, and many who know about cars think it was the superior machine. Swings and roundabouts as before. Personally I don't care what people drive or ride, as long as they don't look down on others if they have a premium brand, or don't have a go at others if they have a bargain brand.

Northwind

dan shard wrote:

Its the driving past the shop windon and catching a glimpse of yourself in a stunning car...

...which looks like it was left too close to the radiator Cannot see the appeal, I'm sure they're great to drive but they look like a squeezed bar of soap.

<edit- my own car looks like an upturned skip of course so I'm in no position to slag>

edhornby

although I wouldn't buy a ferrari, or spend 5k on a bike, I wouldn't have issues with buying a boardman, but it would have to tick all the boxes (brand really is the least important thing, you have to look past it to get the best bike

What would sway it for me is the quality and fit of the frame and the right kit for the right price - I was debating whether to get one recently but wasn't that impressed with the ritchey kit and the budgety crankset. but lots of other bikes had similar weak points, and some with vastly inflated prices (so I bought interweb sale bits and built my own cos I'm a fusspot)

If I was being picky I'd say the graphics/colourways need some work as well but I am being fussy. having said that, the paintwork on the test mule that Chris B was riding on the ITV4 highlights package of the tour this year was kinda cool

marusches

no fooking chance

njee20

Hypothetically I've got £100k to £150k to spend on a supercar. So do I buy a Ferrari, Aston Martin or maybe an Audi R8/R10?

The R10 being the Le Mans car? I'd double take if I saw one of those on the road! Personally, I'd buy the R8, even if all 3 were £1m (assuming I had the cash), because I like it the most! Audi are hardly a 'cheap' brand, if it was a Lada it may be a more valid comparison.

I personally probably wouldn't buy a £5k Boardman, I'd be worried about the after sales if nothing else. If this was proven and the bike suited my needs then I'd have one.

Omar Little

edhornby wrote:

If I was being picky I'd say the graphics/colourways need some work as well but I am being fussy. having said that, the paintwork on the test mule that Chris B was riding on the ITV4 highlights package of the tour this year was kinda cool

the matte black one? quite fancied that one too!

fungus_the_muffin_man

dan shard wrote:

PS heres mine

I look at that and I don't think WOW! what a great sports car. It reminds me of a dippy blond hair dressers car. For some reason a guy driving one doesn't look right.

Sorry but it does.

Raymondavalon

How did a Boardman brand related Topic become a penis extension Thread about cars?
Is there a Surf Matt in the house?

Back on Topic...

The Northern Monkey wrote:

The fact thats its been sold by halfords makes no difference. I'd buy a 5k bike from halfords if it was better than the competition.

Words of wisdom there, who cares who sells the brand, as long as the product is good and the price is right it doesn't matter who the retailer is.

bails87

True, Halfords have got the logistical might to sort out problems when an LBS might struggle. I've experienced it first hand, and when they actually want to help you it's pretty impressive what they can do!

T1berious

Hi Dodgy,

That was my point the Audi and the Skoda are built on the same platform and share powerplants and just like you said, someone would get the Audi over the Skoda for the image it portrays.

Not saying the bike world is anywhere as badge snobby, just that at the mental money end of the bike spectrum brand cachet plays a bigger part. Then again saying that, if it's a road bike you really would want to be either a club racer or some kind of competitive class cyclist to even notice the difference

I mean Chrissy won Ironman on a stock Cervelo P2 with clinchers, that's a £1300 frame built, your looking at still under 3.5k with Zipp 808 wheels.

It'd be a very left field choice to go for a 5k boardman, don't get me wrong I'm massively impressed by the boardman HT, shockingly good spec for that magic ride to work scheme pricepoint, hell, it came with X0! Father in law has one.

Just think the target Market at 5k will be well past halfords and stepping into a specialist bike shop getting messured up for some exotica.

T1b

njee20

If it was a road bike, you'd more than likely find yourself getting fitted for a Cervelo

I know that was ages ago, but the Chrissie Wellington comment reminded me! What an odd thing to say. Why? You're clearly a fan, but I wouldn't buy one, and I certainly wouldn't see it as the 'default choice' for top end road at all.

As a complete aside, £1300 frame and £1600 wheels will not build into a £3500 bike, that'll be £5k easily, not that that's relevant!

dodgy

T1berious wrote:

Hi Dodgy,

That was my point the Audi and the Skoda are built on the same platform and share powerplants and just like you said, someone would get the Audi over the Skoda for the image it portrays.

Yep, but you missed my point I think. I said if they are the same price. Of course even though they could be more or less mechanically identical, one car would cost in the region of 30% more than the other

Bar Shaker

Just think the target Market at 5k will be well past halfords and stepping into a specialist bike shop getting messured up for some exotica.

And you would be dead right thinking that.

That's why the Boardman AiR range will only be sold by a few specialist LBS.

This move is linked to the work with the United Health Team and the work on getting our Olympiads kitted out with the most cutting edge technology available. That the public can buy this kit is a good thing, despite how few of them will actually need it.

T1berious

Hi Dodgy,

Yup I stylishly missed the point. Doh! Point taken

biff55

Anyone prepared to spend 5 large on a bike isnt gonna make value for money a priority.
You want the bike to feel and look special in a way that sets it apart from more common brands.
Boardmans are well made and good value bikes , but do not have the prestige to make folk part with 5 grand like say Ibis or Santa Cruz etc.

sheepsteeth

agreed.

Shaggy_Dog

Personally I'm only intersted in how the bike makes me feel when I'm riding it, not how it makes me feel when I'm posing in trail centre car parks or propping it up in the garage (or kitchen in my case).

If a Boardman had the handling and ride that I want from a bike, I'd buy one as they are terrific spec for the money. Unfortunately, I don't like the way they ride, and yes, I have ridden them, all of them. Genesis on the other hand are mega, they have no more or even maybe less prestige than Boardman but I just love the way they ride. On the other hand I haven't ridden a Santa Cruz I would buy since the Blur 4X or the mk1 Nomad, and arguably they have more brand presige than anyone.

You could argue that you are buying into brand marketing, and by default becoming a "brand snob" by getting so carried away about specs. Essentially XTR, Reba and X.0 are all brands within brands. You're just being snobby about the gears and parts rather than the frame and where it has come from and who it was designed by.

Just a thought.

sheepsteeth

it doesnt matter how anyone dices it, if i was spending 5 grand id want summat special and gucci looking as well as gucci performing.

that would be for my satisfaction though, no one elses.

NatoED

i'd build my own bike up from the parts i wanted. maybe even get a frame made for myself. I own a boardman Team carbon and its a sweet ride. So if i wanted an of the peg bike yeah , but being me i'd custom build a bike with a colour scheme in mind (cos i'm sad like that).