CYCLE2WORK boardman road or hybrid

[jubblyray]

Hello everyone,

Please be gentle this is my first post, I have joined my employers cycle to work scheme and the only shop I can use is halfords, my dilemma is this,
I live 13 miles from work all the roads I will be using are a and b roads how much difference will there be between the road vs. the hybrid speed wise and how much `comfort` difference if any will there be, also I know a lot of questions is there any other bikes in halfords I should be looking at ?
Thanks in advance ray

 

[Tynan]

road bike will be quicker and for less effort

but you have to decide, the hybrid will be more comfy if you;re a more sedate sort of rider

if you're keen on going quick then I'd say try a road bike out at a decent shop

and you can get them to take guards and racks if you try

 

[HelenD123]

Welcome to the forum jubblyray. If it's the Halfords cycle to work scheme you're using they can order in pretty much anything you want from any manufacturer. You're not just restricted to bikes they stock.

 

[jubblyray]

thankyou for your quick responses, for a budget of around £1000 including helmet clothing etc etc, which road bikes for around the £700 mark should i be considering ?

cheers ray

 

[Tynan]

consider at least a condor fratello, takes full guards and rack all inc for £800 inc a fit, steel frame and carbon forks make it a very smooth ride on those shitty streets, relaxed enough to be comfy, racy enough to rip along

but there's plenty out there for your budget, take your time and ride everything you consider seriously, be ambitious, nothing worse than being a bit conservative and regretting it when you see people streaking past you on faster bikes

 

[jubblyray]

thankyou , i think this process is going to take a bit of time !, just going over the specs on the boardman comp the chainset is a 50/36t ,is that ok for a road bike?

 

[kendo]

My advice - dont buy either. I really wanted a Boardman Hybrid but hung off for months as I wasnt keen on buying from Halfords. I eventually went for it - big mistake. I had to drive 50miles to get one as my local shop didnt have my size. I was then told they were too busy to build it and offered that I could take an unbuilt bike - result I thought! They then couldnt find the bike and I was offered the display model. At first glance (mistake!) it seemed ok. They then asked for te minutes to 'check' it. I took it home to find the brakes were rubbing badly, the gears were out and there were two big scrapes through to the undercoat on the seatstay.

I got the workstand out expecting to get the geras to be a five minute job. Four hours later we discovered a dent in the top tube and the gears still out of sync. Bent bike I think!

I have called them to be told they will have a look and see if they can fix it (doh!). I am getting my cash back - lesson learned - buy bikes from bike shops, buy screenwash from Halfords!

 

[Andy in Sig]

thankyou for your quick responses, for a budget of around £1000 including helmet clothing etc etc, which road bikes for around the £700 mark should i be considering ?

cheers ray

Be sure that you specifically want a road bike before you plump for one as they are a bit limited. Obviously a road bike will be fine for straightforward commuting. If, however, you want something more versatile and nearly as quick, consider tourers which double up as shopping bikes, can handle woodland tracks, canal towpaths etc. The Dawes Galaxy might be worth a look. (Evans seem to be doing it for 700 quid.)

 

[Perry]

Ray, I just bought a Boardman Road Team.

I have shed loads of grief with Halfords.

Now i have the bike I am so pleased with it.

I must admit even after Halfords Top Bike Specialist set the bike up I had to set the bike up myself.

To sum it all up going for the Boardman you get a lot of bike for your money. But you may have to tweak the bike yourself, in hindsight it's not such a bad thing as it helps you to have a better understanding of your bike.