Boardman CX

essex-commuter
essex-commuter Posts: 2,188
edited December 2012 in Commuting chat
Does anybody use /commute on one of these? If not have you read any comments about them?

http://www.boardmanbikes.com/cx/cx_team.html
«1

Comments

  • UndercoverElephant
    UndercoverElephant Posts: 5,796
    There's a guy in our bike shed who commutes on a Boardman CX Comp, he seems happy with it; I don't think he commutes that far, but he says it's really good. I always overtake him quite easily, though.
    Sun - Rain - Snow
  • shouldbeinbed
    shouldbeinbed Posts: 2,660
    UndercoverElephant wrote:
    There's a guy in our bike shed who commutes on a Boardman CX Comp, he seems happy with it; I don't think he commutes that far, but he says it's really good. I always overtake him quite easily, though.

    some sort of vagrant or stig of the shed type character :wink:
  • iclestu
    iclestu Posts: 503
    yeah - i commute on a 2010 boardman CX. Overall I really like it. Of couse, if you ride a CX bike on the road there are going to be compromises. Im sure I could get a much lighter bike and go a bit quicker but then I can lump loads of stuff onto it and be reasonably confident it can carry the load. Im hoping to take a tent for some light touring later too. If I really wanted to I could put the nobblies back on it and go off road a bit too (not that I have or plan to!)

    There are a few minor niggles (perhaps a triple chainring would make my early morning 1:8 a bit easier if im carrying a load but then im not your fittest or most powerful rider.....) but overall I love my bike.
    FCN 7: Dawes Galaxy Ultra 2012 - sofa-like comfort to eat up the miles

    Reserve: 2010 Boardman CX Pro
  • essex-commuter
    essex-commuter Posts: 2,188
    iclestu wrote:
    yeah - i commute on a 2010 boardman CX. Overall I really like it. Of couse, if you ride a CX bike on the road there are going to be compromises. Im sure I could get a much lighter bike and go a bit quicker but then I can lump loads of stuff onto it and be reasonably confident it can carry the load. Im hoping to take a tent for some light touring later too. If I really wanted to I could put the nobblies back on it and go off road a bit too (not that I have or plan to!)

    There are a few minor niggles (perhaps a triple chainring would make my early morning 1:8 a bit easier if im carrying a load but then im not your fittest or most powerful rider.....) but overall I love my bike.

    Is that with discs?
  • iclestu
    iclestu Posts: 503
    essex-commuter wrote:
    iclestu wrote:
    yeah - i commute on a 2010 boardman CX. Overall I really like it. Of couse, if you ride a CX bike on the road there are going to be compromises. Im sure I could get a much lighter bike and go a bit quicker but then I can lump loads of stuff onto it and be reasonably confident it can carry the load. Im hoping to take a tent for some light touring later too. If I really wanted to I could put the nobblies back on it and go off road a bit too (not that I have or plan to!)

    There are a few minor niggles (perhaps a triple chainring would make my early morning 1:8 a bit easier if im carrying a load but then im not your fittest or most powerful rider.....) but overall I love my bike.

    Is that with discs?

    disc brakes? No. Canti's

    This is my bike:

    http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/cyclo-cross/product/pro-cx-10-35695/
    FCN 7: Dawes Galaxy Ultra 2012 - sofa-like comfort to eat up the miles

    Reserve: 2010 Boardman CX Pro
  • essex-commuter
    essex-commuter Posts: 2,188
    iclestu wrote:

    disc brakes? No. Canti's
    ]

    Oh OK, it looks as if the 2011 comes with discs. They do a pro, a team, and a comp, only the team is available at the moment, the comp is available soon. Spec is good on the team, I just like the look of the comp better. Need to get myself down to a Hal*ords and take a look me thinks.

    Thanks for the info.
  • mlang
    mlang Posts: 10
    I was in Halfords the other day. They rang up the Boardman distribution people asking about the dates for the CX comp. Their target then was a few weeks, but it was dependent on when they sold out of the 2010 CXs.

    If the Comp is significantly cheaper, I might be swung, but I currently prefer the BB30 and discs of the Team. Can't find anything comparable in terms of kit and price. If anyone knows of alternative tourers with discs on the cheaper side of a grand I'd be all ears.
  • clarkey cat
    clarkey cat Posts: 3,641
    this?

    http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/thebikes/ ... anova.html
    Dolan Mythos
  • essex-commuter
    essex-commuter Posts: 2,188
    mlang wrote:
    I was in Halfords the other day. They rang up the Boardman distribution people asking about the dates for the CX comp. Their target then was a few weeks, but it was dependent on when they sold out of the 2010 CXs.

    If the Comp is significantly cheaper, I might be swung, but I currently prefer the BB30 and discs of the Team. Can't find anything comparable in terms of kit and price. If anyone knows of alternative tourers with discs on the cheaper side of a grand I'd be all ears.

    When you say the discs do you mean the brakes? Aren't the brakes and the wheels / discs the same on the team and the comp??
  • BelgianBeerGeek
    BelgianBeerGeek Posts: 5,226
    Looks like the Team and Comp are same wheels/brakes. Groupset is different. I've been looking for a disc crosser as my next bike and have been looking at the Genesis Day-One Alfine/Croix de Fer but these new Boardmans look pretty good. I'd be interested to know if anyone has one and what they think.
    Ecrasez l’infame
  • phillipjohnson
    phillipjohnson Posts: 117
    A few cyclocross bikes are shifting from canti to disc brakes.

    I think the cyclocross governing body has removed their rule about not allowing disc brakes.

    Wish they had done it before I got my bike... its one of the only things I would change on it if it was easy to.
  • surreyxc
    surreyxc Posts: 293
    got one of these, very pleased with it. For commuting great and very versatile for taking short cuts off road. Done a good stint off the South Downs Way on this. The option of fitting anything from 24mm to 40mm tyres is great. Not having ridden any other cx or road bike can not compare. The brakes could perform better, and the gearing is pretty hard work on the steeper hills.
  • essex-commuter
    essex-commuter Posts: 2,188
    Off to check out the CX bikes now. Just found out I can get 10% off too, that was a nice surprise!
  • essex-commuter
    essex-commuter Posts: 2,188
    essex-commuter wrote:
    Off to check out the CX bikes now. Just found out I can get 10% off too, that was a nice surprise!
    Oh Halfords is a funny place! They had the bike in stock and took it off the shelf for me to try for size. "Can you put the saddle up please"...."not really, you need to be able to touch both feet comfortably on the floor". Can you put pedals on please so that I can see if the seatpost is long enough", "not really but if I put my foot here you can imagine it was a pedal and see what you think"...he said lining his foot up with the crank!!!!

    Well all that aside the Team was a bloody nice bike, lovely quality and great finishing kit.

    I have on question, has anyone used BB5 road discs? With the brake lever (Sram Apex) pulled to the bar I could still roll the bike forward and if I adjusted the cable the pads began to rub on the discs. Is this a set up problem, is it because the bike hasn't turned a wheel yet and they need bedding in?? As they are they were pretty much useless. Oh, the bike has top mount levers as well, they pulled the brakes up much better.
  • UndercoverElephant
    UndercoverElephant Posts: 5,796
    That would sound like the pull ratios of the brakes were better suited to the interrupter levers. Not sure whether something like a travel agent would work with discs, but it sounds like one would be needed.
    Sun - Rain - Snow
  • mudcow007
    mudcow007 Posts: 3,861
    On my (Kona) Stinky, i've got "huge" hydraulic discs which were absolutely poop until about the 4th proper ride with them. they definitely need to bed in
    Keeping it classy since '83
  • essex-commuter
    essex-commuter Posts: 2,188
    UndercoverElephant wrote:
    That would sound like the pull ratios of the brakes were better suited to the interrupter levers. Not sure whether something like a travel agent would work with discs, but it sounds like one would be needed.

    I would assume that a 'decent' off the shelf bike would have brakes that were capable of stopping a bike. I've only found one rider review of the 2011 model, it didn't mention that the brakes were crap.

    I've found another Halfords that has a large in stock, I need to go and look at that. I've checked the geometry and I'm between a medium and a large, probably a large but I need to see it / feel it.
  • BelgianBeerGeek
    BelgianBeerGeek Posts: 5,226
    I've got the BB5 brakes on my Spesh Hard*ock and they are IMO great brakes. Used them when towing a trailer on tour and they never gave me any worrying moments. The action and grip they give is in my experience very good. Sounds like the shop didn't set them up right. It would also explain why CBoardman can quote v. low weight for bike as the whole item is really quite neat.
    Ecrasez l’infame
  • cloggsy
    cloggsy Posts: 243
    I'd love a Boardman CX for winter!

    I've got a Boardman Team Carbon 2010 at the mo (& love it to bits...)
  • essex-commuter
    essex-commuter Posts: 2,188
    Picking it (her?) up tomorrow... yay!
  • BelgianBeerGeek
    BelgianBeerGeek Posts: 5,226
    I'd be really interested to know how you get on. This bike is now on my shortlist for my next bike.
    Ecrasez l’infame
  • BelgianBeerGeek
    BelgianBeerGeek Posts: 5,226
    And of course it's a "she". Aren't all bikes? (riding a "he" just sounds wrong).
    Ecrasez l’infame
  • essex-commuter
    essex-commuter Posts: 2,188
    essex-commuter wrote:
    Picking it (her?) up tomorrow... yay!

    OK, initial feedback......

    Bike quality is excellent
    Assembly by Halfords was excellent

    BB30 brakes, work well, will need maintenance to keep them tip-top.

    Fender clearance is massive now I've fitted Marathon's in place of the CX tyres it came with, could result in me having to make up some brackets to drop the fenders close enough to the tyres.

    Glad I went for the medium instead of the large, the TT is fairly long.

    The 'megarange' cassette is a bit too much, I might change it for something with closer ratios in the near future. Being a compact chainset I will be shifting front rings more often that I was with th 39/52 setup.

    I've always had Campag, quite impressd with Sram so far, still need to think if it's a large or small lever sweep to go the way I want...it will become natural soon!

    Tried to get Halfords to throw in some freebies, they weren't interested at all. They did ask if I had a car though, becasuse they had 50% off Turtle wax...WTF!

    Got the train to the store to collect the bike, remembered at the last minute to take a spare tube and pump. Good job I did, 3 miles from the store and I got a puncture, what's the chances of that happening!!

    Will report more as it happens!
  • cloggsy
    cloggsy Posts: 243
    Can't wait or the next 'thrilling installment!'

    Keep me info'd on your bike as I'm looking at a CX for the winter commute :wink:
  • essex-commuter
    essex-commuter Posts: 2,188
    100+ miles on the bike now.

    Creaky bottom bracket that I will need to get adjusted, I don't have the tools for this type yet to do it myself.

    Only other problem is that the front mech is ridiculously difficult to shift up to the big ring, not sure if this is a set-up issue or if this is 'how it is'. Bike Spec says Sram Apex front mech, mine has a Microshift front mech...strange. Need to investigate this when time allows.
  • cloggsy
    cloggsy Posts: 243
    essex-commuter wrote:
    100+ miles on the bike now.

    Creaky bottom bracket that I will need to get adjusted, I don't have the tools for this type yet to do it myself.

    Only other problem is that the front mech is ridiculously difficult to shift up to the big ring, not sure if this is a set-up issue or if this is 'how it is'. Bike Spec says Sram Apex front mech, mine has a Microshift front mech...strange. Need to investigate this when time allows.

    My front Mech was a pain too!

    They sorted it at the 6 week check though - much better now!

    Just take it back for adjustment.
  • essex-commuter
    essex-commuter Posts: 2,188
    cloggsy wrote:

    My front Mech was a pain too!

    They sorted it at the 6 week check though - much better now!

    Just take it back for adjustment.

    That's good to hear. I do my own maintainance, had a quick look at it last night and it all looked OK, wonder what the issue is?

    Does yours have the Microshift front mech instead of the SRAM?
  • cloggsy
    cloggsy Posts: 243
    essex-commuter wrote:

    That's good to hear. I do my own maintainance, had a quick look at it last night and it all looked OK, wonder what the issue is?

    Does yours have the Microshift front mech instead of the SRAM?

    No, mine is all SRAM kit.

    It could just be a bit of cable stretch that needs adjusting out!
  • van_dee
    van_dee Posts: 1
    Can you tell me the gear ratios on the CX team? I would like to use it for touring, but it has not got a triple so a need a fairly big rear gear
  • essex-commuter
    essex-commuter Posts: 2,188
    van_dee wrote:
    Can you tell me the gear ratios on the CX team? I would like to use it for touring, but it has not got a triple so a need a fairly big rear gear

    It hasn't got a triple but it has a compact chainset. Cassette is a very steep 12-34 as standard. Quite a low gear, I assume that is what you would be after.

Categories