Canyon Nerve vs Boardman Team FS

jack264 · March 2015

First full suspension for Llandegla, Marin, Penmachno....North Wales stuff etc.

What d'ya reckon guys? Or should I go hardtail 29'er at around similar price point with superior front suspension.

POAH · March 2015

canyon

RockmonkeySC · March 2015

Boardman. As good as the Canyon but with local backup if you have problems.

stubs · March 2015

29er Hardtail. There isnt actually anything that needs full suspension in Britain apart from a handful of Black runs and washed out natural trails in the lumpy bits of Scotland and Wales. FS is nice to have but not essential for a trail centre Llandegla is as smooth as a babies bum and so is much of Penmachno.

Angus Young · March 2015

stubs wrote:

29er Hardtail. There isnt actually anything that needs full suspension in Britain apart from a handful of Black runs and washed out natural trails in the lumpy bits of Scotland and Wales. FS is nice to have but not essential for a trail centre Llandegla is as smooth as a babies bum and so is much of Penmachno.

Tosh. Get a FS, your rides will be much more fun.

stubs · March 2015

Angus Young wrote:

stubs wrote:

29er Hardtail. There isnt actually anything that needs full suspension in Britain apart from a handful of Black runs and washed out natural trails in the lumpy bits of Scotland and Wales. FS is nice to have but not essential for a trail centre Llandegla is as smooth as a babies bum and so is much of Penmachno.

Tosh. Get a FS, your rides will be much more fun.

Over the last 18 years I have had iirc 7 full sussers and I still own one but I have never found them to be any more fun than a hard tail. Its how you ride not what you ride.

RockmonkeySC · March 2015

I agree, full suspension is no more fun than a hardtail, maybe less fun.
A full suspension bike is easier to ride faster although a hardtail can be just as fast.

Angus Young · March 2015

Every time I step off a FS onto a hardball my heart sinks. It's just unpleasant in comparison. I'd find it hard to describe a long day in the saddle on a hardball on rough trails as 'fun'.

The Rookie · March 2015

What is a hardball.....maybe you should see your doctor?

I prefer an HT to an FS, but I have gone FS as I found my fun at some trail centres was limited by my aging legs abilities to soak up the bumps, so while the first half of the ride was more fun on the HT, the second half was rapidly diminishing in terms of fun, the FS has made this a lot better!

paul.skibum · March 2015

I am currently riding my hardtail into work each day and going for a blast on it in the evenings - nothing too taxing but wicked fun and comparable to trail centres in Wales. 100mm 26er with xc angles - same route on my Bronson would not be any faster, might even be slower. Bronson will still be ride of choice on harder trails and steeper climbs as gearing will let me get up as much as better riding down!

Get a good hardtail but not necessarily a 29er.

Angus Young · March 2015

The Rookie wrote:

What is a hardball.....maybe you should see your doctor?

Damn autocorrect!

The only reason I'd buy a hardtail is if I couldn't afford a FS.

stubs · March 2015

Measuring your ride and self worth by how much you have in the bank is a bit sad. Someone is always going to have a better bike and more money than you.

My HT cost more than my FS and cost about the same as my car.

Beardface · March 2015

Amongst others (I change bikes more often than socks

) I've owned a Boardman Team FS (26"), a Cube FS Pro 29" hardtail and currently own a Canyon Nerve 7 (27.5"), so although it's my own opinion, it may be helpful?

Without question, my favourite of the three is the Canyon. Even their AL6 has a great spec for the price too.

I didn't enjoy my Cube HT, I found it a bit too twitchy (but I think 29" wheels just aren't for me and I was coming from a Marin Attack Trail (26" wheels and 160/140 travel), so it was perhaps a bit too alien for me).

I couldn't get on with the Boardman at all, it may have been the 2x10spd it came with and it's hard to describe, but everything felt a little 'wooden' to me.

The Canyon feels great, with 27.5" wheels it's a perfect middle ground (I'd say compromise but it wouldn't be the right word). Specs are amazing and despite other peoples bad press, I've only ever received top notch service from the guys at their Kingston office. I've enjoyed more laughs, smiles and fun on the Canyon than any other bike (my '08 Marin Mount Vision was a close second).

Shout if you've got any questions.

Angus Young · March 2015

Angus Young wrote:

The only reason I'd buy a hardtail is if I couldn't afford a FS.

stubs wrote:

Measuring your ride and self worth by how much you have in the bank is a bit sad. Someone is always going to have a better bike and more money than you.

Hilarious! How on earth do you get that I'm measuring my self worth by what I have in the bank from that? Dear me. I'm just saying that, for me personally, the only way I'd be riding a hard tail again would be if I found I couldn't afford a FS (generalising that HTs are, all other things being equal, generally cheaper that FS).

stubs wrote:

My HT cost more than my FS and cost about the same as my car.

And then you went and told us that your HT cost as much as a car. Well done.

RockmonkeySC · March 2015

His car could have cost anywhere between £100 and £1,000,000 so thats fairly meaningless.
Some people prefer hardtails, some prefer full suspension. Neither is better than the other.

Angus Young · March 2015

RockmonkeySC wrote:

His car could have cost anywhere between £100 and £1,000,000 so thats fairly meaningless.

True. But as he told us it was more than his FS and then the same as his car it's pretty certain he was telling us it cost a lot.

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Some people prefer hardtails, some prefer full suspension. Neither is better than the other.

Just don't understand why anyone would want their back wheel pinging and bouncing off the trail for hours on end. It's just unpleasant. And I know some will say it's faster in this circumstance or that but I don't care about speed. I'm already going fast enough for it to be exciting and fast enough to get injured. I don't need to go 7% faster.

The Rookie · March 2015

It doesn't matter though why YOU don't get it, it's why THEY DO that matters surely?

I was dead against getting an FS, as the pinging and bouncing add to the fun (but yes, also the fatigue) I only went FS when I was fairly sure the directness of feel of the HT wouldn't be over compromised (and some do, really badly, like the Trek EX I demo'd, it was ghastly, felt like pedalling mash potato), fortunately the frame/shock combo I got hasn't compromised that direct feel.

kajjal · March 2015

HT v FS is personal preference unless you have injuries etc. that mean you need a bit more cushioning.

dirkpitt74 · March 2015

If you're comparing the Nerve AL 6.0 and Boardman Team FS, then it's probably the Canyon.
Advantages of the Boardman are that with a bit of careful timing and savvy shopping you could be looking at picking it up for around £750 - which, lets face it is a massive saving over the Canyon.

Both are 650B, both seem to score quite well in reviews, both have 15mm/9mm QR axles, Boardman is slightly slacker on the angles (68.5 vs 69.5) and Boardman has 10mm more travel.

The fact that you can go an look at a Boardman (even if you can't demo one...) and have a physical back up outlet for any issues (and not all Halfords are rubbish) is a bonus.

But you have to look at the Canyon and think the Spec is a bargain for the price, but with all the discounts available so is the Boardman.....

Both of the above are on my radar for later in the year fi I decide to go FS. A couple of local guys have both so I'm lucky that I can at least have a go on both.

Angus Young · March 2015

The Rookie wrote:

It doesn't matter though why YOU don't get it, it's why THEY DO that matters surely?

Err? Well, yes, of course. He asked for opinion. This is mine. It may be different from yours and everybody else's. Isn't that the point?

The Rookie wrote:

I was dead against getting an FS, as the pinging and bouncing add to the fun (but yes, also the fatigue)

It's not the fatigue for me. That's not a problem, I'm pretty hardy so I can handle that. It's just the unremitting unpleasantness of the whole experience. And I'm not sure I'm getting anything in return for the agro compared to my FS. I guess I might make it up a few long slogs that I grind to a halt on on the Process, but if I have to get off and push now and again, I don't mind in return for the blast on the way down. Having ridden with no suspention at the back for a couple of years I dread the thought of ever having to go back to that.

RockmonkeySC · March 2015

Try a season downhill racing on a hardtail. It's certainly exciting and a world of fun, ride fast enough and theres none of this pinging and bouncing around. I loved it until a shoulder injury stopped me.

Angus Young · March 2015

RockmonkeySC wrote:

Try a season downhill racing on a hardtail. It's certainly exciting and a world of fun, ride fast enough and theres none of this pinging and bouncing around. I loved it until a shoulder injury stopped me.

If I were racing and thought it would give more speed, I'd be all for it. I'd probably also eat less and go to bed early, too. But I'm not, I'm just out to enjoy myself.

RockmonkeySC · March 2015

My point is it was more fun than full suspension and it forces you to learn to ride well.

larkim · March 2015

My son had the choice between the two (spending his own money) and went for the Canyon Nerve AL 6.0. For whatever reason in the shop he didn't feel comfortable with the Boardman, so took a risk on the Canyon and has loved it from the moment he had it.

ravey1981 · March 2015

One of the lads I ride with has got a canyon nerve al6, I can vouch that it is an excellent bike and performs like a bike that costs considerably more. You would not be disappointed with one I'm sure.

Angus Young · March 2015

The Canyon has a certain cachet that the Boardman, however good, just can't match.

Angus Young · March 2015

The Canyon has a certain cachet that the Boardman, however good, just can't match.

dirkpitt74 · March 2015

Would love someone (magazine or youtube channel) to do a back to back test of these two bikes.

larkim · March 2015

The Canyon did get a Bike of the Year last year, if that counts for anything...

Canyon Nerve vs Boardman Team FS

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