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Cycle to work scheme; jump from Kona to a Boardman?

(17 posts)

  1. skotl
    Member

    I have been commuting from Dalmeny to the West End for the last couple of years. I'm fitter than I used to be but I'm by no means fit (48yo, around 14st).

    I had started hankering after a road bike and was seriously considering splurging a grand on one of the B'Twin carbons.

    But last week, my employer announced a cycle-to-work aligned with, gulp, Halfords. So that will be Boardmans then... :(

    The first bike that caught my eye was the carbon road http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/road-bikes/boardman-road-team-carbon-bike-2014

    But then I started reading reviews and commuting recommendations and they seem to be pointing me at cyclo-X bikes, which would bring this into the frame; http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/road-bikes/boardman-cx-team-bike-2014

    And, I guess, there is also the Boardman hybrid to consider.

    On my Dalmeny to West End commute, I most frequent the NEPN so mudguards are a must.

    Oh, and I already have a Kona Dew FS (the front suspension is superflous on my rides) so I wonder whether I will actually see any benefit in switching to one of the Boardmans.

    Any thoughts?
    Thanks
    Scott

    Posted 10 years ago #
  2. custard
    Member

    I have the cheaper CX.
    No real issues with the bike. However I recall the carbon fork has no rack/mudguard mounts?
    I do have some toe overlap on the front wheel. So something to consider.
    Oh yes and the build on mine was terrible,including no grease in the headset.

    Also have an old hybrid Comp which has been a solid and reliable bike.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  3. Instography
    Member

    I'd buy for the terrain so for NEPN, a CX or tourer or a hybrid.

    You have a hybrid in the Dew so CX or tourer? Personally, I say the tourer should give you more flexibility to use it for other things and a comfier ride. Even if Boardman don't have one Halfords should be able to get one in.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  4. acsimpson
    Member

    I have a CX team which is now 2.5 years and about 10K Km old. I have generally been very happy with it. It's an ideal commuter bike able to handle potholed roads and inclement weather proficiently and a slightly more upright position than a road bike would offer (while still giving the benefits of drops). The length of this message perhaps has more to do with how much I've ridden the bike than any genuine issues.

    Halfords have a bad reputation and in my experience rubbish mechanics but as long as you go in with your eyes open they do offer good service.

    Mine has front mudguard eyes but it was still a bit of a pain to fit guards to it. the picture of the current model appears to be missing these but I think with a set of p-clips and some fettling it should be possible to get something like the SKS bluemels to fit. Halfords sold me a pair of race blades to go on it but failed to notice that the fork is a different geometry to a road bike as so there was no way they could fit, they took them back with zero hassle.

    The rear is much easier with separate rack and mudguard eyes and the brakes on the chainstay so not in the way.

    Mine came with a faulty dérailleur which meant after the first few months the cable would sometimes misalign when going over rough stuff and I'd to change up a few gears without pedalling before I could choose another gear. I assumed it was due to road damage but the mechanic decided that it was a warranty failure and fitted a replacement, great except he initially fitted a short cage one which jammed the chain and my new chain wouldn't fit the correct one. Again they replaced the chain without any hassle.

    The brakes are BB5s which have great stopping power but can be a bit fiddly to setup when changing pads. Too fiddly for Halfords it seems who changed the pads during a service and left me to stop them rubbing. The rear brake chainstay positioning means the cable pushes the calliper out of alignment when the bolts are loose but I guess this is a common issue on bikes of this design.

    I don't know if they still use the same tyres but the tyres mine came with were very puncture prone and not ideal for road commuting so I replaced them very early on with a set of gatorskins which have been great.

    The only other thing to add just now is that at the time I bought mine boardmans had a reputation for weak paint. Sure enough with weeks mine had a few chips on the top tube. It's only cosmetic though but worth knowing before you buy it.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  5. wingpig
    Member

    "...about 10K Km old"

    10Mm?
    0.01Gm?

    Posted 10 years ago #
  6. acsimpson
    Member

    I toyed with 10Mm (or 6Km old money) but wondered how many people would get it. Of course according to the rules I should really have stated that I'm getting close to 100Km.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  7. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    If you are considering getting a bike from Halfords, I'd suggest factoring in the cost of a complete rebuild by a competent cycle mechanic. That will undoubtedly outweigh any benefit from the hire purchase scheme. I've heard too many horror stories to ever set off on a machine assembled by them.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  8. kaputnik
    Moderator

    If you accept the shortcomings of the Boardman regards mudguard fit, paint thinnness etc. it sounds like the first thing you should do is take it to a good bike shop to strip and rebuild it (properly). I'd also throw the "free service under warranty" in the bin and never cross the threshold of Halfords again if you can avoid it. I know so many people through work (we're also tied in to Halfrauds) who've put up with appalling (and sometimes downright dangerous) quality of service from Halfords just because it was free.

    I'd sooner pay £30 to get the job done right first time than put up with the endless trips to the shop where someone apparently qualified as a bike mechanic can't set up some brake pads or tell the difference between a long and a short cage.

    That's not to denigrate the bike as being a good buy for the money, but really, avoid these servicing cowboys.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  9. acsimpson
    Member

    Yup, that's probably good advice. Although it really depends on how competent you are with fettling. Certainly check all nuts and bolts are tight before going for a ride. A bearing being delivered grease free however can't really be blamed on shop mechanics as that it a factory fault.

    Also for the record I don't think Halfords ever claim their mechanics are qualified. They are merely fettlers who have been employed to fettle with others bikes. Even their website describes them as "dedicated" and "professional". Both words which have about as much meaning as "free" in this day and age.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  10. kaputnik
    Moderator

    A bearing being delivered grease free however can't really be blamed on shop mechanics as that it a factory fault.

    For the record, EBC have sold me a bike "built" like this also. I think it's possibly a generic problem for some shops "assembling" boxed bikes on the premises for customers without taking the trouble to actually check through everything.

    I bought my road bike (online) off an LBS in the Lake District. It had been a display model and they pretty much took it apart and rebuilt it for me before breaking it down for transport. Not an ungreased bolt or bottom bracket in sight.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  11. skotl
    Member

    Thanks folks - all useful, if slightly worrying, information.

    Unfortunately, it looks like our HR Dept jumped in with whatever Halfords promised them (last time round, it was Wiggle, where the Kona came from) so it looks like Boardman or nowt.

    I have a good friend who's an amateur mechanic, physics teacher and part-time Halfords bike mechanic (because he's a physics teacher!). He's also an accomplished night-time downhill biker so I trust him to give any bike a good going over!

    I think the allure of a road bike is out then - my commuting is not really compatible - so it would be a Boardman CX or nothing.
    To the original question then; do you think I would spot the difference between my Kona Dew hybrid and the Boardman CX, or am I just spending £500 (after tax) for no discernible benefit?

    Ta
    Scott

    Posted 10 years ago #
  12. Instography
    Member

    What sorts of benefits would you hope to get from it? Apart from the inherent pleasure of a new bike, which is not to be discounted.

    Posted 10 years ago #
  13. custard
    Member

    Well benefit is all relative.
    Looking at the DEw,the spec would be higher. I would expect the gears to feel a bit better.
    You have the drop bars which for me give more comfort options.
    Though I do like my flat bar hybrid for 'fighting' in traffic

    Posted 10 years ago #
  14. skotl
    Member

    Good question re benefits. Nowt more scientific than "a bit better". Lighter, definitely, as the Kona is no gymnast.

    I've only just discovered that Boardman also do a hybrid which seems similar to the CX except (obviously) it has flat bars.
    I was in contact with my mate (the part time Halfords bike mechanic) so I'm going to go see the options with him. If there's no screaming difference between any of them and the Kona then I'll *probably* not switch. Of course, new is always good, right...

    Posted 10 years ago #
  15. chdot
    Admin

    "Of course, new is always good, right..."

    Now there's a question(?)

    Posted 10 years ago #
  16. Instography
    Member

    There's always an accessory solution to comfort problems - bar ends, ergo grips etc.

    Whenever I've been convincing myself that I really need a new frivolous bike it's usually been to fill some use niche that none of the existing bikes fills perfectly. For instance, at the moment I could construct a case for a Brompton for those occasions when I can't be bothered cycling into Edinburgh. The morning trains are too busy for putting bikes on but if I use the bus and train I find myself back at Inverkeithing forking out for a taxi because there are no buses. Why, dear, the Brompton would soon pay for itself ;-)

    Posted 10 years ago #
  17. chdot
    Admin

    "the Brompton would soon pay for itself"

    Have to increase the number of taxi trips (for a short period)...

    Though might be cheaper (for you) to get ScotRail to install one of these at Inverkeithing!

    http://www.bromptondock.co.uk

    Posted 10 years ago #

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