[Closed] Boardman Pro, bargain. Im tempted.

Bargainlicious....
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Is it me, or does it look like a Saracen? 😈

What's the new Monarch shock like?

High spec for the money, worth buying flogging the frame and buying another higher end one?

Is it me, or does it look like a Saracen?

It's you. I think it looks pretty much like a HL 5-Spot.

I've got the team (£999 model) and it is excellent, and not just for the price. Only downsides were the crappy saddle and cheapo tyres, and I swapped the seat clamp for a QR one from Hope.

It just won the WMB cheap full suss test, by "a huge margin".

Why flog the frame? It'll ride pretty much like any other horst link framed bike. Ah, I see, flog it for something more fashionable 😉

its been long held that you should buy as good frame as you can and upgrade bits as you go so in theory should you not get the worst spec'ed bike as they should (but not always) mean a better frame?

i'm not sure if I like it or not. clearly its not as trendy / fashionable as some but also I wonder who is designing these, it could just be a rebadged / rebranded carrera.

Having looked at them in store they are definatly different to the carrera. WMB seem to be very happy with the way the frame rode and was made with the cheapest one that they tested so can't see that one being any worse it just doesn't have the name.

Like the Carreras the frames are built by Merida, don't know who designs them though. But people will always turn their noses up at halfords bikes even when they're brilliant.

I was over in NZ recently, and the guys I rode with reckoned Poms care too much about what bike they ride and not enough on the riding.

Having seen a large Pro in the flesh (mediums weren't in stock then) I was mightily impressed.

I'd be keen to hear how they perform on technical descents. WMB described it as 'Lively'.

Great spec and frame looks very well finished. Shame about exposed gear cable inners though.

Shame about exposed gear cable inners though

I prefer them that way. They can always be drilled/filed out if anyone's that bothered.

I was over in NZ recently, and the guys I rode with reckoned Poms care too much about what bike they ride and not enough on the riding.

Well - if that's what they reckon - it's good enough for me 🙄

So, the gears are great. The forks wonderful. The finishing kit's all ritchey.

It's cheap. So where's the weak link?

Ah. Yes. The frame.

Ah. Yes. The frame.

Dunno about that, looks nicely finished and rides well.

Don't know much about the full sus version, but several of the lads at work got the hardtail last year on C2W and have all been happy with it.

those boardman full-bounce bikes are ace. (a friends' friend has one, i'm very impressed)

ignore the badge for a moment, what have you got? - it's a well specced bike with a strongish/lightweight frame, using a real 4-bar design, and up to date geometry.

what more do you want?

i regret NOT buying one, it's a bargain.

The frame will be made in Taiwan, in the same factory, by the same highly skilled welders, using the same grade tubing, then undergoing the same heat-treatment process, as almost every other frame you can buy.

now pretend it had an 'Orange' sticker on the headtube, or 'santa cruz'. you wouldn't even stop to think.

buy one, and with the money you save over an Orange 5, go to Bubion for a week, and Chatel, and Dumfries.

Mountain biking is too expensive, we should be much more excited when we have the chance to buy decent kit for sensible money.

bikes are ace.

uplink - Member

I was over in NZ recently, and the guys I rode with reckoned Poms care too much about what bike they ride and not enough on the riding.

Well - if that's what they reckon - it's good enough for me [:roll:]

Strangely enough thats what a load of Canadians said to me, most UK riders are obsessed with kit and most can't ride for toffee but thats OK as they have made sure all the anodizing matches.

Sometimes these frames really are terrible, with outdated geometry and mismatched kit slung on it. This definitely looks different however, the geometry all makes sense 69 head angle, 73 seat, the top tubes reasonably long. All the stuff looks like it works well together. If i wanted a full sus, i'd definitely buy one.

can't ride for toffee but thats OK as they have made sure all the anodizing matches.

How many people do you actually know like this in real life though?? I get the feeling that they are just over represented on internet forums, so it just *seems* like everyone does this.

not all boardman frames are rubbish!

http://www.roadcyclinguk.com/news/article/mps/uan/3202

rolfharris, what makes you think there's anything wrong with the frame? Care to back that up at all? Or is it just brand snobbery?

[i]Strangely enough thats what a load of Canadians said to me, most UK riders are obsessed with kit and most can't ride for toffee but thats OK as they have made sure all the anodizing matches. [/i]

Riiight, because ALL Canadians ride 20 year old clunkers and are gods taken the form of cyclists, eh?

Nothing like sweeping generalisations

Northwind - rolfharris, what makes you think there's anything wrong with the frame? Care to back that up at all? Or is it just brand snobbery?

Halfords downgrade the GT stuff they sell so it has a lower price than anywhere else. they don't seem like they mind cutting corners

The podge - where do they down grade on the GT kit? The bars and stems on the xcr5 are branded GT the seat post is a no mane but seems better than those on a lot of big name bikes for the same price and every thing lse is better than others at the same rpice.

I read it on here some where, yes I know being on the internet it doesn't mean it's true but I think it was the wheels where they cut the corners, maybe the home brand kit is some one elses on the same bike in you LBS, i'm not sure.

they have a licence from GT to build the bikes to whatever spec they like.

It seems a great bike to me. No reason why anything on it should be sub standard.
All you nae-sayers are just brand snobs or prejudice.
I dont think its exceptional value either. Specialized and Giant will do you a similar build for a similar price and thats with more inbetweeners and exchange rates.
[url= http://www.dalescycles.com/2009_Specialized_FSR_XC_p/09fsrxcpro.htm ]Spesh FSR XC Pro[/url]
[url= http://www.dalescycles.com/2009_Giant_Trance_p/2009trancex4.htm ]Giant Trance X4[/url]
Spesh Pitch Pro is only £1000
If these bikes from [i]Big, reputable[/i] companies can produce bikes with respected frames then why can't Boardman?
poor anything is not an excuse.
Remember that all the Boardman bikes will have been produced when the pound was strong.

Does anyone have a geometry chart for the Boardman Pro - or know the TT of the small? As always, I reckon I'll be too small for it 🙁

Maybe that is true of the cheaper ones but the ones that came on mine (which i sold on) were shimano 475 hubs with wtb rims and at the time were on a par with most bike of that price if not higher.

The frame/shocks on the spec and giant are similar but they are deffinatly low when it comes to the rest of the kit but i would depend on if they are bits that bother you or not.

I've just bought a Boardman Road Team alu frame off eBay. It's super light and very nicely finished, really pleased with it.

The Boardman Team didn't do so brilliantly in MBR this month: flexy frame and overly 'XC" for their liking.....

Click below for the specs/geometry (click on spec)

[url] http://www.boardmanbikes.com/mtbfs/fs_pro.html [/url]

buy one, and with the money you save over an Orange 5, go to Bubion for a week, and Chatel, and Dumfries.

This argument kind of falls flat on it's face I that you picked on a bike that is just plain different. 4" and steep vs 5.5" and slack.

I get your sentiment but perhaps picking on a SC Superlight might have been more accurate... 😛

120mm isn't 4" it is 4.75"

The Boardman Team didn't do so brilliantly in MBR this month:

thats because it isn't specialized and hasn't got fox suspension.

Can anyone confirm its a Reba Maxle 120 fork? as the website says its a 100 normal Reba.

If it is and when they sells them off cheap at the end of the year, it looks to be a cheap way of replacing an old and tired fork and drive chain and then ebay the rest.

120mm isn't 4" it is 4.75"

Rebas have gone up to 120mm this year haven't they... 🙁

*facepalm*

saw that confusion with the forks. the mag review has pics of the 120 maxle in the test and is on the spec list. bad mistake if theyre not on the real spec, surly they wouldnt send a test bike off with the wrong kit on?

I am sure they are 120 maxle. All the bikes i've seen are maxle but most are demos, will confirm tomorrow when back in work

How many people do you actually know like this in real life though??

Almost every MTBer I meet. Most, unless it's because they tend to work in IT and have issues anyway - tend not to look one you the eye, but inspect the bike you're on.

Unlike roadies, who just inspect your legs for shaving/no shaving.... 😉

Hmmm, also anyone know if the wheels and ritchey rims are anygood? as that seems to be where some companies try and save some money.

I'm using one of the Hybrids at the moment with ritchey rims on, doing a fair bit of off road stuff that they aren't really designed for and they are standing up well

There's one of those Time Trial frames in the local Bikehut to me in Dorking High Street. It looks pretty fantastic.

They also have one of the FS frames in, and, frankly, it looks like a very sorted bike.

Bear in mind that larger companies can get lower prices, as they buy stuff in higher multiples. Smaller brands like Boardman will have to pay a little bit more for the parts they buy in, because they can't sell 10,000+ of each model.

I also thought Bikehut was being folded back into Halfrauds proper - might cut the available channels for Boardman bikes...

Just worth noting that while the mountain bikes are bargains, the time trial frame and forks are £2499!

Yeah, but the inside of the forks and rear triangle is painted yellow. YELLOW, I tell you! That's easily worth two grand.

I read somewhere that they skirt a licensing issue re the rear suspension by only selling the bike in the UK. thereby reducing costs through not having to pay royalties on the design.

I read somewhere that they skirt a licensing issue re the rear suspension by only selling the bike in the UK. thereby reducing costs through not having to pay royalties on the design.

Yep-ish. Lapierre and Cotic also have a pivot on the chainstay, theoretically making them Horst Links. However, a license fee is not payable if the bike is sold outside the US only. The Horst Link Patent is only applicable in the US. Scott did the same thing for a while, too.