Boardman Team Carbon bikes. Why so many sold used?

Kupepe

Hello,

I am seeing a lot of Boardman Team Carbon bikes up for sale as used. Like 90% of them are 2010 models. Is there some specific reason ? People are unhappy with bikes or the thrill of road biking left them? Is it a thrill when u give over 1200 pounds to buy a bike?

ShutUpLegs

Probably bought on cyclescheme and people cashing in

alihisgreat

it used to come in at the magical £1000 point.. so people go into halfords with their voucher and buy the best bike they can to commute -> getting suckered in with big words like carbon, lightweight, race.. etc.

only to discover that the bike isn't that suitable for their commuting needs and they can't be bothered with cycling.



so you get a load of low mileage bikes on ebay.



two reasons there aren't more 2011 bikes:

-price went up above £1000 mark-> no cycle2work buyers
-newer, so people haven't decided to sell the bike that's been sat in their shed yet.

rake

many new time buyers given up i suspect, mine convinced me to part with some serious money (by my standards) on a bike but it wasnt my first one . cyclescheme another reason. also a lot of people fit you into a category or like to bash the brand and make you feel cheap . doesnt get you much street cred and they probably decide the colour scheme or lack of is too plain. im still riding my 09 which is the same because boardman have a 2 year design cycle to reduce costs and do a propper job. mine has done nothing to suggest there is anything wrong with it, rides the same now as in 09 and goes very nicely. i plan on riding it for several more years. the only thing that might no hold up are the ritchey rims which have craked around the spokes holes but that too about 2500 miles and i think i had too much tension in them.

neeb

Probably just because an awful lot of them are sold to begin with due to Halfords stocking them. There could be all sorts of different reasons for some of them ending up on the 2nd hand market, a positive one could be that they are good enough for the owners to really get into cycling and then want to upgrade.

Kamzter

rake wrote:

also a lot of people fit you into a category or like to bash the brand and make you feel cheap . doesnt get you much street cred.

I found that when I used to have one, it was a case of, 'you and them'.
Its a cheaper bike, get over it, Red bull don't look at Renault any different just because their kit or drivers are not as good as them.
Not everyone can afford to blow their children's inheritance on a 2k+ bike, so opt for a cheaper version to be apart of a great team of bikers/roadies etc but get rewarded by a their backs turned.
My opinion is, if you aint tried it, don't knock it.
I have mates that ride 5k bikes but it dont make them any different from me or the rest and they dont look at it that way either.

adwt2004

I have a road comp 2010 model. Bought it december 2010 before the white one come out. It's a brilliant bike and is a better bike than I am a rider. I sometimes cycle with a guy who will have no less than ultegra on his bike, makes no difference and I stayed with him all the way.

I don't really care what others think, I suspect if they knew their giants, specialized, felt's etc were probably made in the same sweatshops as Boardmans they'd be horrified. At the end of the day, I paid £550 for something that would cost me £200 more buying the same spec in specialized so I'm happy.

Besides, there's nothing more I enjoy than doing a duathlon etc and overtaking someone on a cervelo with a disc wheel, aero helmet etc. They'd paid thousands and yet will never get the best out of their bikes. To my mind, they have needlessly spent the money for no benefit apart from street cred which is very shallow..

Cornish-J

i dont think it's shallow - if you've got the disposable income to treat yourself to a fantastic bike then go for it i say. Why shouldnt people be allowed to spend money on their hobbys?

Very few supercar owners will ever take their cars to the limit of their potential - does that mean they're not allowed to buy something nice?

adwt2004

I see your point and notice from the signature that you have very expensive bikes. If you want something like that go for it but if you're under some kind of illusion (generalising to everyone here) that it would make you faster than someone on a cheaper bike who is physically faster then it won't happen. They will give a minor advantage but the legs are what makes a difference and saving 400 grams by having dura ace over tiagra is not worth it. I'd rather eat two slices of toast less on a morning to bring back the supposed advantage!

zippypablo

I doubt there's too many people who think a very expensive bike will make them faster.
Some people have the money to spend on their hobby and do so.
I have a couple of Ribble bikes but if had the spare cash I would buy a nice Colnago.
I know it won't make me any faster.

Cornish-J

i agree, legs and fitness will make you much faster than a 5k bike.

however i still think if you want something nice, just do it - life's too short to worry about what other people think.

Cornish-J

Sorry - just realised we've gone completely off topic.

i think a lot of boardman bikes are for sale because either, as said above, people get it on the cycle2work and dont really keep it up or need to free up some money as the hard times continue to roll...you would assume people that buy through cycle2work (me included) dont have stacks of money and cant afford to have a £500+ asset sitting around in the shed doing nothing.

mfin

I think its the sheer volumes of the Team Carbon that must have been sold.... it was in every mag the typical buyer could pick up and was covered in 'Best Bike at £1000' and 10/10 in all the reviews, then people looked at the value of it, it came with a Rival groupset which was lighter than the other make's offerings, all these things were mentioned by anyone looking it up.

Of course the cycle to work thing and it being in Halfords made the bike a no-brainer for loads of people. ...and if it was your own £1000 it still had better reviews than Ribble and Planet-X if you had your nose in the mags and reviews and looked a damn sight better in a lot of people's eyes too. Brand was more recognisable to a lot of first time buyers too. (and reviews also mentioned Nichole Cooke riding the Pro version to Worlds and Olympics win).

Think the amount on sale now s/h has a lot to do with the fact so many were seemingly sold.

adwt2004

They are great bikes though. Don't forget that the two brownlee (triathlon) brothers use boardmans too. Use the second hand market to your advantage and get one if they're going cheap!

Cornish-J

yea i had a team carbon and it was brilliant, didnt have ANY trouble in 2 years and i did a fair few miles.

the brownlee brothers and united health care use boardmans so cant be that bad, also happens to be the same bike as mine ... the copy cats!!

dg74

Cracking bike. The only thing I'm changing is the wheels (I've a 2010 Boardman TC) but I'll keep the Ritchey's for winter wheels.

Sod the snobbery of others, it's a bloody good bike!

Squeakz

adwt2004 wrote:

I don't really care what others think, I suspect if they knew their giants, specialized, felt's etc were probably made in the same sweatshops as Boardmans they'd be horrified. At the end of the day, I paid £550 for something that would cost me £200 more buying the same spec in specialized so I'm happy.

Besides, there's nothing more I enjoy than doing a duathlon etc and overtaking someone on a cervelo with a disc wheel, aero helmet etc. They'd paid thousands and yet will never get the best out of their bikes. To my mind, they have needlessly spent the money for no benefit apart from street cred which is very shallow..

I have what some people consider to be high end bikes but like most people I buy what my budget constraints permit. I brought the bikes for the same reason as many other people, I actually like them and I enjoy riding them. Owners of what people consider to be high end bikes suffer from the same issues of people riding Boardmans, Ribbles and other brands in as much as judgemental people make opinions about us and our bikes along with the reasons why we buy them.
Im not looking for streed cred, im not looking at being compeditive, perhaps im sheltered but I could not care where my bike is made, im simply looking to enjoy what I do and enjoy it.
If overtaking me during a dualathlon fills you with joy or makes you exceptionally happy or convinces you that your purchase is so much better than mine, knock yourself out but I personally consider it a shame as Boardmans are dam decent bikes imho and I would have though riding such as nice bike would have made you happy in the first place.

I never knew that working hard for a living, having two jobs and saving so I can afford the nice things I want without impacting my family mades me shallow. :roll:

Squeakz

BTW.. Cornish-J. (Off topic) ... love your Boardman bike, I was looking at it on the forum, I think that is really really cool. Stunning bike.

Squillinossett

They are good bikes. I Had a 2010 Team Carbon, and really liked it. I only got rid of it, as I decided I wanted a better bike. no reason. I did the same with that bike the following year. I plan on keeping the current one for the next year, then I will prob upgrade again, as will want something italian and with electronic shifting. It has noting to do with making me faster, some people just like nice things. If I didnt have the money I wouldnt have changed bikes.

I does not mean there is anything wrong with the bikes, just that people may have wanted an upgrade.

bails87

I'd agree with what others have said, if there's lots available, it'll be because there were simply a huge volume sold in the first place.

There is, of course, the possibility that it was the first 'serious' road bke for a lot of people, and has led to them buying something more expensive/"better" branded, so they've sold the boardman.

luv_shimano

Halfords must shift a fair few. Out of all the bikes I see on the road, they are by far the most popular around where I live.

sturmey

They are popular because they are etched into the subconscious of a wide cross section of the public, irrespective of whether they are cyclists to begin with. This is through saturation marketing (EVERY commercial break during TDF coverage for example) and through exposure to the brand while shopping for car shampoo or windscreen wipers at their favourite motor spares outlet down on the retail park. A lot of these people don't know much about bikes at all, they might not even be able to name another brand of bike or know where to buy one. So when that flicker of enthusiasm awakens inside them for some two wheeled fun, and 'cos they don't know any better, they take what for them is the most non-threatening route to buying a proper 'racing bike' and go with a Boardman.
Proof that advertising is king.

alphacharlie

Currently looking to sell my Boardman Hybrids and purchase a Boardman roadie, just wish there were some currently for sale near me

adwt2004

alphacharlie wrote:

Currently looking to sell my Boardman Hybrids and purchase a Boardman roadie, just wish there were some currently for sale near me

Any where near Bristol? PM me if so.

DavidJB

adwt2004 wrote:

I see your point and notice from the signature that you have very expensive bikes. If you want something like that go for it but if you're under some kind of illusion (generalising to everyone here) that it would make you faster than someone on a cheaper bike who is physically faster then it won't happen. They will give a minor advantage but the legs are what makes a difference and saving 400 grams by having dura ace over tiagra is not worth it. I'd rather eat two slices of toast less on a morning to bring back the supposed advantage!

You focus to much on 'weight'. More expensive bikes are nicer to ride, feel more responsive, stiff and are generally more fun.

I use a giant defy 2 2009 with tiagra as my winter training bike and I can defo tell the difference between that and my carbon beauty with Fulcrum 1 wheels when I jump on it...and yes...I go a lot faster on it probably in the order of 1.5MPH but its not just about weight or speed. My giant is a bit dodgy with when putting a lot of power into it, the breaks don't work as well and I am generally less confident on it than my race bike which I can put everything into and I have confidence I will always feel in control.

Two riders on equal ability one on a £1,000 bike and one on a £3-4000 bike the rider on the more expensive machine will go faster.

Kamzter

Is it Boardman or Halfords that put people off?
If its Boardman, would you feel the same if the bike was stamped Cavendish?

Omar Little

It will mostly to do with volume of sales. Good product and great value so high sales so something like that is always going to come up in the second hand market more regularly than some brand/model that is of comparable standard but has only sold a fraction as much.

Btw if anyone feels "inferior" because they ride a Boardman (or any other brand) then that is more in their own mind rather than what other riders actually think. There might be the odd exception but it is a bit of a myth that roadies will be snobbish about someone riding a "lesser" brand it just simply does not happen. If there is snobbery then it is usually towards those that have blinged out exotic bikes and not having the legs to do them justice!

adwt2004

DavidJB wrote:

Two riders on equal ability one on a £1,000 bike and one on a £3-4000 bike the rider on the more expensive machine will go faster.

More expensive doesn't always mean better. Fit is important too. Fit has transformed my riding on my bike. I just did the typical inside leg and height and bought the corresponding size game. Spending some time fitting myself was defininitely worthwhile.

I also don't believe I would be faster on a more expensive bike (not unless it had major aerodynamic differences), i've tried it (specialized tarmac versus road comp) and there was no conclusive evidence. It felt a little nicer but was no quicker. Obviously if you're on a tt bike with zipp wheels etc then you will have an advantage.

The speed difference between say a boardman road comp and a giant defy 1 would be nothing but the giant is £100's more.

rolf_f

The best value bike of by far the biggest bike retailer is bound to sell well.

Would be interesting to know where the Boardmans lie in overall sales of £1k ish road bikes in the UK.