My First Road Bike

b0osh
b0osh Posts: 3
edited May 2011 in Road buying advice
Hello all,

Going to pull the trigger on buying my first road bike this weekend and was hoping for some advice as I'm new to all of this.

I've narrowed it down to either:

The Boardman Race:
http://www.boardmanbikes.com/road/road_race.html

Or the Specialized Allez 16 2011.

Looking to spend £550 - £700 and will be used for commuting and maybe a few 40 - 60mile rides, perhaps some triathalons.

My Question is, is the Boardman worth the extra money? I've heard the product is better quality, more reliable and I am also led to understand it has a better gear set?

Any help is massively appreciated, thanks!

Comments

  • cyberknight
    cyberknight Posts: 1,238
    I would go for the boardman personally , if i remember rightly the allez is shimano 2300 and the race is sora, 16 vs 18 gears , same wheelset.


    If you can try the "rightsize" for fit as their geometry maybe different and affect how comfortable the bike is.

    I am looking to get the race on C2W as the geometry is the same as what i ride now.
    FCN 3/5/9
  • b0osh
    b0osh Posts: 3
    Yes you're right it's the sora on the Boardman vs the 2300 on the specialize, does this make a big difference?

    Unfortunately my company doesn't offer the c2w scheme otherwise the Boardman would be an easy win
  • MaxwellBygraves
    MaxwellBygraves Posts: 1,353
    Boardman for spec and the new frames look lovely in the flesh.
    "That's it! You people have stood in my way long enough. I'm going to clown college! " - Homer
  • cyberknight
    cyberknight Posts: 1,238
    The sora are a better quality compenent and are likely to last longer .

    That said i ride a virtuosso atm with 2300 gears and it is fine, the extra gear at the back on sora means you can keep in your leg rpm power zone ( a bit like a car ) easier which could be important for more competitive riding.

    At the end of the day its the bike that fits you best that matters the most imho.
    FCN 3/5/9
  • night_porter
    night_porter Posts: 888
    The Boardman is more race orientated i.e. stiffer, lower, agressive geometry, etc.

    Whereas the Spesh is more sportive orientated i.e. softer, more comfortable, relaxed geometry, etc.

    I would suggest that for commuting and longer rides the Spesh would be more suitable but for speed over shorter distances the Boardman.

    Shimano marketing will lead you to believe the more you pay the better "quality" you will get but I believe that both of the groupset are almost identical with the same shifters and mechs. The only real difference is one extra cog at the rear and in fact last years Sora had only 8 cogs anyway. The top and bottom gears will be the same size so ease on hills and top speed will be unaffected by the extra cog so it seems pretty irrelevant to me.

    For the riding you will be doing I would say the Specialized is the most suitable and if you really thing you want Sora then go for the Allez Sport. You might be able to get a 2010 sport for a lot less too if you know what size you need.

Categories