Specialized or Boardman?

Apeman14

I'm going to be new to road bikes,(from hybrids & mountain bikes). I have the chance of buying a used (but not very much) 2013 specialized allez sport with Sora gears for £400 - is this a good deal or not?

Or, having read nothing but good reviews about Boardman bikes - thought about the Boardman Road Sport Ltd Edition at Halfords for £500 new?

Any advice/opinion would be most welcome.....

Rigga

Got a link to the Boardman? Oh and that spesh, I wouldn't be paying much more than 300 for it.

kingrollo

not a boardman fan myself - but in the above scenario the extra £100 - would seem worth it.

Are you near a decathlon store -they do budget bikes that take some beating IMO

Apeman14

Thanks for your responses so far. The used specialized is a no go, especially if i'm paying over the odds. I think that new is the way to go - and whilst some will tell me not to go to the big stores to get one - for a first time road bike (and for the while, riding for pleasure only) it seems the best option (at present). So what about the BTwin Triban 500? £429 from Decathlon against my original choice - road race ltd edtion Boardman at £500?

Your views are appreciated - I am new to all of this road bike stuff!

Apeman14

Ok, going to give the used bike the heave-ho.

I think new is going to be better for me (first timer on road bikes and pleasure riding only for the time being).

BTWIN Triban 500 at £429 from Decathlon
or
Boardman Road Race Ltd at £500

????????????????

all views and opinions are much appreciated!

arlowood

Can't find a link to the Boardman Road Race Ltd Edition. Can only find the 2013 Road Race model which has Sora drivetrain and an FSA compact (50/34) chainset.

Do you have a link to the bike you're considering or can you spell out the specification

The Triban500 is 9 speed Sora with a triple chainset (50/39/30) and a 12-25 cassette.

Both are excellent entry level bikes - my vote would be for the Boardman

kingofthetailwind

http://www.merlincycles.com/merlin-perf ... 73113.html

Alu frame, carbon fork, full Shimano Claris groupset, £300. Great starter bike.

cadseen

Whatever you get make sure the bike fits you, thats most important IMO, test ride would be useful.

Apeman14

Now I'm confused!
I guess that was going to be the problem, ask for plenty advice and opinion and get more choice!
I like the look of the Felt f95 and that's £100 cheaper, and whilst I think the Merlin is a bit too budget, the next model up in the range, the Maven looks decent and on a par with the others that have been mentioned. Add the Mekk Pinerolo to the list and I may have to get a blindfold and a pin. I notice that Merlin & Wiggle et al say that the bike will be delivered ready to ride. I'd love to know what people's experiences are of the standard of these types of "bike build" are.
Thanks - Confused of Dorset

zak3737

Personally, I wouldnt rule out buying 2nd hand/used, you'll get a lot more bike for your money.

I picked up a Trek 1.7, in absolutely immaculate condition, with full Shimano 105 G/set, for £350. It proved a little too 'aggressive' a position for me, so I sold it for £425 !!
Then purchased my Spesh Roubaix, again in immaculate condition, and again with full 105 kit, for £690, which seems like a lot of bike for the money, & I'm well happy.

You'd need to be patient, and buy the seller before the bike, (if you know what I mean), but steals can be had, and as I say, you'll get a lot more bike for your budget.

Good luck.

Apeman14

last post - honest...
I've narrowed it down to:

Felt 95 Sora £400
Giant Defy 3 £449 (Sora)
Boardman Road Sport Ltd edition £500 (Claris?)

I'll go with the majority vote!

Thanks (again)

cedargreen

I've got a book called 'Fit for Cycling', written by Les Woodland and published in 1988, so it predates the internet.

In it, Les states that : 'You can spend a fortune on a bike, or you can get by on budget equipment. I think in the end there's a much greater difference in the price than it what it will actually do for you.....What is more important at this stage is to make sure that what you've got fits you properly, because cycling is a unique blend of physiology and mechanics, and if you don't get the leverage right you're wasting effort'.

I've quoted this because I think the problem with searching for bikes online (and reading reviews and asking on forums) is that it's easy to end up focussing on specification; ending up with an ever increasing list of possible bikes and simply getting confused in the mistaken belief that one of these bikes must be somehow better than the others.

In reality, most of the bikes at a particular price point will be quite similar, and this is especially true at the budget end of the market- most will have Shimano group sets (Campag don't make budget groups) and they will all have an aluminium alloy frame, probably made in Taiwan.

I would go and have a look at say, the Boardman and ask yourself :

1. Does it fit you? Different manufacturers have different sizes; if you feel like you're between two different sizes on a particular brand, try a different make.

2. How does it feel?- Different road bikes have different geometry, some put you in a more aggressive 'head down position, others are more relaxed 'sportive' bikes. How flexible are you?

The only really important question about specification is the gearing- most bikes now seem to come with compact double chainrings, but it might be possible to find a bike with a front triple. If you're a heavy rider, and/ or you live in a hilly area gearing might be more critical.

The sort of service you get from the shop might be a factor, especially if you don't do your own repairs, and what the bike looks like is quite important to many people- if you like the way it looks you'll want to ride it.