an upgrade or downgrade.. boardman air to canyon AL

[E38]

So thanks to the exchange rate I am thinking of changing bikes



to



Bottom line is:

carbon to alu
aero frame to non aero frame
8kg to 6.9 kg
Ultegra 6700 to duraace9000
kysrium equipe wheels to some stiff, 1500g handbuilts (reynolds will be sold or saved for nice days and races)

I looking to start racing crits, so think I would appreciate the Canyon, and am a little tired of the uncompromising harshness of the Boardman AiR (although that may well be the Ksyriums doing that) so hopefully 25mm tyres and the VCLS seatpost will help that.

I also think the Aero stuff is kind of bullst now when shaving your legs and wearing a tight jersey and shorts will save your more watts than any aero frame!

Any thoughts on the bikes themselves just to settle my thoughts? Keep both is not an option Pistonheads!

[okgo]

Much for muchness would be my summary.

[cirian75]

N + 1

[upsidedownmark]

okgo said:

Much for muchness would be my summary.

Ditto. Deep section + alu = every bit as harsh as the boardman. Weight inconsequential, and I doubt you'll even notice the difference in the groupset once the initial bling wears off.

[outnumbered]

I tend to agree that it's more of a sidegrade.

If you want a less harsh ride on the Boardman, put some supple 25mm tyres on it to start with. Having said that, a fair amount of the "suspension" in a road bike comes from the flexibility of the seatpost, so Canyon's relatively longer 27.2 posts are always likely to provide a bit more comfort than the Boardman's chunky aero post.

If you like Canyon as a make, you could buy the carbon frame only, and throw the bits from your current bike at it. As the Ultimate CF range has a new model out soon, there may be some bargains coming.