Cycling - NLC

[pete]

Problem with buying cheap is that :-

1) You get discouraged because the stuff you've bought is rubbish and spoils your new hobby,
2) the stuff you've bought is good enough to not kill your enjoyment. But you wish you'd bought better.

I'm not helping am I?

[iain3915]

I bought a Boardman Road Comp from Halfords recently having never ridden a road bike before. I got some sort of amazing deal with lots and lots of discounts combining + cycle2work meaning that I got the bike for £570 plus loads of extras (Boardman pump, helmet, carbon cage, bottle + more) all for a £600 cycle2work voucher. In total I have about £1100 worth of stuff that will cost me about £400!

I read a lot of bad press about Halfords prior to getting the bike so I decided to build it myself. It was easy enough although the gears needed a little bit of adjusting. I have no experience of building bikes so I'm sure you could too! I would recommend Halfords Braehead; the service was great and looking back I should have just let them build the bike.

I worried about not enjoying skinny tyres etc but fortunately I love the thing. It's so fast and responsive. It really feels like the Elise of bikes compared to the barges I had ridden as a child!

Get one! I'm of the view that spending more on it will make you love your new toy and want to use it more!

[lou_m]

I also bought a Boardman Comp road bike back in February. I actually bought it as a winter bike as I have a Specialized Tarmac which is over 4K. The main reason that I went for it over a Specialized Allez or similar was that I could put full length mudguards on it and it had Sram kit on it and I have Sram on my other bike. I really like the bike, it rides well, has good kit on it and I got it for a great price. Also if you join British Cycling you can get Halfords vouchers at 10% of face value. I managed to get mine for £647 but I was buying in the Winter. I always buy my bikes boxed and build them myself as it means I can do it properly(fussy bugger) and set it up for myself but I did work in the cycle trade for 7 years.

[iain3915]

Also if you join British Cycling you can get Halfords vouchers at 10% of face value.

I did this too (and got £10 cashback via quidco so it actually only cost £3!) and just showed the card in Halfords for 10% off.

[s29ttc]

Thanks for the help guys. Having not got really any deal from the guys at Walkers, I am going to have a swatch at this tonight:

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/can ... e-ec031475

The only thing that puts me off Halfords for he boardman is the service and set up, but might consider that. Ill see what the guys at Evans say tonight

[Dark]

There's 20% off list price at Evan's using the code SKY20 until Sunday. That bike would be £950 reduced to £760!

http://www.goskyride.com/News/ShowArtic ... -this-week

The spec doesn't look too bad and I think that bike gets reasonable reviews. I assume you've checked? At that price you only get a Tiagra groupset and the wheels, etc will all be own brand Cannondale items. If you can live with Tiagra then it's probably a good buy. Personally I'd check out a bike with 105 while I'm there to see the differences. There are loads of end of season deals around at the moment. Make sure you check out the Cycling Weekly website for their bargin of the week!

Cheers, Mark

PS: I usually ride my brothers CAADX when visiting in London, it's a similar frame but will accept wider tyres and mudguards. It's very comfortable and certainly fast enough!

[s29ttc]

There's 20% off list price at Evan's using the code SKY20 until Sunday. That bike would be £950 reduced to £760!

http://www.goskyride.com/News/ShowArtic ... -this-week

The spec doesn't look too bad and I think that bike gets reasonable reviews. I assume you've checked? At that price you only get a Tiagra groupset and the wheels, etc will all be own brand Cannondale items. If you can live with Tiagra then it's probably a good buy. Personally I'd check out a bike with 105 while I'm there to see the differences. There are loads of end of season deals around at the moment. Make sure you check out the Cycling Weekly website for their bargin of the week!

Cheers, Mark

PS: I usually ride my brothers CAADX when visiting in London, it's a similar frame but will accept wider tyres and mudguards. It's very comfortable and certainly fast enough!

Many thanks for the advice! What differences are to be expected with tiagra against 105? I have been researching online and seen the cannon dale has great write up, as did the giant defy 2.

[Dark]

In simple terms it's a bit chunkier, a bit heavier and the action when you change gears isn't as nice.

It's by no means bad and since it's 10 speed it's compatible with all the current 105, Ultegra & Dura Ace components so you can replace the chain, cassette & derailers when they wear out with more expensive items.

However you can't upgrade the brake levers / shifters easily (expensive & they are rarely sold separately) so make sure you're happy with the action.

[s29ttc]

Thanks for your help. I notice they are the same as the bike I rode at the weekend and to be honest I didn't notice any issue but I have nothing to compare them against. The Cannondale looks great and feels light but that's all mu untrained eye cold spot. Just need to get the course to go for it and make sure I use it! Having a look the bikes around this price level are a much of a much so hope I am making the right choice if I do decide to move forward with the cannondale.

[Dark]

Yes, only you can decide if you're going to use it or not!

Apart from riding to work the best motivation will come from riding with a group of friends or even a local club. Having a routine gets you out on the bike in the first place and having someone to ride with will keep you going when the weather is rubbish and your legs feel like lead!

[Lazydonkey]

Yes, only you can decide if you're going to use it or not!

Apart from riding to work the best motivation will come from riding with a group of friends or even a local club. Having a routine gets you out on the bike in the first place and having someone to ride with will keep you going when the weather is rubbish and your legs feel like lead!

Exactly that. It's a lot harder to say "weather looks sh*t, let's not bother" when there are two or three of you...... At least one usually has a small amount of motivation

[Dominic]

Yes, only you can decide if you're going to use it or not!

Apart from riding to work the best motivation will come from riding with a group of friends or even a local club. Having a routine gets you out on the bike in the first place and having someone to ride with will keep you going when the weather is rubbish and your legs feel like lead!

Exactly that. It's a lot harder to say "weather looks sh*t, let's not bother" when there are two or three of you...... At least one usually has a small amount of motivation

Sounds like a good idea!

[s29ttc]

Exactly my plan is to join in with group cycles and keep it up! I think the guilt of an expensive bike will keep me motivated if nothing else. I will however need to build up my fitness to a similar level to ensure I don't hold anyone up and can keep up. How far a cycle would you normally ride, and in what time? Are there many hills etc on the routes? P.s. deposit is placed on the cannon dale bike this morning. Fully refundable if I do change my mind but set for collection and set up on saturday

[111Robin]

Well done Scott, you won't regret it. Just build up the distances slowly otherwise you'll put yourself off forever and don't bother about how fast you're going just get used to the bike and the aches and pains that will certainly arise. I also recommend investing in a good pair of cycling shorts (or bib-short) and a tub of chamois cream, you'll be thankful of them believe me. What type of route you select kind of depends on your build a little bit. If you're a big bloke hills won't be your friend but that doesn't mean you have to avoid them, just pace them accordingly. As I'm a lightweight I actually love climbing but conversely don't like flat/rolling routes as my power output isn't high enough to battle into the head winds for hours. However if you can ride with someone else you can both share the head winds, makes a huge difference over a few hours and helps with the motivation. Enjoy it anyway, that's the main thing and maybe set yourself some targets for next year like doing one of the many sportives that take place around the country.

[Dark]

How far a cycle would you normally ride, and in what time? Are there many hills etc on the routes?

Well since you asked......

Last Sunday I rode 100 miles from Glasgow to Edinburgh including 6000ft of ascent in 5 hours 35 mins!

Good news on ordering the bike!