mrmacmusic
Veteran
- Location
- Tillicoultry
Further my post on Monday, I've now been to see a few bikes and have decided that the Boardman Hybrid Comp is pretty much exactly what I'm looking for, and represents pretty good value for money – the extra £40 off until Thursday plus 10% BC Membership discount take it down to £413.
A couple of questions for existing owners... it looks like there's bags of clearance for mudguards and larger tyres, but what fits? I had 700x25c Marathon Plus tyres on my old Flight with SKS P35 mudguards. Given that the primary function of the Boardman will be "family" cycling – e.g. cycle-paths, tow-paths, light trails round the Loch, Center-Parcs etc.etc. – and the secondary function will be commuting (on days when I don't want to take the Madone), I'd like to fit a tyre that will roll well on tarmac, but have a bit of grip on the 'off road' paths.
Not sure exactly what tyre at this stage, but I'm thinking along the lines of a Marathon Plus Tour 700x35c (seems to have a bit more off-road capability than the standard Plus I've used before), and I'm also considering spiked Marathon Winters (same size) and being adventurous this coming cold season! Would these tyres fit with standard P45 SKS mudguards, or would you recommend another mudguard/tyre combination altogether for the Boardman?
Second question is regarding the drivetrain... I've read one or two bad things about the bottom bracket, but it's difficult to know if this is still an ongoing issue. Is the BB easily replaced with a better quality component if needs be? Equally, if it starts clicking, is it a simple strip, re-grease and put back together operation? In the 14 months I've been commuting, I've never had to touch a bottom bracket.
A couple of questions for existing owners... it looks like there's bags of clearance for mudguards and larger tyres, but what fits? I had 700x25c Marathon Plus tyres on my old Flight with SKS P35 mudguards. Given that the primary function of the Boardman will be "family" cycling – e.g. cycle-paths, tow-paths, light trails round the Loch, Center-Parcs etc.etc. – and the secondary function will be commuting (on days when I don't want to take the Madone), I'd like to fit a tyre that will roll well on tarmac, but have a bit of grip on the 'off road' paths.
Not sure exactly what tyre at this stage, but I'm thinking along the lines of a Marathon Plus Tour 700x35c (seems to have a bit more off-road capability than the standard Plus I've used before), and I'm also considering spiked Marathon Winters (same size) and being adventurous this coming cold season! Would these tyres fit with standard P45 SKS mudguards, or would you recommend another mudguard/tyre combination altogether for the Boardman?
Second question is regarding the drivetrain... I've read one or two bad things about the bottom bracket, but it's difficult to know if this is still an ongoing issue. Is the BB easily replaced with a better quality component if needs be? Equally, if it starts clicking, is it a simple strip, re-grease and put back together operation? In the 14 months I've been commuting, I've never had to touch a bottom bracket.