Ribble , Scott, or Boardman ?

Ian.dh

Due to some kind locals, my bike Specialized Allez was stolen
So looking to buy a new bike.
There is a vast array of machines out there, but after much googling, have narrowed it down to:

Ribble Gran Fondo
Scott CR1
Boardman team carbon

after loads of research, I am none the wiser so I am going for shimano 105, just cos I have heard of it!

All these come in between the £1300 to £1800 mark.

Anyone have any comments?

I'm especially interested in comments on the Ribble as that is top of my list at the moment!

Any advice on wheels too would be good, cos they all look round to me! :?

Ian

rolf_f

Never ridden the Boardman but it has much different geometry to the other two so not really comparable. I tested the CR1 last year but ended up preferring a Look (much more expensive.....) and I now also have a Gran Fondo. For a given componentry and price, I'd say the CR1 has to be the better bet. But the GF will come in a lot cheaper with the same kit or have much better kit for the same money.

I'd happily have either. That doesn't really help though does it?

(if I was able to get the Scott at a local bike shop, that might swing it - but then I did pick up the Ribble in person).

If you do get the Ribble, use the Special edition section as it is cheaper than Bikebuilder.

JRooke

I'd go as far as saying it isn't really debatable which one to go for, the CR1 is streets ahead, Scott's are SO popular as they one of the best all round bikes, super comfy ride, very strong stiff frame, can train and race on it, its a far better bike

Ian.dh

JRooke wrote:

I'd go as far as saying it isn't really debatable which one to go for, the CR1 is streets ahead, Scott's are SO popular as they one of the best all round bikes, super comfy ride, very strong stiff frame, can train and race on it, its a far better bike

Does help.
Need to hear from anyone wirh the Ribble.
I know the Scott is popular, but does it make it better?
I fancy something that is different from the crowd.

TMR

JRooke wrote:

I'd go as far as saying it isn't really debatable which one to go for, the CR1 is streets ahead, Scott's are SO popular as they one of the best all round bikes, super comfy ride, very strong stiff frame, can train and race on it, its a far better bike

Are you making that statement on the basis of personal experience having ridden all bikes, or simply having ridden one and your brand perception of the others?

Avanti Roman

I've voted Ribble having ridden both CR1 (300+ miles) and Gran Fondo (my current bike). I found the CR1 felt a little 'wooden' personally, I seemed to lose some of the feel of the road that I enjoyed with my Ali & steel bikes.

The thing I like about my Gran Fondo is that it feels lively and connected but (like the CR1) is great at damping mid corner bumps at higher speed that would have a lot of bikes skittering across the road so it inspires confidence on descents and unfamiliar roads.

The CR1 is a little lighter, smoother riding and more pricey. The Ribble feels equally planted with slightly harder, more lively ride, is slightly heavier (frame & fork) and a lot cheaper spec for spec.

I also enjoyed being able to spec the bike how I wanted and spending some saved cash on upgraded wheels (Mercury Halos), tyres & other bits. I chose it over the Ribble Sportive and Boardman Team Carbon mainly as I preferred the looks to be honest though the Sportive in new Bianco finish looks nice.

They're all good bikes I'm sure and I do like Scotts, hope my impressions help.

Monty Dog

With the Boardman you'd have to buy a roll of gaffer tape - I can't take anyone serious who rides one - being a keen cyclist and then going to Halfords is kind of an oxymoron..

rolf_f

Ian.dh wrote:

Need to hear from anyone wirh the Ribble.

You already did........(that's what I meant when I said "I now also have a Gran Fondo" )

rake

Monty Dog wrote:

With the Boardman you'd have to buy a roll of gaffer tape - I can't take anyone serious who rides one - being a keen cyclist and then going to Halfords is kind of an oxymoron..

why gaffer tape? ive done 3000miles and not a mark on it. couldnt care less if it was from lidl. fair enough you dont like them, but dont make unfounded crap up, it just plain wrong.

nochekmate

Ian.dh wrote:

JRooke wrote:

I'd go as far as saying it isn't really debatable which one to go for, the CR1 is streets ahead, Scott's are SO popular as they one of the best all round bikes, super comfy ride, very strong stiff frame, can train and race on it, its a far better bike

Does help.
Need to hear from anyone wirh the Ribble.
I know the Scott is popular, but does it make it better?
I fancy something that is different from the crowd.

That probably rules out all 3 of your choices on that statement alone.

My money would be going towards the Scott CR1 given the choice of those 3 listed. It may cost a little more (not checked the prices out between them) but is likely to hold its value better if that is a consideration and is a fine all-rounder.

seanoconn

Monty Dog wrote:

With the Boardman you'd have to buy a roll of gaffer tape - I can't take anyone serious who rides one - being a keen cyclist and then going to Halfords is kind of an oxymoron..

You'd make a good comedian monty!

saintdracula

Get a Raleigh SP: it outranked all those bikes on the bike of the year list (top 4), is only 100 quid over your budget, and is likely to be rarer than any of those (RIBBLE is definitely really common: I live in an area completely free from bikes and RIBBLE has been the most common 'proper' bike I've seen. Boardmans are also quite common. And I have also seen a Scott CR1. But ne'er a (carbon) Raleigh (unless you count those cheap 100 quid bikes). I'm sure that if you look around on this website, you should be able to find a write-up on them.

Of course, my first bike was a Raleigh, but no bias here. I'm sure a high end Raleigh would turn lots of heads: the brand is recognised.

Oh and rake, the point of the gaffer tape is to tape up the boardman so people don't know you're riding it. I would agree on the necessity of the tape, but for a different reason: I wouldn't want it nicked!

So summing up: the Raleigh is better and rarer than the other bikes. A no brainer really.

oysterkite

Boardman, Excellent bike, better in old spec imho (SRAM etc ) wheels could do with upgrading, ignore morons who wouldnt dream of gracing Halfords with their carbon soled shoe, its all about the bike as they say.

rollingthunder

You can be looking at a Ridley Orion or a Cervelo S1 at that price.(£1.3 - £1.9) Both blast the Ribble / Scott / Boardman out of the water for perfomance and value. However that's my HO, so I suggest getting test rides and then picking the one that you liked best.

ShutUpLegs

oysterkite wrote:

Boardman, Excellent bike, better in old spec imho (SRAM etc ) wheels could do with upgrading, ignore morons who wouldnt dream of gracing Halfords with their carbon soled shoe, its all about the bike as they say.

Is this the same morons who have probably ridden bikes 20+ years before the first Boardman bike appeared?

wakeywarrior

Planet X Sl pro Carbon Red- No contest- this is the bike to go for with Sram Red levers, mechs and otherwise good kit at under £1300- and you do not have to deal with Halfords and it will come set up nicely.

rollingthunder

You can see why Boardman went through Halfords. He needed to get a leg in the market without getting shafted by Evans or Cyclesurgery, as well as tap into the non elitist market.

It's done wonders for his bank account! I don't fancy his bikes much, but if I did, I wouldn't let Halford's bug me. Their mechanics and sales service are both pants, but there's no need to return once you've got the bike.

I've a friend who rides a Boardman and swears by it. I know riders who wouldn't touch 'em with bargepoles, for snobbish reasons. I know others who won't rise anything that's too popular.

To each his own, but I hope you get a ride you enjoy.

marin_maniac

Monty Dog wrote:

With the Boardman you'd have to buy a roll of gaffer tape - I can't take anyone serious who rides one - being a keen cyclist and then going to Halfords is kind of an oxymoron..

The only time that my Boardman Team Carbon has seen Halfords is on the way out in a box when I bought it. I have litteraly stripped it down to the frame and re-built it with components of my choice.

So does that mean in your eyes, because I ride a Boardman I'm less of a cyclist than you and I'm less passionate about the same sport as you :roll: ?

Sorry, but that was a dumbest post i've read in a while. Oh well, at the end of the day opinions are like arseholes, everyone has one.

Ian.dh

saintdracula wrote:

Get a Raleigh SP: it outranked all those bikes on the bike of the year list (top 4), is only 100 quid over your budget, and is likely to be rarer than any of those (RIBBLE is definitely really common: I live in an area completely free from bikes and RIBBLE has been the most common 'proper' bike I've seen. Boardmans are also quite common. And I have also seen a Scott CR1. quote]

Didnt see that one in my searches, I will look, thanks.

And I stand corrected then. I thought the Ribble was un common, but obviuosly not. I 've not seen one before!

Ian.dh

Avanti Roman wrote:

I've voted Ribble having ridden both CR1 (300+ miles) and Gran Fondo (my current bike). I found the CR1 felt a little 'wooden' personally, I seemed to lose some of the feel of the road that I enjoyed with my Ali & steel bikes.

The thing I like about my Gran Fondo is that it feels lively and connected but (like the CR1) is great at damping mid corner bumps at higher speed that would have a lot of bikes skittering across the road so it inspires confidence on descents and unfamiliar roads.

The CR1 is a little lighter, smoother riding and more pricey. The Ribble feels equally planted with slightly harder, more lively ride, is slightly heavier (frame & fork) and a lot cheaper spec for spec.

I also enjoyed being able to spec the bike how I wanted and spending some saved cash on upgraded wheels (Mercury Halos), tyres & other bits. I chose it over the Ribble Sportive and Boardman Team Carbon mainly as I preferred the looks to be honest though the Sportive in new Bianco finish looks nice.

They're all good bikes I'm sure and I do like Scotts, hope my impressions help.

They do thank you!

JRooke

We almost made double figures for cboardman bikes that came in to the shop with damaged frames last season, quite an achievement

rake

what kind of damage are we talking about?

JRooke

favourite one was a band on mech complete collapsing the seat tube, its a bit of a running joke here, mountain bikes seem decent tho, used by gb also

cal_stewart

http://www.canyon.com/_uk/roadbikes/bike.html?b=2112

saintdracula

Ian.dh wrote:

saintdracula wrote:

Get a Raleigh SP: it outranked all those bikes on the bike of the year list (top 4), is only 100 quid over your budget, and is likely to be rarer than any of those (RIBBLE is definitely really common: I live in an area completely free from bikes and RIBBLE has been the most common 'proper' bike I've seen. Boardmans are also quite common. And I have also seen a Scott CR1. quote]

Didnt see that one in my searches, I will look, thanks.

And I stand corrected then. I thought the Ribble was un common, but obviuosly not. I 've not seen one before!

I've already seen the New Sportive: Ribbles are nearly as common as Wiliers!

Oh and last year's Raleigh Avantis are going for silly money on the internets.

asprilla

I'd look at the geometry you want.

I've just replaced my Cervelo S1 with a Scott CR1 mecause the headtube is that little bit logre making it more comfortable for me over century rides. The ideal for me is a top tube between 54 and 55cm and head tube of around 15 to 16cm.

A boardman is too long in the tt and short in the ht whilst with the GF I fall in between framesizes.

Can't say I agree with the CR1 being disconnected although I must admit that a) I own one and so will be biased and b) I didn't test ride it against a Ribble. However, coming to it from an S1, one of the liveliest bikes you could wish for which described every aspect of the road to you in detail whilst sticking to it like glue I chose the CR1 since of all the 'sportive geometry' bikes I rode along side it (Roubaix, CLX 2.0, RS and 5.9) it was the one that felt most alive.

Ian.dh

Thank you very much!

Some interesting and useful comments.

My verdict?

Slight change from my original.

Looking at the costs I have decided to buy a Ribble GF frame only.
Then buy the groupset and bits and bobs separately and built it myself.
For the money I can then get a better equipped Ribble than Scott.

The Boardman looses out because as far as I can see I can’t get frame only.

Now, this may not make sense to some, but hey, should be fun putting it together!

Many thanks for all your replies and votes.

Now, the next question is on another thread.

Pay extra £200 for Ultegra over 105 or better wheels???

Ian

bompington

JRooke wrote:

We almost made double figures for cboardman bikes that came in to the shop with damaged frames last season, quite an achievement

Ahhhh, so you're a shop that, errr, doesn't sell boardmans. Thanks for your unbiased opinion then. Don't suppose you sell the CR1 do you?

Presumably, the law of averages says that every other bike shop must have the same kind of story - surprising we haven't heard much of it on BR, never mind Watchdog.

And as for Monty's helpful comment, I propose we all post the furthest we've ever managed in 1 hour to find out who should be taken the most seriously.

Bar Shaker

These threads always amaze me... the same people always pile in slagging off the Boardmans but with nothing to add to the OP's question. That we have LBS owners joining in recently has become really funny.

In answer to the OP's question, you will find all of those bikes in use at your local bike club. Pop down one Sunday morning and have a chat with the owners about what they like and what they don't. I'm sure the owners of all of your list will be very pleased with their bikes. In my own club, the Boardman Team Carbon is the single most popular bike. This is mostly down to friends swapping bikes and trying them out, when looking for new bikes.

The 2010 TC did a lot of LBS out of business. In fact it made the prices they were charging for lesser bikes look like robbery. No wonder some have sour grapes.

For your budget, you can include a 2010 Boardman Pro, if you can find one.

obeytherules

Bar Shaker wrote:

These threads always amaze me... the same people always pile in slagging off the Boardmans but with nothing to add to the OP's question. That we have LBS owners joining in recently has become really funny.

Because they aren't that good a bike. Yes they will get fantastic reviews on BR, or any other future publishing owned magazine/website (if i pile in millions of £ into your website are you going to give me a bad review?)

Can you still press the downtube in on the boardmans? And the majority of the bikes i've seen of theirs the rear wheel wont ever be centered as the frame is off centre.

And you do realise you paid several £100 more for your pro fs than a Carrera Banshee (which is the same bike) Used to work at halfords for 3 years btw so am aware of all the details

bompington

Obeytherules wrote:

Used to work at halfords for 3 years btw so am aware of all the details

That would make you about the only Halfords employee for whom that would be true

and it would be interesting to hear a reply from the reviewers to your very clear allegations of bribery...