Boardman Road Pro Carbon Bike 2014
Discussion
Has anyone got one of these? Thinking about getting into biking mainly due to signing up for my first sprint triathlon in May. My limit is £1000 really and I know this is a good bit more however they have 15% off until Wednesday and then I believe I can get a further 10% off by joining the British Cycling club for £20. From having a good look around this would seem to get me the best spec bike possible for £1k and it gets good reviews.
Does anyone know if you get your membership number as soon as you sign up online or do you have to wait for the card to come through as I doubt I'd get it by Wednesday.
Also as I am completely new to cycling could anyone recommend me some decent pedals and shoes to go for? What else do I need to add to my list, helmet, shorts, lights??
Does anyone know if you get your membership number as soon as you sign up online or do you have to wait for the card to come through as I doubt I'd get it by Wednesday.
Also as I am completely new to cycling could anyone recommend me some decent pedals and shoes to go for? What else do I need to add to my list, helmet, shorts, lights??
They are good value for money, spec wise its well equipped so it should be reliable and enjoyable. The only issue is the tyres which are pretty much universally hated so I'd change those for something better in the short term (Vittoria Rubino Pro are good all round tryes for training and racing for <£20).
DHB clothing from wiggle is again good value for money and most people start off with a bit of DHB kit before moving on to more expensive brands as they increase the mileage. Its good kit, just not quite as good as the higher end stuff. Being wiggle you can order loads of stuff to determine sizing and they really dont care what you return. Helmets etc are personal choice and you should probably find a shop with a good range for you to try.
I'd go for SPD-SL pedals and shoes, budget £100 for shoes and pedals, DHB R1 shoes (from wiggle!) and 105 pedals will easily come in under £100 and I used that set up for a few years, cleats will come with the pedals. It just takes time and practice clipping in/out....
The only thing I would definitely say is dont get BC bronze membership, the £20 option. Its basically for race officials and not riders, as there is no personal third party non-competitive liability insurance included (nor legal aid). You really need Silver or Ride level membership, for the sake of an additional £12, those sort of benefits could be vital. You should get your membership number when you sign up online.
DHB clothing from wiggle is again good value for money and most people start off with a bit of DHB kit before moving on to more expensive brands as they increase the mileage. Its good kit, just not quite as good as the higher end stuff. Being wiggle you can order loads of stuff to determine sizing and they really dont care what you return. Helmets etc are personal choice and you should probably find a shop with a good range for you to try.
I'd go for SPD-SL pedals and shoes, budget £100 for shoes and pedals, DHB R1 shoes (from wiggle!) and 105 pedals will easily come in under £100 and I used that set up for a few years, cleats will come with the pedals. It just takes time and practice clipping in/out....
The only thing I would definitely say is dont get BC bronze membership, the £20 option. Its basically for race officials and not riders, as there is no personal third party non-competitive liability insurance included (nor legal aid). You really need Silver or Ride level membership, for the sake of an additional £12, those sort of benefits could be vital. You should get your membership number when you sign up online.
I had last years "Team" Carbon (which is identical to this years "Pro" Carbon in everything except the rather bland paint job). I loved that bike - the 105 set is spot on and really all you need. Due to an interface with a van and a healthy pay-out I replaced it with this years Pro Carbon SLR - that gets Ultegra but with a full standard crank (which im planning on replacing with a smaller compact as per your bike as its a killer on hills) and is lighter, but a racier geometry and I don't find it as comfortable for long distances.
For both bikes I replaced the tyres with Conti GP4000s tyres which are ace.
I found the stem rather long, and replaced with a Deda version that was 10-20mm shorter.
Get some shimano SPD-SL pedals - both 105 & Ultegra versions come in carbon models. I have Shimano R088 shoes - my first pair but do the job. Absolutely freezing at this time of year, but well ventilated for the summer.
As for British Cycling, the card takes a week or so, but I emailed them as soon as I joined and asked for a temporary proof of membership, and they emailed me something - cant remember what exactly but it was sufficient for my local Halfords.
Don't forget to register on quidco and place the reserve and collect through them. Additionally, register your credit and/or debit card on quidco too, and when you use that to actually pay for the bike in store you'll get something back too. It all adds up!
For both bikes I replaced the tyres with Conti GP4000s tyres which are ace.
I found the stem rather long, and replaced with a Deda version that was 10-20mm shorter.
Get some shimano SPD-SL pedals - both 105 & Ultegra versions come in carbon models. I have Shimano R088 shoes - my first pair but do the job. Absolutely freezing at this time of year, but well ventilated for the summer.
As for British Cycling, the card takes a week or so, but I emailed them as soon as I joined and asked for a temporary proof of membership, and they emailed me something - cant remember what exactly but it was sufficient for my local Halfords.
Don't forget to register on quidco and place the reserve and collect through them. Additionally, register your credit and/or debit card on quidco too, and when you use that to actually pay for the bike in store you'll get something back too. It all adds up!
It's a bit good for £1000 or thereabouts.
As others have said, 105 is good kit, and for that sort of price, an 8kg bike is an impressively light bit of kit. In fast, this thread has got me looking in the direction of Halfords/Boardman again. And there was me thinking I'd narrowed my shortlist...
This bike buying lark is not as easy as it first seems
As others have said, 105 is good kit, and for that sort of price, an 8kg bike is an impressively light bit of kit. In fast, this thread has got me looking in the direction of Halfords/Boardman again. And there was me thinking I'd narrowed my shortlist...
This bike buying lark is not as easy as it first seems
yellowjack said:
It's a bit good for £1000 or thereabouts.
As others have said, 105 is good kit, and for that sort of price, an 8kg bike is an impressively light bit of kit. In fast, this thread has got me looking in the direction of Halfords/Boardman again. And there was me thinking I'd narrowed my shortlist...
This bike buying lark is not as easy as it first seems
Whatever your budget, the road.cc sportive bike of the year is worth a look, some good value leftfield choices in it. As others have said, 105 is good kit, and for that sort of price, an 8kg bike is an impressively light bit of kit. In fast, this thread has got me looking in the direction of Halfords/Boardman again. And there was me thinking I'd narrowed my shortlist...
This bike buying lark is not as easy as it first seems
daddy cool said:
I had last years "Team" Carbon (which is identical to this years "Pro" Carbon in everything except the rather bland paint job). I loved that bike - the 105 set is spot on and really all you need. Due to an interface with a van and a healthy pay-out I replaced it with this years Pro Carbon SLR - that gets Ultegra but with a full standard crank (which im planning on replacing with a smaller compact as per your bike as its a killer on hills) and is lighter, but a racier geometry and I don't find it as comfortable for long distances.
For both bikes I replaced the tyres with Conti GP4000s tyres which are ace.
I found the stem rather long, and replaced with a Deda version that was 10-20mm shorter.
Get some shimano SPD-SL pedals - both 105 & Ultegra versions come in carbon models. I have Shimano R088 shoes - my first pair but do the job. Absolutely freezing at this time of year, but well ventilated for the summer.
As for British Cycling, the card takes a week or so, but I emailed them as soon as I joined and asked for a temporary proof of membership, and they emailed me something - cant remember what exactly but it was sufficient for my local Halfords.
Don't forget to register on quidco and place the reserve and collect through them. Additionally, register your credit and/or debit card on quidco too, and when you use that to actually pay for the bike in store you'll get something back too. It all adds up!
All what he said,For both bikes I replaced the tyres with Conti GP4000s tyres which are ace.
I found the stem rather long, and replaced with a Deda version that was 10-20mm shorter.
Get some shimano SPD-SL pedals - both 105 & Ultegra versions come in carbon models. I have Shimano R088 shoes - my first pair but do the job. Absolutely freezing at this time of year, but well ventilated for the summer.
As for British Cycling, the card takes a week or so, but I emailed them as soon as I joined and asked for a temporary proof of membership, and they emailed me something - cant remember what exactly but it was sufficient for my local Halfords.
Don't forget to register on quidco and place the reserve and collect through them. Additionally, register your credit and/or debit card on quidco too, and when you use that to actually pay for the bike in store you'll get something back too. It all adds up!
Still pleased as punch with mine.
Thanks for all the help and info, went to try and have a look at one today but unfortunately my local Halfords have none in stock but the next nearest does so will go tomorrow and order tomorrow night hopefully. Going to be a great bike with the discounts and a further 3% back via Quidco as well, thanks for the heads up on that.
As for sizes I'm 5" 11' so right on the cross over between the 55.5 and 57.5, anyone any advice on which would be better to go for? Thinking maybe the smaller maybe better but not sure. Not sure which size they have at the shop but I doubt they have both and it could even be a small.
Other things after research I think I'll go for are Shimano A520 SDP pedals and Lake TX212 Tri Shoes as they will help save a few seconds when on the Tri and they seem to get a good review as general cycling shoes as well. Will also get the Boardman Pro Carbon Helmet I think.
Other than that I'll have to get a Tri suit for May but assume these are not the best things to be cycling for all my training runs so what would be best a set of Bib Shorts and a Jersey top?
As for sizes I'm 5" 11' so right on the cross over between the 55.5 and 57.5, anyone any advice on which would be better to go for? Thinking maybe the smaller maybe better but not sure. Not sure which size they have at the shop but I doubt they have both and it could even be a small.
Other things after research I think I'll go for are Shimano A520 SDP pedals and Lake TX212 Tri Shoes as they will help save a few seconds when on the Tri and they seem to get a good review as general cycling shoes as well. Will also get the Boardman Pro Carbon Helmet I think.
Other than that I'll have to get a Tri suit for May but assume these are not the best things to be cycling for all my training runs so what would be best a set of Bib Shorts and a Jersey top?
I'd guess the 55.5 will be the better fit, if you are of average proportions for your height and dont have unusually long arms or legs, the 57.5 will probably feel too stretched. It will almost certainly come with longer (175mm comapred to 172.5mm cranks), wider bars and a longer stem. Dont be afraid to ask them to adjust things if you find one, seat height, seeat position and also try moving the spaces around under the stem
Cant remember which is which in terms of cm, but i had the "Large", and im 5'10 or maybe 5,11 on a warm day (must find out once and for all). As i said, i did find it too stretched out, but a shorter stem (~£20) fixed that. I know not exact science, but after the shorter stem my front axle was obscured by my handlebar which is a rough indication of correct positioning.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/moser-bikes-111-105/
I bought one of these and been impressed with it,I used to race a moser back in the late 80's when I was a kid and thought I try them again
I bought one of these and been impressed with it,I used to race a moser back in the late 80's when I was a kid and thought I try them again
Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff