Boardman Team CX

[MrGrumpy]

Ok this could have gone in the commuting forum i suspect, is this a decent CX bike ? Right now it could be had for well under the £600 mark with maybe a wheel upgrade it could be a damn site lighter! Thoughts on it ? Looking at C2W so could go all the way to a grand? Seems from all my googling that its a decent bike for the money, just seems a wee bit weighty but what would the jump be from that to something lighter?

 

[vickster]

Been discussed quite a lot if you search

I think @grellboy just bought one for example

 

[MrGrumpy]

yer did a search and can see i already posted lol, getting forgetful in old age Think I might bite the bullet, seems a steal at the price ?

 

[vickster]

British Cycling member? If not, join for £30 and save 10%

 

[grellboy]

Evening. @vickster is indeed correct. I got one recently, for south of £600. Wanted one for well over a year and got one because I live on an island with about three routes on roads and that's it, so looking to add some variety by tackling footpaths etc. Confess I haven't ridden it yet, still boxed up in garage coz been too busy with &%£ work but I am glad I got it coz the price I paid may increase again or the bike may well be discontinued soon, as 2014 model.

 

[Pale Rider]

Mate of mine got one a couple of weeks ago.

The bottom bracket failed after about 20 miles.

That was dealt with quite well by Halfords.

My mate is not the sort of guy to read very much into the failure, other than accepting things sometimes fail.

He's done a couple of 65 mile rides since the bike was fixed and is very pleased with it.

 

[EasyPeez]

@MrGrumpy - I bought one in the recent online sale thing, also to use as a winter/commuter with the bonus of it giving an off-road option; came to just over £520 with discounts plus British Cycling membership.

I've only done 90 miles on it so far as I've been waiting to get some new commuting tyres for it (Marathon Deluxes came today, so I'll get them on this weekend then the bike will be getting a lot more use) so I can't speak for how it stands up to heavy use, but my initial observations would be:

- looks fantastic
- feels tough and sturdy, without being overly heavy
- more comfortable to ride than my road bike (mainly due to 35mm tyres I think - alu frame does feel harsher than my steel roadie when hitting bumps/potholes)
- BB5 brakes are rubbish compared to the TRPs I'm used to. It seems impossible to set them up to give good braking response without them pulling all the way back to the handlebars. I happened on this just recently so am going to give it a go when I get some time - http://www.ecovelo.info/2011/04/15/a-foolproof-method-for-adjusting-avid-bb5-disc-brakes/
- gears work fine but I prefer the Shimano system to the SRAM double-tap. And I find the SRAM levers feel a bit flimsy.

Overall, I'll be well happy with it for the money assuming I can get the brakes sorted and the bottom bracket doesn't fail! (2 fairly big ifs?!)

Do you plan to put mudguards on yours? Does anyone know which guards it will take? The staff in Halfords were useless when I asked them, and I was disappointed to find the bike doesn't have bosses on the front forks so I'm not sure how best to kit it out now. Any advice from current owners gladly accepted!

 

[EasyPeez]

The bottom bracket failed after about 20 miles.

That was dealt with quite well by Halfords.

My mate is not the sort of guy to read very much into the failure, other than accepting things sometimes fail.

I'm glad your mate got this sorted ok, but it seems to me there's a bit more going on here than 'things sometimes fail' - doing a bit of scouting about on the web it seems that this is not just bad luck on his part - it would appear that there is a real problem with the BB on this bike for some reason, and has been since 2012 models and earlier?! I don't get how such a large concern as Halfords could allow this to continue after months and years, even as new models are released. Wouldn't the norm in these cases be for a product to be recalled and the issue sorted?

I would have thought twice about buying mine if I'd known the seeming extent of the problem at the time. I knew a few people had had issues in the past but it seems to be reasonably common and still on-going from posts on other forums etc. I daren't go out any distance on mine at the moment for fear I'll be stranded in the middle of nowhere!

 

[MrGrumpy]

@MrGrumpy - I bought one in the recent online sale thing, also to use as a winter/commuter with the bonus of it giving an off-road option; came to just over £520 with discounts plus British Cycling membership.

I've only done 90 miles on it so far as I've been waiting to get some new commuting tyres for it (Marathon Deluxes came today, so I'll get them on this weekend then the bike will be getting a lot more use) so I can't speak for how it stands up to heavy use, but my initial observations would be:

- looks fantastic
- feels tough and sturdy, without being overly heavy
- more comfortable to ride than my road bike (mainly due to 35mm tyres I think - alu frame does feel harsher than my steel roadie when hitting bumps/potholes)
- BB5 brakes are rubbish compared to the TRPs I'm used to. It seems impossible to set them up to give good braking response without them pulling all the way back to the handlebars. I happened on this just recently so am going to give it a go when I get some time - http://www.ecovelo.info/2011/04/15/a-foolproof-method-for-adjusting-avid-bb5-disc-brakes/
- gears work fine but I prefer the Shimano system to the SRAM double-tap. And I find the SRAM levers feel a bit flimsy.

Overall, I'll be well happy with it for the money assuming I can get the brakes sorted and the bottom bracket doesn't fail! (2 fairly big ifs?!)

Do you plan to put mudguards on yours? Does anyone know which guards it will take? The staff in Halfords were useless when I asked them, and I was disappointed to find the bike doesn't have bosses on the front forks so I'm not sure how best to kit it out now. Any advice from current owners gladly accepted!

Well..... SWMBO said over the weekend were you planning to buy this on C2w, if so why did you not go ahead . Anyways will hold off now as its gone right up in price. It was to be my winter commuter mostly but with the chance I might actually use it for what they are designed for! Right as for mudguards, it will take them , mate at work fitted some SKS to his, the front fork required P clip type things but they work no issues at all. Halfords sell the rubber P clips as well but no surprise that they could not help you. My mate also told me about the crap brakes as well so plans to upgrade to BB7s or better, for the cost you have paid I would just do it now and be done with. The BB did give him bother, 2 yrs ago but seems to hold up now and the rear hub also gave him some hassle but that was swapped out. For £520 it would be worth IMO changing the brakes and costing in lighter wheels but I suppose once thats taken into account, what bikes come with better and at what price?

 

[EasyPeez]

Well..... SWMBO said over the weekend were you planning to buy this on C2w, if so why did you not go ahead . Anyways will hold off now as its gone right up in price. It was to be my winter commuter mostly but with the chance I might actually use it for what they are designed for! Right as for mudguards, it will take them , mate at work fitted some SKS to his, the front fork required P clip type things but they work no issues at all. Halfords sell the rubber P clips as well but no surprise that they could not help you. My mate also told me about the crap brakes as well so plans to upgrade to BB7s or better, for the cost you have paid I would just do it now and be done with. The BB did give him bother, 2 yrs ago but seems to hold up now and the rear hub also gave him some hassle but that was swapped out. For £520 it would be worth IMO changing the brakes and costing in lighter wheels but I suppose once thats taken into account, what bikes come with better and at what price?

I see the price has gone back up again, as well as the offer ending. I didn't realise that. Glad I got in when I did from that point of view.

I've just put the Marathon Deluxe tyres on - that's the first time I've had the wheels off, and man are they chunky! Feel about 500g each heavier than the Fulcrums on my roadie. Swapping them out for something lighter if you're mainly road riding would definately improve the feel of the bike a lot I reckon. I'm sticking with the wheels as it's just my winter hack bike so sturdy is more important than speed. Immediately rolls better with Marathon Deluxe on than the knobblies though.

I'll probably upgrade the brakes to some of these - http://www.wiggle.co.uk/trp-hy-rd-cable-actuated-hydraulic-disc-brake-caliper/

But that'll have to be next winter now, given how much I've spent on bikes already this year! So I need to live with these BB5s for now, and try to get them set up properly.

Would you mind asking your mate exactly which mudguards he got, as SKS do a few types and I'm not sure they would all fit. Cheers

 

[mythste]

@EasyPeez - Go for the HyRds! I've been using them on my equilibrium disk 20 for a few months now and they are worlds apart from the Shimano 105 disks I had on my Focus CX - and haven't required a jot of adjustment!

I mean, do the sensible thing and wait until next winter though...

 

[Andrew_P]

Regarding the BB it is BB30 I have had one go on both the Boardman CX and a Supersix both within a few hundred miles. Go a bike shop to fit new ones and the Cannondale has done 5000 miles without a problem. Boardman probably around 1500. Both the non drive side, I got the impression that they do not pack them out of factory with enough grease.

I really do not like the Boardman I have the original, it feels heavy, sluggish and just a bit dull to ride. Not sure if its me comparing it all the time to a superlight bike, or if its the CX geometry or if its just me and the bike do not fit. The one thing it taught me is to never buy a bike again that I cant test ride. Probably great on the grass and mud but I bought it to commute on.

I bought it for winter and only rode it for one. By eldest Daughter uses it and I am back on it now as my Cannondale is off the road. I am hating every minute of it!

 

[cosmicbike]

Unlike @Andrew_P , I love mine. I swapped the BB5's for BB7's, stuck a pair of Schwalbe Land Cruisers on and a Topeak MTX rack. So far covered 1150 miles since I bought it back in February and have had no issues whatsoever. I bought it home boxed and 'built' it myself, not sure that would have made any difference though. Used mostly for family rides, towpaths and commuting, though recently it's been my bike of choice for my daily short rides. If I want a fast ride then a different toy comes out.
@EasyPeez the mudguards very dependant on tyres fitted. Some fit 23C tyres and therefore slimmer guards. Mine is fitted with 32C and no guards as yet, I have a different wet weather bike. Front guards can be fitted using these
http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike-accessories/bike-bottle-cages/elite-water-bottle-cage-strips

 

[MrGrumpy]

I see the price has gone back up again, as well as the offer ending. I didn't realise that. Glad I got in when I did from that point of view.

I've just put the Marathon Deluxe tyres on - that's the first time I've had the wheels off, and man are they chunky! Feel about 500g each heavier than the Fulcrums on my roadie. Swapping them out for something lighter if you're mainly road riding would definately improve the feel of the bike a lot I reckon. I'm sticking with the wheels as it's just my winter hack bike so sturdy is more important than speed. Immediately rolls better with Marathon Deluxe on than the knobblies though.

I'll probably upgrade the brakes to some of these - http://www.wiggle.co.uk/trp-hy-rd-cable-actuated-hydraulic-disc-brake-caliper/

But that'll have to be next winter now, given how much I've spent on bikes already this year! So I need to live with these BB5s for now, and try to get them set up properly.

Would you mind asking your mate exactly which mudguards he got, as SKS do a few types and I'm not sure they would all fit. Cheers

As mentioned further down Elite bottle cage clips and it was no name mudguards removed from some other bike but look like P45 SKS types.

 

[themosquitoking]

A little bird told me that boardman bikes are about to undergo a rebounding there might be some discounts about soon.