Boardman CX Owners Thread

fret

And ridden the CX for the first time with no gloves this morning after dropping the car for its' MOT.
Totally different feel to the shifting, far better and precise.

And as for those who still want cantilever brakes? A fox ran into the road in front of me from between the houses and stood there as there was a car coming the other way. No way would I have stopped with cantis or even calipers.

brassnipple

Save your pennies Fret for a set of the new SRAM Red hydraulics', then all local wildlife will be safe! Dread to think how much they will be though??? BB7's on mine just starting to bed in nicely, but have not yet reached full power, so Fox's of Worcestershire beware!

meanredspider

fret wrote:

Although it's not a fair comparison as Apex is nearer to 105/Tiagra I have come up with the following conclusion.

Well I thought that until I discovered Apex is more expensive than 105.

Obviously it's down to preference but I don't need the lever to tell me I've shifted. If you do, you'll hate electronic shifting. Maybe that's why SRAM is so much farther behind Campag and Shimano on that development of current generation of electronic shifting.

gotwood25

gotwood25 wrote:

essex-commuter wrote:

Take the seatpost out and remove the saddle. Clean, grease lightly, refit. The problem will go (OK I'm taking a bit of a punt here so I can look really cool if that is what it is!). I really do think that will fix it.

Mark the post and saddle rails before you remove so that you can fit them back exactly the same. You can use electricians tape to do this.

This will fix it (!), but if it doesn't do the same procedure as above but on your handlebars and stem.

I like your confidence, I will give this a go tonight and let you know if you look really cool or not

I really do hope you are though as I can't be bothered to lose any weight!

Cleaned and greased the seat pole and give it a quick ride, amazingly not a peep. I simply cannot believe that what I thought was my frame about to snap in two was actually a dirty seat pole.

Cheers for the advice fella and to the rest of you who chipped in.

fret

Good point on the grease. I swapped 'bars as you may recall in March. Could be the reason.

MeanRed, I'vr just come to terms with not being able to afford electronic shifters. :evil: :twisted:
Being a musician as well and buying 2 new basses this year has put them back a good way.

fret

Just been for a 30 mile run on the Ultegra.
I can see what many may feel is the main issue with missed shifts.
If you hit/move the large lever on the R/H shifter when changing up then the small lever will move all through its' travel and not do anything.
Hence I guess why I prefer the SRAM with thick winter gloves on. (At present)

meanredspider

fret wrote:

Just been for a 30 mile run on the Ultegra.
I can see what many may feel is the main issue with missed shifts.
If you hit/move the large lever on the R/H shifter when changing up then the small lever will move all through its' travel and not do anything.
Hence I guess why I prefer the SRAM with thick winter gloves on. (At present)

I don't understand this at all. The small lever always moves with the large lever when you operate the large lever. It moves on its own when operated.

You'd hate Di2 if you don't like the Ultegra shifts - it's much more subtle. I love Di2 and have no issues even when wearing lobsters over full-finger gloves

fret

I don't understand this at all. The small lever always moves with the large lever when you operate the large lever.

If you are shifting DOWN, then yes it does.
However, if you read the post correctly you will notice I have only mentioned changing UP.

If you shift UP then you use the SMALL lever, with me so far?
If you accidentally push the LARGE (brake) lever slightly then the gears do not shift at all as the SMALL lever fails to engage the pawls.

I would love to use Di2, but, as the great Sean Kelly himself said about 10 minutes ago (almost his exact words) "In the great spring classics where there are cobbles only a handful of riders use electronic shifting. In a race such as this (Liege-Bastogne-Liege ) every advantage is used for a race, electrionic gears are faster shifting, but for a leisure cyclist I don't need them"

It confirms that you don't need them off-road, but I would still love them on the road bike for a bit of willy-waving kudos

meanredspider

Understand the problem now - but never ever had the issue.

Absolutely, Di2 is unnecessary but delightful to use.

fret

It's only occurred with thick gloves...................................and the ones that got trapped today, so I then experimented.
With no gloves or fingerless there is no issue really.
Now to start saving for Di2 again :P

essex-commuter

gotwood25 wrote:

Cleaned and greased the seat pole and give it a quick ride, amazingly not a peep.

Excellent news!

brassnipple

Not sure if this is of interest, but noticed that there have been a few posts in the past asking / suggesting about weight savings on the Boardman CX. :idea:

Mine is a CX Pro (medium), which has full SRAM Force including crankset. I changed the stem and post for Thomson items and changed the wheels for H Plus Son Archetype rims / DT swiss 240S hubs / Sapim CX Ray bladed spokes. Bars are 3T Ergonova Pro alloy. Everything else is stock.

Managed to get the weight down from 22lbs to just under 20lbs (approx 9.08 Kgs) and I reckon that I could get it down another 1/2 lb (225g) without trying too hard. :roll:

Must add though that spec is in plain 'off road' trim, so no mudguards, racks, lights etc.!

Despite all the changes, I discovered yesterday that the tyres still puncture. :oops:

fret

ya bastid!!!!

Wheels are the best way to save weight. Then the crank.
I wonder how much the stem and seatpost weigh as well? I may look tomorrow on the "up to 5kg" scales we also have. I reckon our 60 kg scales are incorrect at work as I weighed it at 10kg when I first bought it, with pedals.

No errors in shifting today, despite 2 hours on the Ultegra yesterday. There really is no "best"

brassnipple

The Boardman seatpost was quite heavy at 300g. I swapped this for a Thomson elite which saved around 80g, so quite a difference really on just one component. A Thomson Masterpiece would knock another 30-40g off still but at a ££££ cost

The Boardman stem was around 160g, exactly the same as the Thomson x4 - so no saving in weight, just a lot stiffer and I really trust Thomson kit from my mountain biking experience.

If you keep your eye on eBay and use a bit of savy, this can all be done for not too much expense

fret

Yup, saved a fair few quid over the years buying 105 and Ultegra kit.

Only silly money will save me weight on the wheels now though. I thought I had done well losing 300g and another 260 for the tyres.

A relatively lightweight 125g stem is easy to get for real money and seatposts often come cheaply too.
I've seen a nice alloy seatpost 207g for £40.00, but carbon would give a nicer ride. Even the one on the Ribble is 280g, soon to be made lighter.
Wasn't your original seatpost carbon as well?

brassnipple

Yes its 'carbon' - but in reality its a carbon wrap over an alloy seat tube, which in my estimation gives the worst of both worlds rather than the best of either. looks nice, but way heavy for what it should be. I'm guessing that its lifted from their mountain bike range.

Whats your wheel set up?

fret

Kinesis crosslight cx disc.
Supposed to be 300g lighter than the OEM Ritcheys and my scales confirmed it, hence why I am still surprised the bike weighs 10kg.
I've got lighter 'bars at around 245g, some 60-70g lighter than OEM.
I know that most of my riding is commuting, but after riding 8-9kg bikes I'm trying to get this as light as possible without talking myself into a Cannondale Super X Hi-Mod Disc at 7.8kg and £3700.00 all bar a penny. :oops:
Let me see what the top CX bikes are running for groupsets.

fret

Just seem that SRAM RED is now 11 speed and the hydraulic shifters will be available in July.
Price? Around the £1000 mark for the shifters alone. But they do have disc and rim brake options with hardly any weight penalty.
Expect everyone else to follow suit.


Just as an aside. What size is the seatpost? 30.6 or 31.9mm?

brassnipple

Seat post is 31.6mm on mine.

I think SRAM are also bringing out non group specific S-700 HRD shifters / hydraulic discs which offer an upgrade route to existing 10 speed groupo's. No idea on price, but bound to be more cost effective than RED, which is just crazy expensive.

Hydraulic discs will undoubtably knock a chunk more weight off compared to BB5 / BB7's.

brassnipple

fret wrote:

Kinesis crosslight cx disc.
Supposed to be 300g lighter than the OEM Ritcheys and my scales confirmed it, hence why I am still surprised the bike weighs 10kg.

Sounds like there's a wheel off there lol

The OEM wheels are very weighty, so still a worthy upgrade that will make it ride lighter even if the overall weight has not come down as much as you wanted. Did you weigh the bike before you started upgrading?

fret

I'm sure I did. 13.5kg with the rack, lights, pump, mudguards, seat pack with tubes & tools etc.
Lost over 1kg by taking the rack and pannier off as I only use it once a week to take clothes to/from work and have gone back to a rucksack, taking it down to 12.5kg. Seems I have lost around 1kg since then as it's down to 11.5kg fully loaded.

Also weighed it tonight on the bathroom scales by weighing me first and then me and the bike.
11.5kg fully loaded, which ties in with work scales. 9.97-10kg seems to be the weight in every review, so I doubt it was much different to start with. In fact the CX team and pro are both quoted as being 10kg.

Just looking at a seatpost you recommended on the 'bay at £30.00 BIN. Very tempted at 200g, even if it is a used one. I wouldn't buy used carbon, but alloy should be OK as I have had used bikes for ages.

I've taken the lights off now it's light at 06.30 at last and it's amazing the psychological difference of seeing a less bulky front end. Seems like a road ride rather than a cross/commuter.

brassnipple

Yep - both models are around the 10Kg mark, so yours must be lighter still when stripped back down to the basic bike.

Thomson posts are bomb proof so a good prospect second hand. Just be aware that the inline model has no layback on it, so just check that this will suit your normal riding position. The do a set back version, but its a strange looking thing as the lay back is in the shaft rather than the head. Mine is the Elite inline version 31.6 x 367, but has an inch or so trimmed from the bottom. weighs in at 220g.

What kind of rack do you use as I would like to get a light weight one for an occasional bit of 'utility' on family rides etc.???

fret

Just a cheap one off a LBS. About £20.00. A bit like this.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Trans-X-Adjus ... 993wt_1006

THere's a picture on here somewhere of my Orbea kitted up in a similar fashion posted 1st April.
I've also used a seatpost rack, but I don't get on with them as my thighs touch the clamp and when loaded the cofg is even higher.

fret

I have just taken mine around Queen Elizabeth Country Park MTB trail as it's only 6 or 7 miles from me. http://www.qecptrailcollective.co.uk/ plenty of vids on Youtube as well .....................both the novice and experienced red/blue routes. Superb fun, only had to get off and walk 3 times...................fell off once when I couldn't unclip in time :oops: :roll: .
Last time I went up there was just after it opened around 1989 :oops: on a rigid framed, steel 15 speed cantilever braked MTB. Strangely the only hill that beat me back then beat me again, but then it is now very rutted with loads of roots and I was still in my mid 20's and a lot lighter.
The OEM tyres coped well and I left them around 60psi to stop pinch flats.
The Boardman copes very well off road, still not so "flighty" as the CX9 Cannondale I had, but those discs are a Godsend on the steep descents.

I now ache as you really do need suspension at my age.

And I have sorted the click I had. Headrace was loose, and the fork insert was also a bit loose so when I tightened the top allen bolt it just moved. 30 seconds with allen keys and a drift to knock the bung down a bit, job's a goodun

alexul

fret wrote:

And I have sorted the click I had. Headrace was loose, and the fork insert was also a bit loose so when I tightened the top allen bolt it just moved. 30 seconds with allen keys and a drift to knock the bung down a bit, job's a goodun

Congratulations, for the trails and for the repair. How did you find the cause? I still have the click and I just let it there because when I try and pull or push the whole bike in all possible directions nothing seems loose. And I'm afraid not to over-tight the top bolt.

reformedfatty

Need to find an occasion to take mine up to Ashton Court. I'm convinced theres nothing there that'd be a problem, maybe take the chicken run on the last drop offs near the top but that's more my lack of smooth technique than the bike. At the moment every time I go I find myself grabbing a mountain bike to test some change or upgrade.

Thinking of replacing the excavaders with small block 8s or something, the excavaders seem really loose on the rim.

tincaman

alexul wrote:

fret wrote:

And I have sorted the click I had. Headrace was loose, and the fork insert was also a bit loose so when I tightened the top allen bolt it just moved. 30 seconds with allen keys and a drift to knock the bung down a bit, job's a goodun

Congratulations, for the trails and for the repair. How did you find the cause? I still have the click and I just let it there because when I try and pull or push the whole bike in all possible directions nothing seems loose. And I'm afraid not to over-tight the top bolt.

Recheck the head, loosen it all off, cap and stem, then retighten the cap bolt more than you normally would to seat the bearing, slacken off and then re-tighten normally. Pinch it all up and see if the click has gone.

fret

Not strictly correct, tincaman. But not wrong, just needs some clarity as the bung slips and is the main culprit in many cases, so it may need tightening or adjusting first. It's worth checking.
Take the top cap off, then get a larger allen key, 6mm I think, to tighten the pinch bung, or loosen the pinch bung if it's too high and push it down a bit, then retighten.
Then loosen the stem, refit the top cap and tighten to preload the bearing. Loosen off a bit, tighten one bolt on the stem, then the cap.Check to see if it's loose or too tight, repeat as neccessary.
TIghten everything when happy.

Burndust

well mine has been going quite nicely 800 miles so far....ido have the creak on the stem too just looked and noticed the bokts needed some tightning so i will see if it makes a difference my only real issue is now with the breaks the things constantly need cleaned....may be a bit of newb to this but is this normal i would expect it in wet conditions but notin dry i dont do any off road stuff....the eek eek sound when cycling along is annoying....prob gonna take it to a proper bike shop for a full service at the 1000 mile mark....i have a really good LBS....also noticed when i was in halfords getting more break cleaner they had a cx team on display...why did i have the strange urge to buy it lol

alexul

Do you hear the eek eek sound all the time? Or just when breaking? If it's all the time than the rotor could be untrue. When I start getting this I just re-align the breaks a little, tiny bity, further apart. I know the right thing to do would be to true the rotor but I find it to be a too delicate operation for my lack of skills.
And I do get the same sound stronger and louder when breaking. But I don't mind, at least I know the breaks are "biting" strong. I saw there are some solutions to clean the pads but are expensive. 2 weeks ago I spilled something greasy on the brakes, and rotor so I had to decontaminate them. I used technical alcohol to rub them good and clean. They were silent for a week, or less, but once the dust from the road goes on the pads they started singing harmonics again when braking. And I'm also riding mostly in dry conditions.
I wouldn't clean them every week and not with some expensive cleaners.