Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 40 total)
  • Boardman 29er advice
  • limburger
    Free Member

    Hi
    I went to Halfords today and sat on a brand new 2014 Boardman pro 29er. Great bike, good value (£899 after discount), and I was ready to buy it, but it felt wrong somehow. I am normally a perfect fit for an 18 inch frame with 26 inch wheels, but this one was 18 inch (we measured it to make sure) and the top tube felt too long for me and I didn’t have enough standover clearance. Is this how 29ers inevitably tend to feel (big and a bit unwieldy) to people who have never ridden them, or is it just Boardman geometry? Will I get used to it and end up loving it? The shop assistant (who was very helpful and a real enthusiast, by the way – he knew his stuff) suggested that I could move down a frame size, but I am 5’10 and a 16 inch frame just seems too small… What shall I do? I need to decide quickly, because I will get £100 off if I buy before tomorrow closing time. Thanks.

    m0rk
    Free Member

    Looks a little long in the top tube (by 10mm) compared to my inbred 29er

    What’s the ETT (and stem length) of your existing bike(s)?

    limburger
    Free Member

    ETT is 590mm on my Genesis and 600mm on my Trek. Both have short stems (60 mm). The Boardman also had a fairly long stem (I reckon 80mm) and it had wide bars (700mm) which may not have helped. I just don’t know how much I would be able to tune the Boardman by fitting a shorter stem and narrow bars. Shame I can’t ride one for an hour or so.

    ratherbeintobago
    Full Member

    You’d need to come down to a 40-50mm stem to get the same sort of reach, which seems a bit stumpy…

    Was there a 16″ to try?

    wobbliscott
    Free Member

    Nothing to do with the wheel size. My 29er XC hardtail was a long bike and my AM FS 29er is very short, so its frame geometry. If its a racy 29er hardtail then it will be a long bike.

    limburger
    Free Member

    Thanks for that. No 16″ to try, unfortunately – they only came in on Saturday and only one had been built. I guess it is a fairly racy bike, and because I will be using it for the lighter XC work maybe I should just go for it and stretch out a bit more. Or I can look elsewhere, but value-wise only Canyon come close to this thing (it’s got new Deore brakes, Reba RLT fork, nobby nics and reasonable wheels) and I’ve always been a sucker for a bargain of course.

    limburger
    Free Member

    Decision made. I will get it in 18″. I will either become a streamlined forward leaning racing snake, or I will waste £899 on a bike that’s too big. I will of course look after it, so just in case – keep an eye out for the classifieds in three weeks’s time or so. I reckon either a lovely Genesis Core 17.5 or a nearly-new Boardman will be up for sale. Thanks all 🙂

    takisawa2
    Full Member

    My medium Niner is about 17″ & fits me perfectly at 5’9″. I’d say 50mm stem & that there Boardman will be fine. I saw a chap on a 16″ yesterday & it looked very nice. He looked a bit smaller than me but seemed to fit it ok.

    limburger
    Free Member

    Yep. 50 mm stem, inline seatpost, an inch cut from the bars – done. I’m really excited about it, actually.

    ratherbeintobago
    Full Member

    What about some more swept bars (11deg sweep or similar)? Would give a bit of effective top tube shortening?

    limburger
    Free Member

    I have just come back from my first ride on it, and it is pretty awesome. What felt all wrong in the shop is just right after I tinkered a bit with the saddle and the handlebars. Happy bunny here. Confirms that a geometry chart can work better than a sit-on experience, and that sitting on a bike is not the same as riding it… Anyways, all good and thank you all for your advice – you gave me the confidence to go for it.

    takisawa2
    Full Member

    A photo of aforementioned bycicle is alway nice…

    limburger
    Free Member

    Photo coming soon – need to re-learn how to upload images to this forum first…

    bellefied
    Free Member

    nice looking bike and fantastic spec for the money!

    by all means shorten the stem, but maybe leave the bars the width they are, at least for a while? – all 29ers have wider bars… they bring the trail alive 😉

    limburger
    Free Member

    And here it is, at last:

    michaelmcc
    Free Member

    The geometry on Boardmans just looks wrong IMO.

    limburger
    Free Member

    Michael, it may look wrong to you, but it feels right to me and that’s all I care about 😀

    limburger
    Free Member

    Took it out for a “proper” ride today (Hope Cross – Edale). What they say about 29ers is mostly true. Don’t believe that a 29er hardtail will feel like a 120 mm FS 26er – it won’t. It’s still a hardtail, and you feel it. Acceleration really is harder. But it rolls so much better than a 26, especially when the terrain is a bit uneven and you take the power off. It just keeps going. Manuals are *hard* work, and I can’t bunny hop it at all, but that’s probably just a matter of practice. Climbing? Probably no difference to a 26. More weight for the 29, but a bit easier to roll over obstacles, so works out about the same I guess.

    It failed to bring the trail alive, definitely. The trail seemed dead to me – sorry, trail! Fortunately, there was a guy behind me on a 650b. He screamed a lot (“yeah, yeah”), but when I got bored with him I shifted into the big ring and never saw him again 8)

    ratherbeintobago
    Full Member

    It failed to bring the trail alive, definitely. The trail seemed dead to me – sorry, trail! Fortunately, there was a guy behind me on a 650b. He screamed a lot (“yeah, yeah”), but when I got bored with him I shifted into the big ring and never saw him again

    Only 650b brings the trail alive, which is presumably why he was screaming.

    donncha
    Full Member

    Hi burger,
    Nice looking bike for the money – can I ask how you got the £100 discount please?

    Jamie
    Free Member

    Halfords were doing 10% all bikes till Monday, so probably that?

    ….or you get 10% off with a BC membership.

    Both were stackable if your local store had stock.

    donncha
    Full Member

    Thanks Jamie

    limburger
    Free Member

    Yes, it was a one off 10% on everything. I didn’t know about the BC membership discount – dang.

    Jamie
    Free Member

    I didn’t know about the BC membership discount – dang.

    Pretend I never said it 8)

    To be fair, it only worked if they had your bike in stock, as then you would get the 10% off on the reserve/collect price, then use the BC voucher instore.

    limburger
    Free Member

    Pretend I never said it

    It can’t be unsaid. Bike was in stock. The pain is unbearable – I was ripped off again! Why didn’t they ask if I was a BC member? I look like one, I talk like one… It seems they’re more interested in making money than in trying to help people and make the world a better place.

    johnrd
    Free Member

    It can’t be unsaid. Bike was in stock. The pain is unbearable – I was ripped off again! Why didn’t they ask if I was a BC member? I look like one, I talk like one… It seems they’re more interested in making money than in trying to help people and make the world a better place.

    I hope you don’t work for the NHS too, because then you could have taken off a further 7.5% 🙂

    Jamie
    Free Member

    I hope you don’t work for the NHS too, because then you could have taken off a further 7.5%

    …and let’s not forget Topcashback/Quidco at 3% as well.

    limburger
    Free Member

    STOP! I can take no more! I was happy and now look what you’ve DONE to me. It’s all ruined!!! 😥

    limburger
    Free Member

    Oh dammit. Just found out that I could have had it on Cycle to Work as well. Why did I only ask after I had bought it???? I can’t take it back now! I reckon I should have paid 300 quid, no more. Oh dammit.

    mudslinger
    Free Member

    Looks very nice indeed & great value for £899.

    I’m considering getting one of those.

    NormalMan
    Full Member

    mudslinger – Member
    Looks very nice indeed & great value for £899.

    I’m considering getting one of those.

    Make sure you don’t get ripped off like limburger 😉

    ahwiles
    Free Member

    you say it’s 50mm stem, but then show us a photo with a 70/80mm stem, so which is it?

    based on nothing more than my own faulty, wonky vision, it looks like the bars are a bit high-and-forward (relative to the wheels and saddle) – a shorter stem may make manuals a bit easier, you say they’re a bit hard, obviously it’s up to you how important this is.

    looks ace btw.

    limburger
    Free Member

    It’s a 70 mm stem. I turned it around to lower it a bit (which it is designed for anyway – the logo print is in two orientations). I rode it for five hours today and I am now totally used to it. It is the best bike I have ever had. It easily beats my FS Trek Fuel Ex8 that cost 2.3k. I’m off to Sicily for five days in the mountains next week and the Trek will stay at home, I’ve decided.

    mudslinger
    Free Member

    Hey limburger, now that you have had the bike for a while are you still happy with it?

    limburger
    Free Member

    Hey limburger, now that you have had the bike for a while are you still happy with it?

    I love it, I really do. Fitted Maxxis Beaver tyres for the winter, and it is just amazing. I rode the Gap loop in the Breacon Beacons on it, and was 10 mins quicker than on my Trek FS. If I could keep just one bike, this would be the one.

    darthveedo
    Free Member

    I have the team Boardman 29,er and it’s undone two years of confidence I built up on my26
    It’s the worst bike I have ever ridden , rears up on medium climbs , is top heavy and can’t cope on technical
    Trails , wish I kept my voodoo canzo in fact I would swap tomorrow

    markrh
    Free Member

    Thinking of selling your Boardman then darth? if you are what condition is it in, what size is it, price? could be interested 🙂

    darthveedo
    Free Member

    Not sure yet mark tbh , perfect condition size 18 frame . It’s only 6 months old been to whinlatter once and hamsterley 2 times !

    markrh
    Free Member

    Well my email’s in my profile if you decide to sell please let me know, thanks.

    darthveedo
    Free Member

    It all depends on me finding the right bike for me mate thanks I will keep you in mind

Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 40 total)

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