Boardman Road Bike - 3 options but which one?

puzzle

A colleague was really impressed with my Boardman Team Aluminium Team Road and has found some really good prices for the 2010 models but also likes the 2011 Team Aluminium.

Can anyone assist in the following options:

1. Boardman Team Aluminium Road 2010 model - £719
SRAM Rival equipped with Richey finishing kit(exactly same as Carbon model aside from frame)
2. Boardman Team Carbon 2010 Road model - £899
SRAM Rival equipped with Richey finishing kit
3. Boardman Team Aluminium Road 2011 - £899
Shimano 105 equipped with Boardman finishing kit and half a KG heavier than the model it replaces!

He really likes the look of the Team Aluminium 2011 but I think it's a lower spec compared to the other 2 bikes? Of the other 2 the I would say the 2010 Team Aluminium would suffice bearing in mind the cost difference.

Any advice appreciated.

rake

i agree. as bikes have got more expensive you get less for your money with the new models. add the discount of the older one and thats where my money would go. i have tc pretty much like it (frame & fork) and its great. i like the grey finish on the team. the newer ones have supposedly a wheel upgrade but im not so sure, they will be harder more expensive to service with those spokes in any case i like the ritchey rims even if they are formula hubs and unknown spokes, get them tightened up properly and theyre very good. i prefer sram but as yet long term reliability isnt known, and shimano are very reliable.

WisePranker

I'd check availability of the 2010 models first.

I've had some problems sourcing one as the Halfords website isn't accurate. Some of the 2010 bikes listed are display models and according to Halfords staff they're in no state to sell on :shock:

puzzle

All are available at the same Halfords store. Luckily the 2010 models have been locked through both the front and rear wheel so don't have the usual marks on the frame from where they've been locked up!

Garz

I would probably get the 2010 carbon model as it's only £180 more than the alu version. See if you can get a helmet or something thrown in to seal the deal. Some shops are more helpful than others.

smokeysmoo2

Although I like the look of the Boardman bikes, there is definately no such thing as a free lunch, and carbon frames are definately not an area where I'd save money.

JKHinton

I would go for Option 1 If you can get one in your size

option 3 if 1 not available

Bar Shaker

smokeysmoo2 wrote:

Although I like the look of the Boardman bikes, there is definitely no such thing as a free lunch, and carbon frames are definitely not an area where I'd save money.
Apart from that, I could never justify giving that sort of money over a counter at Halfrauds, it would simply break my heart.
I'd consider a Boardman when I start to see less broken frames and they start selling them through proper bike retailers! Halfords just haven't got a clue.

You need to read some the reviews of these bikes. The Team carbon frames has been heralded for being light, very stiff and a great design.

There just aren't people breaking frames, so I am not sure why you would say that. Fall off a carbon bike and you can snap it, but you can do that on your Dogma, AR1 or CX-1 just as well as on any £1k bike.

I wasn't bothered who sold the bike. Halfords, Evans, Cycle UK, what does it really matter? They are all cycle retailers who will exchange a bike for money. None of them make bikes. If you want specialist technical work done, find the best person to do it. That may be your local LBS, it may not. But don't walk away from a great bike just because of which shop is selling it.

smokeysmoo2

fshsh

JKHinton

OK so you don't like Halfords you need to chill

Focus and Boardman are both me'diocre low end brands
pretty much birds of a feather :roll:

Squillinossett

I was very happy when I had my Boardman, and took me to Paris in 3 days in great comfort.

I think if Boardman were sold via places like Epic cycles, alot of people that slate then would have very different opinions....

niblue

When I bought my Boardman Team Carbon I persuaded Halfords not to even open the box and then set it up myself. That was a significant improvement from the specialist LBS where I've bought my last couple of road bikes, as they refused to supply the bikes without setting them up. For the last bike I bought from them that meant a 2-week delay between the bike arriving with them and them getting workshop time so it could be supplied to me (which meant it wasn't available for me to take with me on holiday). What was worse was the bike was very poorly set-up, so had to be done by me again anyway.

I bought the Boardman because it was clearly the best bike available at the sub £1K price point that I could actually try for size before I bought it (neither Planet X or Ribble having local suppliers) - I couldn't care less who the bike shop was.

Monkeypump

smokeysmoo2 wrote:

You need to read some the reviews of these bikes. The Team carbon frames has been heralded for being light, very stiff and a great design.

There just aren't people breaking frames], so I am not sure why you would say that. Fall off a carbon bike and you can snap it, but you can do that on your Dogma, AR1 or CX-1 just as well as on any £1k bike.

I wasn't bothered who sold the bike. Halfords, Evans, Cycle UK, what does it really matter? They are all cycle retailers who will exchange a bike for money. None of them make bikes. If you want specialist technical work done, find the best person to do it. That may be your local LBS, it may not. But don't walk away from a great bike just because of which shop is selling it.

To answer your first point, I've read the reviews.
To answer your second point, i've seen them, that's why I'd say it!
and finally, I'll simply never buy a bike from Halfrauds, be it a Boardman bike, or a kids bike for my children, and if that means you think I'm losing out then so be it, but as I'm a firm believer in Focus bikes, value for money and great bikes go hand in hand for me.
Each to their own I say.[/quote]

So your opinion, based on the fact that you've seen the frames, carries more weight than a number of overwhelmingly positive professional reviews? Righto, forgive me if I don't take your word for it...

VFM is almost synonymous with the Boardman brand, so your second point is also nonsense. Focus share these similar values, but liking one brand doesn’t exclude an appreciation for the other. Focus do have the down-side of only being available online though…

You’re clearly biased for some reason – not sure why you expect people to listen to your completely unqualified advice!

Each to their own indeed, but let's avoid talking tosh.

gregster10217

Oh God, I've been riding my Team Carbon for a year, and now I'm being told it's just going to snap while doing so? I'll stop now then and leave it in the garage!!!!! :roll:

luv2ride

+1 for the Boardman Road Team 2010.

It was my first road bike and, now I've upgrarded to a Roubaix, I now know that I chose really well first time around. I love mine, so have kept it for a winter bike. Rival over 105 every time and the Ritchey wheels have been really good and still run true after 18mths + of horrible pot-holed roads! Save some pennies, go for the alu frame, stick a Specialized Pave carbon seatpost on it and you're away 8)

mattv

If you get an ex-display 2010 model, make sure the rear wheel is new. There were a few freehubs failing from a batch of wheels. Availability was poor for spares at the time, and they often seized to the hub. Therefore, with customers wanting the bike sorted asap, the whole wheel was swapped out of the display bike. Just make sure the wheels have been replaced with new before sale. Other than that, good bikes. Find the bike in your size, then find a store that you trust and ask them to check it over after its built.