Decided to use the cycle-to-work scheme to upgrade my old road bike, and the two bikes I’m going to choose between are the Boardman Road Team Bike and the Giant TCR 2 from my LBS. Looks like the Boardman bike is better specced with loads of Shimano 105 kit on it, so I am leaning that way. Anyone got any experience of either?

this?

this?

The Boardmans always get pretty good reviews and are usually recommended on threads similar to this. Do a search, theres a surprising amount of threads about this for a mountain bike forum 😉

Also worth Considering

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/road/product/review-cube-bikes-attempt-triple-11-43155/

Boardman FTW!

My money would [is] go on the Canyon

http://www.canyon.com/_uk/roadbikes/bike.html?b=2106

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/CBPXSLPSP/sl-pro-carbon-sram-rival

uplink – how are you using C2W for the Canyon? I’d be interested as I didn’t think I could use them…

Cube Attempt double compact would be my choice for the money.

uplink – how are you using C2W for the Canyon?

I’m not

I know you’re talking C2W but might be worth looking second hand at £600/700 level and funding yourself. Some nice stuff about at that point.

Focus cayo 105 😀 http://www.wiggle.co.uk/focus-cayo-105-ltd-2011

http://www.cycle-world.co.uk/products.php?plid=m1b0s6p10119&z=12637

this for a grand.its our biggest selling road bike….bung me another hundred and ill do you the rival version which is a bitty lighter

I would go for…

Whatever fits you the best.

Get yourself to a good road bike shop and try them out. I’d hate to spend a grand on a bike and then realise that it doesn’t fit right.

wiggle will do trials on some of their bikes…

Wiggle do a 30day ride trial and it’s free returns as long as you keep the box 🙂

I’ve just bought a Cube Pelaton from and very impressed with it..

My mate bought the planet x. He is still very happy with it on his 30 odd mile commute 6 months on. He doesn’t do anything except commute on it though.

Get yourself to a good road bike shop and try them out. I’d hate to spend a grand on a bike and then realise that it doesn’t fit right.

+100. A grand is a lot of money to spend on a bike you aren’t sure will fit you. Road bike fit is more important than MTB fit as you’re more static on the bike for longer periods and any fit problems are magnified.

I went for one of the Boardmans myself and it’s been excellent so far.

Focus cayo 105 http://www.wiggle.co.uk/focus-cayo-105-ltd-2011

+1

I’m about to buy the ultegra version… 2 grand worth of bike for 1.5

I went for this :- http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bikes/model/defy/7842/45446/

Giant Defy1 £925, great fast bike and very comfortable for long rides. Tried a TCR2 which is near as damn it the same price. But the TCR has a slightley more race geometry lay out than the defy. Sounds great but in reality it is a more streched out riding position, which as im not racing it and wanted a bike to do avg 30-50mile road rides and the odd 100miler here and there i opted for the bike with the more comfortable riding position.

Yes the Giant bikes in the £1000 range only have 18speed as against some other brands in this price range with 20speed. But i liked the fact that the whole groupset on the defy 1 was the same and not diluted down. The hubs, brakes, crank, B-bracket, Derailleur are all the same groupset (shimano Tiagra). Granted Tiagra may not be the most fashionable in the full on roadie race world when compared to the likes of Shimano Ultegra. But for a training bike/general riding it all works and works well. (think SLX compared to XTR)

One day when i can afford it/ justify a £4500 road bike im gonna go for this http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-gb/bikes/model/defy.advanced/7841/45444/

Defy Advanced 0 (carbon version of my bike, with upgraded groupset) perfect 😀

Thanks for the advice all. Still can’t decide though.

haggle for one of these

http://www.bikeradar.com/Road/gear/article/best-road-bikes-under-1000-29719/

Personally i like the look of the Rose Pro – sl 2000. They’ve got one in bikelab in Poole and it definetely looks the part in the flesh.