Boardman Hybrid or Cr@ppy road bike

polska1979

Hi all

I've been commuting for the last 12 months on my Boardman Hybrid Team. Whilst its a great bike for the commute ive had to fit it with schwalbe marathons for the puncture resistance. So its been slowed down somewhat

so, recently I've started a new job working from home so no need to commute. I've been dying to get into Road riding properly for a while but can afford the outlay of another bike just yet.

I have the use of a friends CArrera Valour, which is ok, nothing special. Recently went out on a ride with a couple of roadies and struggled on the valour. not through fitness levels...It just seems so heavy and isnt very reliable, bad brakes, dodgy gears. They have said I can tag along every week now which is great

So I have a dilemma, do I continue on the valour and chuck a couple of hundred quid at it to upgrade the parts. or Spend the same and make my Boardman as close to a road bike as possible. Thinner low resistance tyres, etc.

Selling them both and buying a road bike isnt an option as a) valour isnt mine and b) I will probably use the boardman for rides with the family

Remember the boardman is an £800 quid bike, carbon forks, sram brakes and chainset. VAlour is made of scaffolding poles

I'm not too far off the guys on the flats, just fall behind on the hills a little.

What do you think would be the best plan of attack until I can afford a decent road bike

apreading

Is it the uphill or the downhill where you fall behind? I am guessing the uphill because of the weight of the carrera.

I would just find some better tyres for the Boardman personally as you will never make a bike from scaffolding poles light enough to keep up with them on the uphills as you cant change the frame which you say is the cause of alot of the weight. If you could stretch your couple of hundred to just over three hundred then you could do worse than consider the Carrera TDF though.

Even just try fitting the original tyres on the boardman again - if not long term then just long enough to assess what your speed is without the Marathons?

mr_poll

For me save your money and wait till you can afford an ok road bike. If you can get good on the Valor then imagine what you will be like on a lighter more responsive bike. Also as much as people might say it isnt you its the bike I think you will find that you will get more out of the next 3 months riding with a half decent club than by buying a carbon flyer.

If you cannot wait then use the valor and patiently wait a decent bargain to appear on fleabay - they do appear and you can sometimes get a good entry level £1000 for £350 - £400 quid.

polska1979

apreading wrote:

Is it the uphill or the downhill where you fall behind? I am guessing the uphill because of the weight of the carrera.

I would just find some better tyres for the Boardman personally as you will never make a bike from scaffolding poles light enough to keep up with them on the uphills as you cant change the frame which you say is the cause of alot of the weight. If you could stretch your couple of hundred to just over three hundred then you could do worse than consider the Carrera TDF though.

Even just try fitting the original tyres on the boardman again - if not long term then just long enough to assess what your speed is without the Marathons?

Absolutely the uphills, but only towards the end of the ride.

I will give the original tyres a whirl on the same route during the week, see how it compares.

I would rather bank the money to be honest and save for a bike that im not going to get bored or grow out of quickly, which I fear I would do with an "entry, entry level bike if you know what I mean.

mr_poll wrote:

For me save your money and wait till you can afford an ok road bike. If you can get good on the Valor then imagine what you will be like on a lighter more responsive bike. Also as much as people might say it isnt you its the bike I think you will find that you will get more out of the next 3 months riding with a half decent club than by buying a carbon flyer.

If you cannot wait then use the valor and patiently wait a decent bargain to appear on fleabay - they do appear and you can sometimes get a good entry level £1000 for £350 - £400 quid.

I agree, but your point is valid for the boardman and valour right?

The benefits of riding with better riders will definitely have a bigger impact and quicker than a bike from the next rung up the ladder.

Thanks guys

Frostys

Swap the the chainset from a Compact 50/34 to a standard 53/39 and change the rear cassette out to an 11/25 that will give you some more speed if that's what your looking for and go to some 23c tyres.

My Mrs has a Hybrid Team and it's a decent bike and not that far away from a full road bike save the bars and brakes. Tbh it looks like it would make a very decent CX bike.

thegibdog

The Carrera Valour isn't that heavy is it? According to the Bikeradar review it's just under 11kg assuming it's the same model. Most riders winter bikes would be pushing 10kg so it's not as if it's too much of a penalty. The reliability would be more of an issue though, you won't make too many friends if you're making people wait whilst you're doing repairs by the roadside every week!

Why not sell the Boardman and get a similar priced road bike - would a road bike not be just as good as a hybrid for rides with the family?

bendertherobot

Swap out the Marathons. GP4000's in 25c perhaps?