stephen.rooke
Senior Member
Got my new bike today, a nice new Boardman Road Comp from halfords £630 through the cycle to work scheme. my previous bike was a muddy fox blade road bike (universal cycles) that i bought from tesco last year for £170. it was a good bike when it worked but cheap components meant that it started falling to bits
Just thought i would post my initial thoughts on the bike, i've only done about 15 miles on it so far.
first thing you notice about the bike is the looks. to my untrained eye it looks like a bike that should cost a lot more than it does. the white suits it brilliantly and the smooth welding makes it look carbon.
surprisingly when you first get on the bike your first thoughts are about the pedals, there clips which i absolutely hate. i find them inpossible to get back into if i have to stop at a junction. ive bought some double sided spd pedals, just need to get some shoes now.
when you start riding you begin to realize how good the bike is. its a lot lighter than my old bike, it weighs 9.5kg compared to my old bikes 15kgs and the difference it makes is amazing. acceleration is fast and the bike is a joy to ride, when combined with the carbon forks, it soaks up road vibrations well and allows you to keep pedaling where in the past i would coast if the road was a bit bumpy.
Hitting the first hills it gets even better i was able to tackle them in higher gears due to the dfference in weight and felt less tired. using strava for the first run, i got a pb and came second on all the other hills even with a very strong head wind here in north wales.
on the gears front its equipped with sram apex, with a compact 50 34 crank and 11-32 rear casette. the result of this is that its blisteringly fast when in the highest gear and will allow even the newest of riders to tackle big hills with relative ease.
the double tap shifters took a quick google search to learn how to use but i've found them lightening quick to change gear and easy to use, the only downside being is that i cant tell what gear i'm in until i cant shift anymore but you quickly get used to it.
to summarize its an amazing bike that will suit both experienced riders and newcomers. if your looking for a bike in this price range go for it, just bear in mind though, you'll probably want to get a new set of pedals unless you like clips.
i cant wait to do a long ride on it, hopefully the weather will be good this sunday
Just thought i would post my initial thoughts on the bike, i've only done about 15 miles on it so far.
first thing you notice about the bike is the looks. to my untrained eye it looks like a bike that should cost a lot more than it does. the white suits it brilliantly and the smooth welding makes it look carbon.
surprisingly when you first get on the bike your first thoughts are about the pedals, there clips which i absolutely hate. i find them inpossible to get back into if i have to stop at a junction. ive bought some double sided spd pedals, just need to get some shoes now.
when you start riding you begin to realize how good the bike is. its a lot lighter than my old bike, it weighs 9.5kg compared to my old bikes 15kgs and the difference it makes is amazing. acceleration is fast and the bike is a joy to ride, when combined with the carbon forks, it soaks up road vibrations well and allows you to keep pedaling where in the past i would coast if the road was a bit bumpy.
Hitting the first hills it gets even better i was able to tackle them in higher gears due to the dfference in weight and felt less tired. using strava for the first run, i got a pb and came second on all the other hills even with a very strong head wind here in north wales.
on the gears front its equipped with sram apex, with a compact 50 34 crank and 11-32 rear casette. the result of this is that its blisteringly fast when in the highest gear and will allow even the newest of riders to tackle big hills with relative ease.
the double tap shifters took a quick google search to learn how to use but i've found them lightening quick to change gear and easy to use, the only downside being is that i cant tell what gear i'm in until i cant shift anymore but you quickly get used to it.
to summarize its an amazing bike that will suit both experienced riders and newcomers. if your looking for a bike in this price range go for it, just bear in mind though, you'll probably want to get a new set of pedals unless you like clips.
i cant wait to do a long ride on it, hopefully the weather will be good this sunday
ill be commuting to work so might add a few extra miles on
