UKC

I was in Halfords the other day getting a car seat for one of the nippers and I spotted the Boardman Road Team Carbon bike. A thing of loveliness but not something i needed, or so I thought. Anyway out of the blue the good lady, having seen me standing glassy eyed, staring, dribbling slightly chirped up with you can have it if you want. Completely dumb struck by this turn of events I didn’t know what to say. Anyway having been thinking about this for a few days I would dearly love to own said bike or similar. However given the cost does a carbon frame etc. make that much of a difference?
Currently I ride cyclocross bike for my commute and occasional longer weekend rides. This would stay as the work hack but I would have a new road bike to add to the fold. I guess the key question is would a new carbon road bike make a big difference in terms of speed, energy and riding pleasure or does the pleasure come from knowing you are riding a carbon thing of beauty?

In reply to the sheep:

Yes yes yes yes yes. Now get out there and buy it before she changes her mind.

E

In reply to the sheep: I also think those Boardman bikes are lovely and fantastic for the money and even a lot more money. I have many bikes of various materials and the Carbon beats all of them in terms of comfort, stiffness, weight.

I would add that the seat and seat post make a big difference to ride quality though above that of the frame.

Anyway, very excited for you.

Good luck

Toby

In reply to Toby_W:
I think my impending 40th may have something to do with this sudden generosity, however im not complaining :-D

Anyway out of the blue the good lady, having seen me standing glassy eyed, staring, dribbling slightly chirped up with you can have it if you want.

This is clearly a trap from your better half. Proceed with extreme caution

In reply to the sheep: then again rule 12

In reply to the sheep:
If you join British Cycling ( about £15 for cheapest option ) you get 10% off at Halfords, which will save you £130.

You'll need a set of pedals, Wiggle are doing the Shimano 105 reduced from £60 to £35

How do I know all this ? I bought the same bike a few weeks ago

In reply to the sheep:

I've got the Team Carbon from a few years back and it's been a great bike. Why are you even spending time debating it. Buy it. Now. Before she changes her mind!

In reply to steelbru:
Wiggle are doing the Shimano 105 reduced from £60 to £35


Thanks for that, was looking around for a new pair.

In reply to the sheep:

Planet X have quite a few carbon bikes on good deals at the mo if you're looking.

(I'm considering blocking their e-mails as the temptation is getting too much....)

In reply to Enty:
Where do you stand on Carbon vs Titanium

In reply to the sheep: my carbon bike absorbs all of the lovely imperfections in the road resulting in less fatigue and riding faster due to not having my bones shaken.

I do also have a carbon seat post and some nice carbon bars too.
Thing of beauty.

In reply to the sheep:

I managed to buy a Forme Comp 1 carbon second hand. Slowly built it up and in the end, for less than a grand (105 groupset/few carbon bits/wheels in sale), have an 8.3kg bike that absolutely flies.

If the Boardman's even a patch on it, I'd buy it tomorrow without any hesitation.

Arrg, the bike is no longer being supplied. Branch here do not have my size, lad is going to ring round the country and see if one can be found and transfered. Knew it was too good to be true.

In reply to the sheep:
This was my 2nd choice http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/CBPXRT57RIV/planet_x_rt_57_race_carbon_...

In reply to steelbru:

Just bought a planet x cross bike and very impressed with the build quality and spec. First bike i have had that was set up perfectly and required no tweaks to brakes or gears.

I dont think you can beat them on value atm

In reply to steelbru:
I bought a Planet X RT-57 in last year's sale. It is indeed a lovely bike!

In reply to evilellie:
I have the PX Pro Carbon, that's nice too. When it's not singing it's whispering 'go faster'

In reply to the sheep:

Carbon makes hills easy. Not really heard a bad word said about the Boardmans (other than occasional dodgy assembly from Halfords).

Had a Planet X on Mount Teide last month - liked it a lot. May be my next one when I break my Bianchi - god forbid!

You need to own n + 1 bikes.

In reply to Humphrey Jungle:


Or D - 1 in my case

In reply to Humphrey Jungle: I broke mine - although not an Oltre XR like someone I know!
Vernon Barker repaired it although he is now semi retired, it was a repair to a Via Nirone.
Much prefer my carbon bike though and may have to let the Bianchi go to a good home as I have more than three bikes anyway!

In reply to sleavesley:
If you are 6'2" ish and it's a carbon frame .... looking for one!! Soz about the cheek!

In reply to tetley: sorry no to both. I don't know what your budget is but some sales are starting now with regard to the launch of 2014 bikes.

In reply to the sheep:

The Caveat Detector just went off the scale then...

In reply to thedatastream:


I can see a 15th wedding anniversary and diamonds looming on the horizon. Still we both get carbon in one form or another.

In reply to the sheep:
Another question for the roadie cognoscenti

Are carbon frames a good idea for someone of 14stone ?

I've been advised against....

In reply to the sheep:
I bought one a couple of months ago and love it - huge step up from my last bike (Spec Allez w/Shimano 2300 bits). I'm on hols in France currently and so brought it along - fantastic combination (French roads & Boardman spec)

In reply to Chris the Tall: limit is on the wheels not the frame. So yes buy carbon but find out what the weight limit is for the wheels on it. So you may have to factor in an additional cost for some wheels if they are ultra lite things.
95kg is not that heavy anyway. Who told you such tosh? Was it a friend who rides with you who likes see you suffer per chance?

In reply to sleavesley: just had a look and specialized quote 240lbs as their weight limit to their frames which is just over seventeen stone.
Now what's stopping you buy one?

In reply to the sheep:

Funny you should say that. My new carbon bike (a Blue AC1) was acquired under almost exactly the same circumstances as you described. By a curious coincidence I found myself standing in a jeweler's shop not long afterwards, wondering which leg it was that I couldn't stand on.

Looming 25th in may case. I'm pretty certain I walked straight into a carefully laid trap; all I needed to do was to put my own bait in it. Fortunately, my chosen bait was tasty and I got to keep it when the trap closed!

In reply to nniff:
That all sounds rather familiar

In reply to the sheep: Another vote for the go carbon. I've just upgraded by steel framed, hub geared commuter for a Jamis Xenith on offer from Evans. I had wanted something cheaper but, when test riding a few, I made the rookie mistake of trying out the carbon frame 'just to see what it's like' and that was that.

It's almost worth it just picking it up as I pass it in the flat, let alone when I'm out riding it with a slightly insane grin plastered across my face.

In reply to alanw: How about an almost new pinerello??

In reply to the sheep:

I'm bike shopping with my wife, for my wife tomorrow, starter bike.

I have gone all weak at the knees at all his talk, and suspect I may have a twitching credit card.

*pats old Claude Butler Echelon, tells it 'there,there...at least you have carbon forks...*

In reply to quirky: I could always give it a go, couldn't possibly be any better than what I've bought

Bike found and being sent to local store......

In reply to Humphrey Jungle: You must be spending a fortune on cycling bling now seeing as it's not worth renewing your Sevco season ticket

In reply to the sheep:

Having owned both a 2006 Specialized Roubaix and now the 2012 model I can tell you that carbon bike technology has moved on apace in the last few years, probably leaving the metals behind. The Roubaix SL3 is a wonderful bike; light, torsionally very stiff so there's no waste of pedalling energy and it corners, brakes and climbs like a demon, yet it remains compliant vertically and comfortable. Get that bike and enjoy it.

In reply to the sheep:

Even just having carbon forks on my bike gives it a better ride

Off to pick up the beastie at lunctime. Think I may be going the long way home tonight

In reply to the sheep:

Jealous

Wow, it flys! Fantastic bike, realy firm and responsive. Also first time I have worn spd's or anything of that kind so getting out of town at rush hour was interesting. However once out in the ountryside it was a joy. No extra effort this morning and beat my commute pb on the cx bike

In reply to the sheep:

Nice one!

You'll be on the S site next

ALC

In reply to a lakeland climber:


Already there

In reply to the sheep:

Take it you've all read this research:- ?

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/21148220/

In reply to Just Another Dave:

Based on a sample size of 1! Yeah, totally conclusive that you boring git.

To the OP: Just get the bike, it'll be lovely and smooth and sleek and lovely, and will do wonders for you psychologically.

In reply to Just Another Dave:

Actually - I've been doing a similar test to that over the last 10 years - my results were a bit diffrent. I have nice 78km loop from the house which includes a nice little climb up a mountain. When I ride my race bike (6.83kilos) I'm usually 5-10 minutes faster on the 1h30m climb than when I ride my training bike (8.2 kilos)

E

In reply to Enty:
What the hell its a joy to ride so i dont care what a publication with a sample size of one has to say!

In reply to the sheep:

Exactly! It doesn't actually matter if your new bike is faster as long as it FEELS faster.

In reply to Just Another Dave:

The BMJ should be ashamed of publishing that.

I'm usually more of a runner than cyclist, but injury has pushed me onto the bike a bit more over recent weeks. I only have a mountain bike, and I'd be interested to know how much further and faster I'd go on a road bike. I was overtaken with what seemed to be considerable ease by someone on a road bike last night, but on the flipside, I did keep pace with a group of MAMILs a few weeks ago over a short flat stretch. I have a feeling I may be buying a road bike soon ...

In reply to steev:


Too right, as it is written;

Rule #4 It’s all about the bike.

In reply to Just Another Dave:

"Randomised Trial" my arse.

In reply to tony:

Shit loads.

In reply to Calder:

My similarly unscientific conclusions suggest 25-30% quick for the same effort.

In reply to The New NickB:

You shouldn't have said that. Now I have to buy a road bike.

In reply to tony:

This is a good thing!

In reply to tony:

Do it

In reply to Steve John B:
That article- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/21148220/ - appeared in the Christmas edition of the BMJ which by tradition is filled with lighthearted non scientific stuff that is written up in spoof scientific way.

The full piece is well worth a read, other good articles in past Christmas editions include e.g. arguments making the case that we can't be sure jumping out a plane without a parachute is less safe than doing it with a parachute as the RCT has not been done.................