My new ride - Boardman Team FS

DanDax1990

The Viper is worth it for the shock alone.

kirby700

Just check its not a small. I thought that was one of the differences .

Kowalski675

Angus Young wrote:

I've just noticed that that top tube/seat tube joint is how they're doing it on the new Pro FS 650B. You got an upgraded joint!

Very similar to that, yes. I hadn't noticed that the 650b Team and Pro used different frames. The old 26" Pro had the same frame as the Team.

Kowalski675

DanDax1990 wrote:

The Viper is worth it for the shock alone.

It does look like a bargain. I'd be tempted, if they had a medium.

Kowalski675

kirby700 wrote:

Just check its not a small. I thought that was one of the differences .

Definitely a medium. It said 18" on the box, and I've measured it to make sure. The small in the original frame design had no brace at all at the top tube/seat tube joint:

viewtopic.php?t=12875282&

I've been busy this evening applying helicopter tape to the new frame (from Paragon Tapes on Ebay - excellent stuff, invisible once applied). Haven't finished, but got bored and my thumb was sore, so I'll finish it tomorrow, lol, then can build it back up finally.

Kowalski675

Hmmm, I'm not sure what I've got here. Have a look at this:

viewtopic.php?f=10017&t=12944696

The gusset on my top tube looks just like on his new 650b Team FS, but my top tube measures 567mm (which is correct for an 18" Team FS 26er (the 650b bike has a longer top tube which appears to have cable guides for a dropper post in his pictures). So, so far you'd think that they've probably just switched the gusset and cable guide types to those that they're using in the new bikes, probably just to standardise parts held at the factory, and that the frame is otherwise the same as it was.

But...

As I said, the chainstays look subtly different, and on measuring them they're 435mm (as on the 650b bikes), rather than the 430mm they should be on the 26er, and (based on scrutiny of pictures) look the same as the 650b chainstays.

So....

What I'm starting to suspect now is that I have the front triangle from the 26er frame mated to the rear triangle from the 650b frame. Which leaves the question (assuming I'm correct about that), will this hybrid frankenframe with its longer rear centre be better, worse, or no different to ride than the original (and, as an aside, could I fit 650b wheels if I wanted to at some point, or will the straight seat tube not allow that)? And should I accept this, or take the whole lot back and insist on a refund?

Hmmm...

poah

Kowalski675 wrote:

And should I accept this, or take the whole lot back and insist on a refund?

Hmmm...

should have done that a long time ago TBH.

Kowalski675

Why? The problems I've had were down to shoddy assembly, not the bike itself, and I'm not going to get anything better without spending considerably more money.

Kowalski675

I'm rather f****d off now. After just spending hours applying nearly £20 of helicopter tape to the new frame i started to build it up (in the front room - way too nasty outside to brave the garage), only to get most of the way through (forks, headset, stem, bars, front brake, BB, cranks, shock, front and rear mechs, seat and wheels fitted) and find that there seems to be a problem with the new frame. It would appear that the rear brake post mount isn't welded on correctly, so the rear caliper isn't lining up right. Even right at the edge of its adjustment it's only about the width of a piece of paper away from the disc. Adjust it so that the pads are properly centred and the caliper mounting is scraping on the disc. FFS. :x

As an incidental point, the rear triangle's definitely different. I now think it's probably not the 650b rear triangle (I doubt think the larger wheel would fit in), but the rear sag is now 25% (it was 30% on the old frame) without changing the shock pressure, so the leverage ratio must be different.

And my cat managed to tread in my grease.

@lexD

This unbelievable and I feel so sorry for you, my red haze would have wrapped that frame round somebodies neck by now so I admire your restraint.
If I were you I would get a refund now as i it is costing you money, lost time riding, lost time stripping,rebuilding and returning the damn thing.
I appreciate what you are saying about what would you get as a replacement but there are plenty of quality bikes for sale on here and pink bike for what you paid for this boardman. Time to face that you and this bike are maybe not meant to be mate.........

As for the cat I suggest a ritual sacrifice to the MTB god to bring you some better luck

97th choice

Take it back, get a refund and ask for compensation for your inconvenience and expense, detail the time and financial outlay, do it calmly to the manager and then maybe take your money to pauls cycles or somewhere and get something like a trance or an anthem on discount.

You might not get something with the ultimate spec of a boardman but as I'm sure you've come to appreciate there's more to a bike than just spec, like maybe being able to ride it occasionally.

Angus Young

Tell them if they swap it for one of the new 650Bs you won't smash the shop up!

97th choice

I'd still gave doubts over general boardman frame build quality, it seems that there are entire batches of 2014 CX bikes being quarantined over cracks in the seat tube/top tube area.

mcnultycop

That is terrible for you. I'd be e-mailing the MD of Halfords and seeing if you get any joy there; that route usually achieves results quickly.

97th choice

@halfords_uk on twitter.

Mate of mine harassed warren Buckley with a lot of success via twitter

RyanWensley

Have you made sure that the mounting points are properly faced?

Kowalski675

@lexD wrote:

As for the cat I suggest a ritual sacrifice to the MTB god to bring you some better luck

No, can't be sacrificing my girls, they're lurvely.

Kowalski675

Angus Young wrote:

Tell them if they swap it for one of the new 650Bs you won't smash the shop up!

I'd swap it for the new 650b Pro, but not the 650b Team (downgraded spec compared to mine).

Kowalski675

Ok, I went back to it the next day for another look and managed to get the caliper centred and clear of the disc, but it's right at the limit of the adjustment on the caliper's slotted bolt hole and the gap between disc and post mount/caliper is very narrow (just wide enough to slide a business card between disc and caliper). It's not catching on the disc now and the pads are centred, but is a clearance that small normal? On looking at a few random bikes in my LBS the gap seems to average more like 2 to 4mm, approximately. I'm concerned that if I wanted to change to a different caliper (for example if I wanted to change to Shimano brakes), or if the adjustment needs altering a bit for new pads then I might be looking at a problem.

Meanwhile, my new stealth black PTFE coated stainless steel gear cable inners arrived from CRC in today's post, so I fitted those, indexed the gears (a 2 x 10 front mech is much quicker to set up than a 3 ring), and the bike's all in one piece and ready to go:

Kowalski675

RyanWensley wrote:

Have you made sure that the mounting points are properly faced?

The brake post mount faces? They're just as they left the factory (I had the BB faced before starting the build, but nothing else). I didn't want to disturb the caliper again after getting it centred, but using a steel rule as a gauge (holding it flat against the rotor and lining the end up against the edge of the post mount) the face seems perpendicular to the disc (as far as I can tell without removing the caliper and actually lining the ruler edge up onto the flat of the post mount face).

Kowalski675

97th choice wrote:

I'd still gave doubts over general boardman frame build quality,

Yeah, I'm beginning to feel that way myself. Maybe their spec to price ratio is a bit too good to be true... :roll:

Kowalski675

97th choice wrote:

Take it back, get a refund and ask for compensation for your inconvenience and expense, detail the time and financial outlay, do it calmly to the manager and then maybe take your money to pauls cycles or somewhere and get something like a trance or an anthem on discount.

You might not get something with the ultimate spec of a boardman but as I'm sure you've come to appreciate there's more to a bike than just spec, like maybe being able to ride it occasionally.

Beginning to wish that I'd spent the £1400 for the 2012 Trance X2 from Paul's, but they're sold out now.

I've never been on Twitter, who's Warren Buckley? A Halfords bigwig?

97th choice

Head of BT customer service, not the same company but it's a tactic that can work.

Also, I know for a fact that feedback posted to halfords directly is relayed back to the store manager.

Kowalski675

I'm intending to put the whole saga into an email to Halfords customer service at least. The bike rides well, but the whole experience has been a bit of a ballache, and would definitely put me off buying another Boardman. And if I ever buy another bike from Halfords I'll be taking it boxed and assembling it myself.

Angus Young

Make sure you include a link to this thread. If they've any sense they won't want to see bad news being spread like this. Should give them a little extra motivation.

RyanWensley

Kowalski675 wrote:

RyanWensley wrote:

Have you made sure that the mounting points are properly faced?

The brake post mount faces? They're just as they left the factory (I had the BB faced before starting the build, but nothing else). I didn't want to disturb the caliper again after getting it centred, but using a steel rule as a gauge (holding it flat against the rotor and lining the end up against the edge of the post mount) the face seems perpendicular to the disc (as far as I can tell without removing the caliper and actually lining the ruler edge up onto the flat of the post mount face).

I don't mean the mount adapter being faced properly I mean the mounting point that the adapter mounts to. Sometimes they can be poorly finished leading to the calliper being on the piss, causing the disc to be closer to one side at an angle. It's something you could check if it play up again in the future.

97th choice

Could be that, but there have also been cases of misaligned brake mounts on boardman frames.

Kowalski675

RyanWensley wrote:

Kowalski675 wrote:

RyanWensley wrote:

Have you made sure that the mounting points are properly faced?

The brake post mount faces? They're just as they left the factory (I had the BB faced before starting the build, but nothing else). I didn't want to disturb the caliper again after getting it centred, but using a steel rule as a gauge (holding it flat against the rotor and lining the end up against the edge of the post mount) the face seems perpendicular to the disc (as far as I can tell without removing the caliper and actually lining the ruler edge up onto the flat of the post mount face).

I don't mean the mount adapter being faced properly I mean the mounting point that the adapter mounts to. Sometimes they can be poorly finished leading to the calliper being on the wee-wee, causing the disc to be closer to one side at an angle. It's something you could check if it play up again in the future.

There is no adapter. It's a post mount, not an IS mount - the caliper bolts direct to the frame:



As far as I can tell (without taking the caliper off again) the post mount faces are perpendicular to the disc rotor face, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the post mount couldn't have been welded on too close to the rotor.

Angus Young

How's it going? Any progress? Have you managed to get out on it yet?

Kowalski675

Hiya. Haven't been out on it yet, other than a bit of a play around our estate, just to check the brakes, gears etc (and practice a few rebound manuals down a handy little concrete slope round the corner). Combination of lack of motivation and pants weather (it's easier to be enthisiastic when the summer sun's shining). Gonna need some warmer windproof gloves at least. I bought a Mucky Nutz rear fender for it last week, since everything's muddy now. I got invited to go up to Hamsterley Forest trail centre last weekend, but couldn't really afford the petrol (160 mile round trip) - looks like a good venue though, and those that went liked it.

Oh, I seem to have ordered a set of XT brakes for it on Sunday night too...