Any one using this bike, what do you all think

[wonderloaf]

If you're thinking of Halfords you can buy discounted gift cards from Zeek, you could currently get a 8% - 9% discount using these:

https://www.zeek.me/gb/buy-gift-vouchers/halfords

 

[Cycleops]

I don't think the adventure bike is over-priced at all.

New Tiagra with full hydro's is very close to 105 bar the one less cog on the back. Not many bikes at this price with full hydro's.

Decent tyres (not sure why you would want to change them really), decent saddle etc plus it looks nice too imo.

40mm tyres will be very comfy and will eat up rough roads and tracks.

Re covering ground quickly - that'll be down to you more than the bike. I'm sure there are a good number of people on this forum who could ride that bike faster than most of us could ride a 7kg uber-bike.

I agree with most of that but Halfords hardly offer anything without showing a discount, especially with their own brands so worth waiting until they do.

 

[Venod]

I like the look of the Adv the gearing ratio's are well thought out, the brakes are good for the price point would keep the wider tires a lot more comfortable on today's rubbish roads, I don't see a problem with Aluminium for the bikes usage, I would figure out what discount you can get as mentioned in the post's above.
The only thing I see unusual is the forks seem slim for off road but that may be common, I am just comparing them with my two cross bikes which have more chunky forks.

 

[Cycleops]

I just think a steel frame is more reliable and can deal with the unexpected, maybe not in every case but it gives me better peace of mind. You might recall this recent thread:
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/beware-distressing-pics.233502/



After hitting a pot hole.

 

[User65906]

I don't think the adventure bike is over-priced at all.

New Tiagra with full hydro's is very close to 105 bar the one less cog on the back. Not many bikes at this price with full hydro's.

Decent tyres (not sure why you would want to change them really), decent saddle etc plus it looks nice too imo.

40mm tyres will be very comfy and will eat up rough roads and tracks.

Re covering ground quickly - that'll be down to you more than the bike. I'm sure there are a good number of people on this forum who could ride that bike faster than most of us could ride a 7kg uber-bike.

Hi SpokeyDokey
I agree, components are not far off for the price, tyres I would change to
and increase productivity, 32 or 35mm would fine for they types of roads I plan on,
including the forest roads, for I can go slower on them, and traction is not an issue at all.
Was thinking on something like,
Schwalbe Marathon Supreme Road Tyre - SpeedGuard,
but they roll good and are fairly puncture resistant.

 

[Venod]

You might recall this recent thread

Yes I think it was me who posted it.

Some of the best MTB's I have ridden have been aluminium and have not been treated lightly, I have broken carbon forks completely in half, cracked a titanium frame, bent a steel one, I still ride carbon forks and titanium frames,I don't have a steel one at the minute but would have another.

You pay your money and take your chances.

In my opinion Cannondale make the finest aluminium frame for all types of riding, never had a Boardman but they may be just as good.

If you search the net enough I am sure there will be pictures of broken carbon, steel and titanium frames.

 

[User65906]

I like the look of the Adv the gearing ratio's are well thought out, the brakes are good for the price point would keep the wider tires a lot more comfortable on today's rubbish roads, I don't see a problem with Aluminium for the bikes usage, I would figure out what discount you can get as mentioned in the post's above.
The only thing I see unusual is the forks seem slim for off road but that may be common, I am just comparing them with my two cross bikes which have more chunky forks.

Hi Afnug
My off roading will be slow paced, stones flying up and damaging frame is not what I want, just to get over the rough
a little easier and more comfortable than on a road bike with narrow wheels and tyres.
The roads where I live are not that good so wider tyres and a more spoke laden wheel should do better and be more
comfortable, thats what am after, I may not have to change the tyres if I get this bike, will try it first, they may be fine and not
slow me down too much at all.

 

[Venod]

My off roading will be slow paced, stones flying up and damaging frame is not what I want, just to get over the rough
a little easier and more comfortable than on a road bike with narrow wheels and tyres.

The adv has tubeless ready wheels, I can recommend going tubeless for comfort and less worry about punctures.
I run one bike with 32mm Vittoria XN pro cross tyres, 45 rear 40 front it is still capable of a far speed on the road and very comfortable, the tyres are not tubeless ready but they work fine.
The other I run tubeless with Specialised Roubaix tubeless ready tyres 32mm, 50 to 55 rear 45 to 50 front, again still quick on the road and very comfortable.

 

[User65906]

I just think a steel frame is more reliable and can deal with the unexpected, maybe not in every case but it gives me better peace of mind. You might recall this recent thread:
After hitting a pot hole.

Thats the kind of roads I have here, bloody disaster, I never ride in water at all other than when I have to
and do so at a crawl.
That alloy bike should not have disintegrated like it did, the front wheel should have collapsed first,
in any event the weld looks to have undercut the tubes, burned in too deep and weakened it enough
to do what it did.
Steel would have fared better, but carbon may have done the exact same as the alloy IF it was sheer
force and not undercut welds that caused this break up.

Given the cyclists injuries, one would wonder why we do not wear caged helmets
like in base ball, that would have prevented a lot of the damage to this mans face,
even just two bars, one at chin level and one at nose level not to obstruct sight, or
just a tough full visor that would flex instead of breaking.

 

[User65906]

The adv has tubeless ready wheels, I can recommend going tubeless for comfort and less worry about punctures.
I run one bike with 32mm Vittoria XN pro cross tyres, 45 rear 40 front it is still capable of a far speed on the road and very comfortable, the tyres are not tubeless ready but they work fine.
The other I run tubeless with Specialised Roubaix tubeless ready tyres 32mm, 50 to 55 rear 45 to 50 front, again still quick on the road and very comfortable.

I never investigated the tubeless system yet, flashes of me covered in what ever gunk should
have gone into the tyre cavity has kept my curiosity at bay.

 

[User65906]

Yes I think it was me who posted it.

Some of the best MTB's I have ridden have been aluminium and have not been treated lightly, I have broken carbon forks completely in half, cracked a titanium frame, bent a steel one, I still ride carbon forks and titanium frames,I don't have a steel one at the minute but would have another.

You pay your money and take your chances.

In my opinion Cannondale make the finest aluminium frame for all types of riding, never had a Boardman but they may be just as good.

If you search the net enough I am sure there will be pictures of broken carbon, steel and titanium frames.

I agree, Cannondale do aluminium very well, it is annoying they chose not to put the BB30a into the Synapse alloy.

 

[Grant Fondo]

Yes I think it was me who posted it.

Some of the best MTB's I have ridden have been aluminium and have not been treated lightly, I have broken carbon forks completely in half, cracked a titanium frame, bent a steel one, I still ride carbon forks and titanium frames,I don't have a steel one at the minute but would have another.

You pay your money and take your chances.

In my opinion Cannondale make the finest aluminium frame for all types of riding, never had a Boardman but they may be just as good.

If you search the net enough I am sure there will be pictures of broken carbon, steel and titanium frames.

Afnug you are spot on. Been riding a USA made alu Cannondale for 23 years and it is the BEST frame ever, just a beautiful piece of design and engineering.

 

[User65906]

Afnug you are spot on. Been riding a USA made alu Cannondale for 23 years and it is the BEST frame ever, just a beautiful piece of design and engineering.

Aluminum welded in the USA is top notch, you simply will not get
shown any favors during tig welding training, they are extreemely
strict, I am a / used to be a welder, and I have seen how a blind eye
can be turned and someone who is not up to par can get through,
this won't happen in the USA, they are all in unions, they take great
pride in their work, there is a huge market place for such welders
as aluminum is used in boats planes and just about everything else,
China, Taiwan, and many other places will take you on if you look the
part, its easy to make weld look passable on the top, but thats not
good enough, it has to be solid right from the first pass at the bottom
of the bead, and it oxidizes during welding, if proper equipment and
practice is not used from start to finish, if I was really depending on
an tig welded product, I would be happy if it came from Cannondale.

 

[Venod]

Aluminum welded in the USA is top notch, you simply will not get
shown any favors during tig welding training, they are extreemely
strict, I am a / used to be a welder, and I have seen how a blind eye
can be turned and someone who is not up to par can get through,
this won't happen in the USA, they are all in unions, they take great
pride in their work, there is a huge market place for such welders
as aluminum is used in boats planes and just about everything else,
China, Taiwan, and many other places will take you on if you look the
part, its easy to make weld look passable on the top, but thats not
good enough, it has to be solid right from the first pass at the bottom
of the bead, and it oxidizes during welding, if proper equipment and
practice is not used from start to finish, if I was really depending on
an tig welded product, I would be happy if it came from Cannondale.

I agree with everything you say, when I cracked the titanium frame a mate at work welded it, he is a very experienced welder and made pipes to purge the back of the weld to ensure a good weld it was then inspected by the NDT department, I think that frame is still been ridden 9 years later, it was very thin walled and he made a great job of it.
I don't think Cannondale are made in USA anymore, but I would like to think their quality control still keeps them a quality buy, I have owned both USA and far east built Cannondales both fine frames.

 

[User65906]

Exactly, as long as the welder knows how to weld, like you say purged the back of the joint with
Argon / helium or what ever is best for the material, then it should be a good solid reliable joint,
thing is, this kind of attention to detail costs, and my guess is the majority of frames get no
purging or any form of back pressure applied during welding, which is sad, as I would pay more
if I knew the frame was properly put together.

I just sold my Genisis Ridgeback day00, aluminum framed bike, one thing I can say is it was
6061 or some 6000 variant, as the paint flaked off, yet the aluminum underneath though exposed
for a long time was like a mirror, a sign of proper welding as bad welding introduces oxidation
which when covered up with paint is a danger.
I sold that bike with 15 miles on it, it took a speed wobble and that bothered me, as i do not like
scraping tar off my skin, now looking at the Boardman ADV 8.9, but not liking that it is made of
7005 aluminum which reacts to the elements way too much for my liking, you would nearly need
to take off the paint and clear varnish the frame / bike so you could keep an eye on it, and good
yaught / uv varnish is way better than paint, I often varnish metal instead of painting it for its
harder yet flexes so does not damage as easily and let in water.