Boardman CX Owners Thread

fret

I have some wheels on order as my customer has bought them for me. (Unfortunately he wouldn't buy the UDi2 on this occasion )

Anyway, today I rode my Ribble for the first time this year (it was dry) and here are some comparisons/good and bad points.

The CX is heavy...................I mean HEAVY! 12kg fully kitted against 8kg.
The CX is slower on the road, due to the weight and larger tyres I guess.
They both have similar geometry, so that's a good thing
The Ribble feels skittish at the rear, probably due to weight and the carbon frame.
Ultegra 6700 is superb. Quiet, slick, so easy to use and light to use as well. (I only made one gearchange "SRAMism")
The CX is Uber-Comfy, even compared to a Carbon Frame.

All this may sound negative, but I can assure you all this pales into significance when you use the brakes. ALL arguments of discs V canti/calipers are negated. Only the very slight issue of weight remains and that's VERY slight.
The extra weight I daresay has helped me with the extra speed of a lighter bike, which is a good thing.
All I need to do now is change the 'bars (again) to the same CF ones I have on the Ribble as they are SOOOOO comfortable with a flat palm area, can't feel the cables either.
And then start a diet

alexul

Hello everybody,
My CX Comp has arrived on Friday, in 8 working days from Wiggle, quite fast I would say. I spent Saturday morning assembling it, it was my first time I put a rear derraileur, then took it for a spin. I'm glad I took the small version because the reach is huge although the frame dimensions seem ok. Of course, I am also used with riding MTBs and city bikes in an upright position so probably I won't find the position so stretched in time. However I moved the saddle a little bit forward and rotated the handlebars up a few degrees so my wrists are comfortable on the hoods, but this made the drops almost impossible. I rode a total of 2 hours this weekend, and 90% of the time I used the hoods and 5%tops. I absolutely love the way I can move my hands on the handlebars on different positions.

Still I find the hoods a little bit to far, or not necessarily far, but a little uncomfortable to use. So I rest most of the time with the palms a few centimeters back and the fingers on the hoods, this is ok as long as I don't have to break . Staying too much time on the hoods with breaks in reach puts a lot of stress on my arm muscles. So I don't know if it's a matter of getting more fit or I really need a shorter stem. I'm trying to watch different fitting videos. I saw a recommendation that when you are on hoods the handle bar should hide the center of the front wheel. In my case the handlebar is in front so I should get a shorter stem by 10-20mm but I'll wait and see how I feel, maybe adjust the saddle a little bit and then make a change if it really gets uncomfortable.

So far I have ridden the most for 50 minutes without pause and without any major muscle or joint pain which I think is good for someone who has never ridden a road bike.

bendertherobot

Mine's going back tomorrow. Spent all weekend trying to sort the BB5. Enlisted my local bike shop.

Diagnosis? Bent frame or at least bent welds which attach the BB5 itself. They tried a BB7, BB5 and a Shimano and no brake would centre properly with the result that I'd never had a proper back brake.

Also, the rear mech was very bent so the chain was passing through the mech at about 80 degrees.

Headset was loose, though that's easy to remedy.

So, going back tomorrow for a refund. Halfords are going to have to suck up the fact I got the LBS to remove the suicide levers (that's why I took it in).

fret

Also, the rear mech was very bent so the chain was passing through the mech at about 80 degrees.

I would think you would have extreme difficulty with the chain running through it at almost a right angle :P

Take it back. Get a full refund. If you paid by CREDIT card then notify the card company as the contract of sale is between them and Halfords and the card company and yourself.
Reject it under the Sale Of Goods Act, 1979 (As Amended) as NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE.
You DO NOT have to take a replacement.
You DO NOT have to have it repaired.
You DO NOT have to be inconvenienced.
You DO NOT have to have any work done by them, so long as it is done properly, in this case a proper shop.
By law they MUST give you your money back if you ask for it and explain that under the SOGA they must do so as you don't want it repaired or changed.
If you ring them first then they are also obliged, under the above act, to collect the faulty item from you. Should they insist you bring it in then you can also ask for compensation for any monies spent in doing so, this is also covered under the above SOGA.
You DO NOT need a receipt, but you must be able to prove you purchased it from them.
You can take it back to ANY store if there is one nearer to you as it is the same company, who must also perform the refund.
DO NOT take any excuses from them or refusals to do any of the above. These are YOUR RIGHTS and are there to protect both the customer and retailer.

It's the first one I have heard about and I personally reckon it has been dropped on the rear triangle to bend both sides, brake and rear hanger. About 90% of bike frames are made in the far east now, most of them by 2 major manufacturers of which the biggest are GIANT and MERIDA. They and other factories make frames for Trek, Cannondale, Orbea, Boardman, Carrera, Focus, and so many other makes the list is too long and they really do know what they are doing and I bet their inspection procedures are second to none, so it's a rogue one.

Good luck and sorry to hear of your woes.

bendertherobot

80 if you take 90 as normal.

Don't worry on the advice mind. I'm 22 years qualified now

bendertherobot

Ah, another fault to report:



I take it that ring should be recessed into the frame side of the BB.

arthur_scrimshaw

May be missing your point but isn't that the famous SRAM wavy washer used to hold the bearing in place?

bendertherobot

Why is it wavy?

alexul

My rear break on the newly arrived bike also doesn't work properly. I didn't notice at first but after a close inspection I heard a light friction sound on the rear rotor. So it seems it's not perfectly true. However when trying to mark the waved area I noticed there is no space between the fixed pad and the rotor, I can't fit a paper sheet between them, probably it's less than 1mm space, enough not to rub the whole disk. I hope it's just a matter or centering the caliper.

arthur_scrimshaw

bendertherobot wrote:

Why is it wavy?

It's to apply a preload between the non drive side crank arm and the left hand bearing which in turn stops the whole crank and arm assembly moving laterally. When you remove the non drive side crank arm you can drift the crankshaft and chainring assembly out with a rubber mallet, there's nothing else holding it in.

arthur_scrimshaw

alexul wrote:

My rear brake on the newly arrived bike also doesn't work properly. I didn't notice at first but after a close inspection I heard a light friction sound on the rear rotor. So it seems it's not perfectly true. However when trying to mark the waved area I noticed there is no space between the fixed pad and the rotor, I can't fit a paper sheet between them, probably it's less than 1mm space, enough not to rub the whole disk. I hope it's just a matter or centering the caliper.

Try the method used in this guide, I've used this loads of times and it works for me.


http://www.ecovelo.info/2011/04/15/a-fo ... sc-brakes/

bendertherobot

Arthur Scrimshaw wrote:

alexul wrote:

My rear brake on the newly arrived bike also doesn't work properly. I didn't notice at first but after a close inspection I heard a light friction sound on the rear rotor. So it seems it's not perfectly true. However when trying to mark the waved area I noticed there is no space between the fixed pad and the rotor, I can't fit a paper sheet between them, probably it's less than 1mm space, enough not to rub the whole disk. I hope it's just a matter or centering the caliper.

Try the method used in this guide, I've used this loads of times and it works for me.


http://www.ecovelo.info/2011/04/15/a-fo ... sc-brakes/

Mechanics used that method on mine today, as did I all weekend. It's borked.

arthur_scrimshaw

That's pretty crap, hope you get it sorted.

bendertherobot

If by sorted you mean refund, yes, hope so.

alexul

Arthur Scrimshaw wrote:

alexul wrote:

My rear brake on the newly arrived bike also doesn't work properly. I didn't notice at first but after a close inspection I heard a light friction sound on the rear rotor. So it seems it's not perfectly true. However when trying to mark the waved area I noticed there is no space between the fixed pad and the rotor, I can't fit a paper sheet between them, probably it's less than 1mm space, enough not to rub the whole disk. I hope it's just a matter or centering the caliper.

Try the method used in this guide, I've used this loads of times and it works for me.


http://www.ecovelo.info/2011/04/15/a-fo ... sc-brakes/

Thanks. Seems easier than what I planned to follow
http://bikeshopgirl.com/2011/08/how-to- ... b5-brakes/

which involved playing with the tension in the cables too.

Burndust

Arthur Scrimshaw wrote:

bendertherobot wrote:

Why is it wavy?

It's to apply a preload between the non drive side crank arm and the left hand bearing which in turn stops the whole crank and arm assembly moving laterally. When you remove the non drive side crank arm you can drift the crankshaft and chainring assembly out with a rubber mallet, there's nothing else holding it in.

ah, i see, i to wondered about this...so that wont explain why my BB clunks for the first half hour of every ride then vanishes

arthur_scrimshaw

Burndust wrote:

Arthur Scrimshaw wrote:

bendertherobot wrote:

Why is it wavy?

It's to apply a preload between the non drive side crank arm and the left hand bearing which in turn stops the whole crank and arm assembly moving laterally. When you remove the non drive side crank arm you can drift the crankshaft and chainring assembly out with a rubber mallet, there's nothing else holding it in.

ah, i see, i to wondered about this...so that wont explain why my BB clunks for the first half hour of every ride then vanishes

Have you checked the torque setting on the non drive side, should be around 55nm from memory?

fret

Good point
Don't forget that like any machine it will bed in or parts become loose. Many people still think bikes are "ride and forget" items when in fact they do need very regular maintenance.

bendertherobot

Refund sorted. No issues. Excellent service.

A real shame. Mechanic, when I said about the brake issue, said that he'd heard of several like it.

alexul

Short version: I think I finally set up the rear brake properly.
Detailed version: it's been a long evening. Started with the guide posted here, didn't take long but after centering, and no more friction sound, surprise... almost no breaking power. Started reading a lot about this and first I tried to stretch the cable by pulling it more through the caliper. Obviously I pulled too much and now there was a very strong rub. Released it and tried to position it to where it was. Played a little more with the caliper barrel but wasn't getting anywhere so I also left it the way it was. Finally after a lot of trial and error with the cable barrels (now I wish there was only one lever for each brake) I reached a satisfactory level of breaking.

fret

You really don't want to go around breaking your bike.

EKE_38BPM

fret wrote:

You really don't want to go around breaking your bike.

Good excuse to buy another one, though.

bendertherobot

I would recommend an upgrade to BB7's in due course.

After returning my CX I set about re-setting up my Genesis with BB7's. Took all of a few minutes, no credit cards were harmed and very powerful braking indeed.

alexul

So, another 2 rides. I am satisfied with my work on the brakes. I am not saying you are not right or well intened, I'm 100% sure BB7 are better than BB5 and it's not a problem of money either. I'm just waiting to see how much head ache they'll give me.. So far they've done pretty well. I went today on a cycle path that went into a huge downhill and on a really bad pavement, only potholes and cracks. I was squeezing the brakes and coming down at 5mph on that bad(abandoned?) road until I just got off, my fingers were all white and I was afraid the whole bike will break in half. I'm happy I got a CX bike, a road one would have broken after the first meters. This is a problem I have now, moving in this new area one month ago I don't know the state of cycle paths, start on a paved one and end up on an offroad downhill.

Back to the bike. I definitively need a shorter reach. I tried rotating the handlebars on the initial position and my back muscles were overstretched. I have a injury, from a fall last year, on a muscle between the right blade and spine. Doesn't bother me except when I'm stretching it too much too long, like when swimming and now on the bike. So I considered 2 possibilities:
1. get a more compact handlebar, like Fret did.
2. get a shorter stem and maybe with an higher angle.

After a nights sleep I decided to opt first for the second and, to give me more possibilities with the angle, go for an adjustable one.
I found this one to be highly scored: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ritchey-adjusta ... 18mm-bars/
I'll go for the 80mm version then try to decide on the angle.
I discovered another issue with a too low position. I am shortsighted so I have to wear glasses all the time. When I'm going too low and keeping my neck in line with the spine I am looking over the frames. So I have to raise and tense my neck, of course for short periods of time it's not a problem but it's not something I can handle for hours. So I hope by changing the angle I will be a little more upright.

Regards

heez29

bendertherobot wrote:

Refund sorted. No issues. Excellent service.

A real shame. Mechanic, when I said about the brake issue, said that he'd heard of several like it.

It's the new batches of TeamCXs some of the brake bosses on the frame are badly welded and you can't do anything. Within the past month I've replaced two frames...

fret

Alexul, try an adjustable stem. Raising the bars may help with your problem.

bendertherobot

alexul wrote:

So, another 2 rides. I am satisfied with my work on the brakes. I am not saying you are not right or well intened, I'm 100% sure BB7 are better than BB5 and it's not a problem of money either. I'm just waiting to see how much head ache they'll give me.. So far they've done pretty well. I went today on a cycle path that went into a huge downhill and on a really bad pavement, only potholes and cracks. I was squeezing the brakes and coming down at 5mph on that bad(abandoned?) road until I just got off, my fingers were all white and I was afraid the whole bike will break in half. I'm happy I got a CX bike, a road one would have broken after the first meters. This is a problem I have now, moving in this new area one month ago I don't know the state of cycle paths, start on a paved one and end up on an offroad

Regards

CX bikes are strong but you'd be surprised at the abuse most road bikes will take. Have a watch of the classics

fret

Agreed. Think of tourers and the like. This is my old Orbea San Remo in 2010 with 3 days' worth of camping gear on it on a trip around the D-Day beaches. 250 miles in 3 days, full water bottles, 6 cans of energy drink and food for making sandwiches plus waterproof jacket, trousers and changes of clothing. I went over some nasty ground as well, I can tell you. Plus I was about 5kg heavier myself then.
It was no bespoke tourer, around 10kg with alloy frame and carbon forks, carbon seatpost.

fret

Speaking of which.

Would anyone be up to doing the D-Day beaches? Travel to Cherbourg and ride down to Caen to return (or the other way round) It's around 200km.

EKE_38BPM

alexul wrote:

...
I discovered another issue with a too low position. I am shortsighted so I have to wear glasses all the time. When I'm going too low and keeping my neck in line with the spine I am looking over the frames. So I have to raise and tense my neck, of course for short periods of time it's not a problem but it's not something I can handle for hours. So I hope by changing the angle I will be a little more upright.

Or new glasses that sit higher on you face so that you don't have to look over the frame?

Get a short reach, adjustable stem and keep your tyres at the recommended pressures to avoid pinch flats on the terrible roads.