Hello. I'll start with my very basic question: is it a safe bet to assume that a new adventure bike will get me places more quickly/efficiently than a cronky old MTB (albeit with road tyres)?
I want to buy under a C2W scheme. Ours is largely focussed on Halfords and Cycle Republic. I was originally aiming for the £500 mark but have been edging that upwards a bit. My route to work is 80% road but the remaining 20% is pretty low quality cycle-path (mud, gravel...). I also do the occasional 50-mile leisure ride on a weekend and I don't want to me limited to pristine tarmac.
Having got back to cycling over the last 18 months, I've got past just seeing it as a fitness aid and want to get to places quicker and go further. I was looking towards hybrids but can't help be tempted by nippier road bikes. On the understanding that a standard road bike can be fragile, I caught my eye on the Boardman 8.8 ADV. Having read about the pros and cons of that particular model, I'm tempted to go for it but I just wonder whether the compromises towards off-road cycling end up making it no quicker than a similarly-priced hybrid?
Cheers.
I want to buy under a C2W scheme. Ours is largely focussed on Halfords and Cycle Republic. I was originally aiming for the £500 mark but have been edging that upwards a bit. My route to work is 80% road but the remaining 20% is pretty low quality cycle-path (mud, gravel...). I also do the occasional 50-mile leisure ride on a weekend and I don't want to me limited to pristine tarmac.
Having got back to cycling over the last 18 months, I've got past just seeing it as a fitness aid and want to get to places quicker and go further. I was looking towards hybrids but can't help be tempted by nippier road bikes. On the understanding that a standard road bike can be fragile, I caught my eye on the Boardman 8.8 ADV. Having read about the pros and cons of that particular model, I'm tempted to go for it but I just wonder whether the compromises towards off-road cycling end up making it no quicker than a similarly-priced hybrid?
Cheers.