NorthernDave
Never used Über Member
- Location
- The real Northern Powerhouse
Our C2W window opens next week and I'm going to take the plunge to replace my trusty Boardman Road Comp, which is approaching 3 years old now.
To be honest, I want to upgrade to disc brakes too which is another driving factor, as this will primarily be a winter / bad weather bike - I'll also want to fit full mudguards for this reason.
I'm tied to either Halfords or Evans - despite some widely held opinions, my local branch of Halfords have always been spot on with me. I have looked at the Evans website and to be honest, there is nothing there that appeals. I'm sure that their bikes are all very competent, but there is nothing that has a "wow" factor for me in the C2W price bracket.
I know some places online will take Halfords C2W certificates, but I want to see the bike before I buy and deal with an actual shop. So, it has to be Halfords, which I'm really quite relaxed about as I've bought all my other bikes from them.
The obvious choice is the 'new' Boardman Road Comp with Tektro Spyre discs, a carbon fork and Sora running gear. However, it's very red and I'm not really a fan of red bikes. I'm sure that I'd get used to it and you don't see much of the bike when you sit on it do you? Just looking at it, I'm not sure that it has the 'wow' factor either in that colour. Spec wise, it looks virtually the same as the 2015 model I've got now, apart from the disc brakes and 28c tyres (I've got 25c now).
Another option is the Boardman CX Comp which also has a Sora set up, but an alu fork and Tektro Lyra discs - which I think are not as good as the Spyres? It is however a far nicer colour scheme, with green detailing that will match my Pro Carbon.
I'm thinking spec wise it's a step back from the Road Comp - but would I notice the difference given how much better it looks...?
However, while looking at the options, I noticed the Boardman CX Team - it's a fair chunk more expensive but still falls within the C2W price bracket.
And lets be honest, the more it costs the more I'll save, right?
It's got hydraulic discs (which is good), with an SRAM Rival 1x11 drivetrain - I've never had SRAM on a road bike and I'm concerned about "only" having 11 gears to haul my big ass up the Yorkshire hills, although the 10-42 cassette range is a good bit wider than I'm used to. The colour scheme is also acceptable, even with a bit of red in it.
I'm thinking a CX bike will be better on the muddy country lanes that seem to surround me through the winter, and for the odd bit of off-road (such as cutting along a muddy but sheltered bridleway rather than slogging endlessly into the wind on road...), even if it doesn't have the outright speed of a road bike
So, CycleChatters, I need your advice - I'm going to sleep on it but I'm genuinely interested in your thoughts.
To be honest, I want to upgrade to disc brakes too which is another driving factor, as this will primarily be a winter / bad weather bike - I'll also want to fit full mudguards for this reason.
I'm tied to either Halfords or Evans - despite some widely held opinions, my local branch of Halfords have always been spot on with me. I have looked at the Evans website and to be honest, there is nothing there that appeals. I'm sure that their bikes are all very competent, but there is nothing that has a "wow" factor for me in the C2W price bracket.
I know some places online will take Halfords C2W certificates, but I want to see the bike before I buy and deal with an actual shop. So, it has to be Halfords, which I'm really quite relaxed about as I've bought all my other bikes from them.
The obvious choice is the 'new' Boardman Road Comp with Tektro Spyre discs, a carbon fork and Sora running gear. However, it's very red and I'm not really a fan of red bikes. I'm sure that I'd get used to it and you don't see much of the bike when you sit on it do you? Just looking at it, I'm not sure that it has the 'wow' factor either in that colour. Spec wise, it looks virtually the same as the 2015 model I've got now, apart from the disc brakes and 28c tyres (I've got 25c now).
Another option is the Boardman CX Comp which also has a Sora set up, but an alu fork and Tektro Lyra discs - which I think are not as good as the Spyres? It is however a far nicer colour scheme, with green detailing that will match my Pro Carbon.
I'm thinking spec wise it's a step back from the Road Comp - but would I notice the difference given how much better it looks...?However, while looking at the options, I noticed the Boardman CX Team - it's a fair chunk more expensive but still falls within the C2W price bracket.
And lets be honest, the more it costs the more I'll save, right?
It's got hydraulic discs (which is good), with an SRAM Rival 1x11 drivetrain - I've never had SRAM on a road bike and I'm concerned about "only" having 11 gears to haul my big ass up the Yorkshire hills, although the 10-42 cassette range is a good bit wider than I'm used to. The colour scheme is also acceptable, even with a bit of red in it.
I'm thinking a CX bike will be better on the muddy country lanes that seem to surround me through the winter, and for the odd bit of off-road (such as cutting along a muddy but sheltered bridleway rather than slogging endlessly into the wind on road...), even if it doesn't have the outright speed of a road bike
So, CycleChatters, I need your advice - I'm going to sleep on it but I'm genuinely interested in your thoughts.
