Help! first time buying

[goodgabba]

Hi all,
Tomorrow i'm looking at a 2012 Boardman CX Team (this model HERE). Originally £900 New and someone is selling it for £350. got a few questions as only had mountainbikes before. It's a size small which is what i need (and not many second hand smalls about!)

1. Price - Is this way too much to pay for a 6-year old bike? what should i pay?
2. Are the components replaceable/serviceable by a bike shop still or are they simply too outdated?
3. Overall thoughts on this?

Any help appreciated
Andy

 

[vickster]

What condition is it in?
Parts won;t be outdated but if it's been used and not looked after things might need replacing (much as you would on an MTB)

The price sounds ok if it's in good condition, well looked after, recently serviced with worn out parts recently refreshed

BB5 brakes are pretty poor in the general scheme of things (I've just replaced mine for TRP Spyres) and it's a pressfit bottom bracket which can be troublesome. Mine's started to click again about 700 miles after a service

Probably wouldn't be £900 now for that spec, certainly not as Halfords usually have Boardman bikes 'on sale'

Maybe see what else there is out there?

Offer £275 perhaps if it looks good. About a third of it's selling price would not be unreasonable if it's 5 or 6 years old

 

[goodgabba]

I believe it's in good condition and the seller appears reasonable/honest. I don't think it has any supporting documentation/service history. I think i will offer around that and see what he says.
How much did it cost for you to upgrade to TRP Spyres and how much to replace the bottom bracket?

 

[Tangoup51]

Why the 2012 edition? I ride the 2014 CX and that can be found at the same price as your 2012 CX. Or very similar price for second-hand. £350-450

The benefit is you've got the later model which is more likely to of had 2 years less fatigue life on the frame and had better R&D into its fork and frame.
Looks nicer too.

AVID BB5s are typically swapped out with AVID BB7s - Avid bb5s can work well but are incredibly fiddly to ensure you don't get any noise - it can be achieved with research, competence and patience, but If i had any money to put down on upgrading the brakes, it would be to get the BB7s.

Do keep in mind that the rotors are very expensive and very high quality, so don't replace them.

Other notable upgrade worth mentioning is replacing the front mech from Microshift to anything of your choice, the microshift front mech is very heavy. I Replaced my FD on the 2014 with SRAM Apex FD to match the groupset that comes with the bike, it works very well.


As for the whole BB issue on the Boardmans, it's true and common on the 2014 CX however most if not all second-hand Boardmans would of had that resurrected by the original owner because the BB Is an issue that occurs early in the bikes life and is fixed quickly.

That said, one trip to a competent mechanic and my standard, stock PF BB works as it was designed to work. Quietly smoothly and very long-lasting IMHO.

 

[goodgabba]

To be honest the main reason is the size an davailability. As with mountain bikes it's rare to see a small sized bike for sale (and locally too). The seller has said he's upgraded the discs and brakes (caliper is the TRP Spyrest, not sure of the disc).
Tangoup51 what would you say i should be paying for it?

 

[biggs682]

I think £350 is a lot and would try and go for less than £200 imho

Should all be serviceable by a competent mechanic

 

[Tangoup51]

To be honest the main reason is the size an davailability. As with mountain bikes it's rare to see a small sized bike for sale (and locally too). The seller has said he's upgraded the discs and brakes (caliper is the TRP Spyrest, not sure of the disc).
Tangoup51 what would you say i should be paying for it?

Does the 2014 CX come with the same sizing options? It should, after all the frames are very similar.

As for the price for that 2012.. seeing as good condition no-scratch already-upgraded versions of the 2014 CX can be found for around 350-500 I would hesitate heavily paying any money near that for the 2012 edition.

The 2012 edition is not bad per-se, it's just older, it incorporates a different fork and some frame differences. Bikes tend to lose a chunk of value when they're replaced by a later model. Anything that has been replaced doesn't age well with a price tag.

@biggs682 says its worth less than £200 but I'd disagree, if it's in good condition (no need for service) it should be worth £250 all-rounded.

If there are any discrepancies that need replacement, such as bearings, drive-train wear, then yes, it will go for £200 or less.

**Edit, keep in mind boardmans team CX range has always had an outstanding rep for VFM from the shop floor, so the components you get will not reflect the age or price you pay of that bike.

 

[goodgabba]

Tangroup51 - i think all the CX Team come in a variety of sizes but there aren't many second hand small bikes around, especially in my area (i'm convinced 'large' should be the new 'medium' )

 

[Cycleops]

The price is too heavy for a six year old bike especially if no history. All about the condition. Check the wheels are true, bb is OK, no play head bearings etc

A pair of TRP Spyre post mount calipers will set you back £140 if you DIY, not many tools required.

 

[goodgabba]

The price is too heavy for a six year old bike especially if no history. All about the condition. Check the wheels are true, bb is OK, no play head bearings etc

A pair of TRP Spyre post mount calipers will set you back £140 if you DIY, not many tools required.

How much do you think it would be worth?

 

[Cycleops]

Like I said it all hinges on the condition.

I'm not trying to be funny but are you competent to check for faults and wear? If some major components are well worn it's going to end up costing,@biggs682 has checked more bikes than we've had hot dinners so maybe he could detail some important points.

I'd say between £200/250 at a guess, as I say if nothing major needs doing.

Good luck.

 

[vickster]

I believe it's in good condition and the seller appears reasonable/honest. I don't think it has any supporting documentation/service history. I think i will offer around that and see what he says.
How much did it cost for you to upgrade to TRP Spyres and how much to replace the bottom bracket?

Spyres including fitting cost me around £120 (got on a post Xmas deal, Merlin have for around £45 each). Same discs

BB not replaced, Halfords greased for free as had only done around 500 miles

CX bikes do carry a premium price esp in winter

My 2014 Team was £500 in clearance (it’s the 53.5cm, I’m 5’10)

 

[vickster]

The price is too heavy for a six year old bike especially if no history. All about the condition. Check the wheels are true, bb is OK, no play head bearings etc

A pair of TRP Spyre post mount calipers will set you back £140 if you DIY, not many tools required.

I got for £80, £10 off merlins £90 price. On Xmas day

 

[biggs682]

@biggs682 says its worth less than £200 but I'd disagree, if it's in good condition (no need for service) it should be worth £250 all-rounded.

i am basing my value on what i would try and buy the bike for , if others feel its worth more then that is there decision as it's 6 years old hardly a classic bike so it's only worth what some body will pay for it and in my mind sub £200 is about right and then the buyer has some cash left over to get it all working happily

 

[Cycleops]

I got for £80, £10 off merlins £90 price. On Xmas day

That's a good deal, I was going by Evans price.