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[url= http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductMobileDisplay?catalogId=10151&categoryId=165499&langId=-1&productId=1173726&storeId=10001 ]Boardman 29er[/url]
Looks like amazing value for 900 quid I'd struggle to get the components for that money. Fork alone is £330 on Merlin
So any reason I shouldn't buy it?
The dealers generally are quite poor
Warranty back up has been patchy
The frames are pretty cheap and heavy - And that's the bit you ride, not the components bolted to it.
They're OK I suppose but I wouldn't. Flashy bits bolted to a cheap frame does not equal a good bike.
An alternative perspective to PP's
Three friends have one, they are generally delighted with them and report they are actually pretty good to ride-they each have other bikes but often use the Boardman for riding round here (Malverns).
Join British Cycling and get another 10% off....£810 is pretty good!
The frames are pretty cheap and heavy
I've had an MTB, have a couple of cross frames and a carbon road frame, and I would say quite the opposite about them.
Join British Cycling and get another 10% off....£810 is pretty good!
And wait for the monthly 10% off everything email to use with BC discount
I've not bought a complete bike since 2003 so I generally look at frame only. I had been looking at an FF29 but it's hard to get near the spec for less than £1500. If it turns out it sucks balls then i can still buy another frame. Extra £100 discount ends on Monday
Wife has a 700c Boardman Hybrid, she hated the colour so our local framebuilder resprayed it. He has a great reputation for both building frames and painting. He was impressed with the quality of the frame. I'd certainly buy one after my wifes experience and after what frame chappie said.
The monthly discount is for CRC, you request a code. For Halfords just show your membership card and get 10% off at the till, off everything Halfords stocks, even if it has already been discounted.
I was very happy with my road bike from a few years ago.
I think I read somewhere that you can order vouchers as well at 10% discount.
Here it is, its 2 years old but the latest reply is only a week or so, so I guess its still running.
http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/22-off-any-purchase-halfords-1603626
because you can buy a similarly specced but (IMHO) FAR nicer Cannondale for similar money?
http://www.paulscycles.co.uk/m1b0s155p5701/CANNONDALE-TRAIL-SL-29-1-2015
heavy
The dealers generally are quite poor
Warranty back up has been patchy
The frames are pretty cheap and heavy - And that's the bit you ride, not the components bolted to it.They're OK I suppose but I wouldn't. Flashy bits bolted to a cheap frame does not equal a good bike.
Agreed. Also, never found anyone able to get 3 good fit on a Boardman with stock parts. Very odd frame shapes.
I think the is boardman is a great option, nice having 120mm on a 29r and previous reviews of them I've seen have always been positive. Hard to ignore at the price. Yes Halfords can be hit or miss but most people can drive to a store if there's an issue, not the same if you order online.
The monthly discount is for CRC, you request a code. For Halfords just show your membership card and get 10% off at the till, off everything Halfords stocks, even if it has already been discounted.
If you sign up to Halfords' newsletter you get a monthly flash 10% off everything sale email. Always between 12-2 about the middle of the month but always sent the same day, so you've got to be quick to reserve things.
*Edit... might be online reservation only.
I have this bike and would recommend.
I've had a couple problems though. First one was the seatpost was all scratched and no grease at all on it, I'm waiting on the replacement. I think it was a rough seat tube and the store mechanic not noticing.
Second problem, rear axle came out one side WHILE RIDING. Back wheel locked up and no idea why it happened but I had previously put it in myself so my fault?
Third problem, *sigh*. Three weeks in I thought the bottom bracket had gone. Took it back to halfords to replace and after 20 minutes of faffing about it was due to the chainring bolt being very loose.
Although it sounds awful I don't regret buying it. Frame (excluding seattube) is really nice and smooth welds. 1x11 is great. It's noticeably lighter than my previous bike. Remember 10% british cycling - you can show a copy of your membership on your phone instead of waiting for the print out. Also 10% off if you go through their business outlet which is worth doing. Oh and I swapped the saddle for a charge spoon and went tubeless.
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Rich, I talked a mate at work into buying that bike, it's a great bike, really nicely finished frame and great component level.
Heavy my arse.
My mate got one, loves it.
But I'm forgetting, [tongue in cheek] it's not from an independent local bike shop so it'll be $h!te in every possible aspect, from build quality & frame to warranty and after sales [/tongue in cheek]
You mean an IBD like the one Peterpoddy works in by any chance?
Absolutely no conflict of interest there.....
Not had a problem with my wife's Boardman. Frame seems perfectly good quality and is nice and light. Fit issues are the same as any bike, in that it either fits you or it doesn't. At least with Halfords you can try one for size in store pretty much anywhere.
The build quality will be dependant on the staff in your local store. If you're not confident they can do a good job either take it boxed and build yourself or make sure you give it a good check over before you leave store with it.
The dealers generally are quite poor
Warranty back up has been patchy
The frames are pretty cheap and heavy - And that's the bit you ride, not the components bolted to it.
They're OK I suppose but I wouldn't. Flashy bits bolted to a cheap frame does not equal a good bike
Easy tiger, we are not all bad and as for the cheap frame bit... Having stripped and rebuilt many frames over the years, Boardmans and other manufacturers, I would say they are above par for the money. Warranty is second to none ime, pretty much any frame that has an issue is dealt with swiftly and without question a lot of the time. The same can not be said for trek.
10% off this weekend.
Then use BC 10%.
Used cash vouchers that I bought for another 10% (off the 20% price anyway).
Boardman frames aren't heavy at all. They are probably made in the same Taiwanese factory that makes Specialized, Trek, Giant, Cube etc, from the same tubing.
The thing that really stands out for me on Boardman bikes above the competition is the frame finish! Was drooling over the range while my Wazoo had its 6-week check-up the other day.
I had the older Pro FS (my son has it now), great bike with top level kit and a light frame. Seen a few Boardmans in the Gorrick 12 events and my mate still enters on his Team h/t.
I'd heard stories of poor service so I collected mine still in the box and assembled it at home.
Nothing wrong with buying from Halfords but the trick is finding the right person.
The dealers generally are quite poor
Warranty back up has been patchy
The frames are pretty cheap and heavy - And that's the bit you ride, not the components bolted to it.They're OK I suppose but I wouldn't. Flashy bits bolted to a cheap frame
[i]The dealers generally are quite poor[/i]- Some are some aren't, a bit like LBS
[i]Warranty back up has been patchy[/i] - Nope, good on warranties
[i]The frames are pretty cheap and heavy - And that's the bit you ride, not the components bolted to it.[/i]- Nope triple butted and light.
I bought one and it's a great bike. Everything that you would want out of a bike of that type for a good price.
Don't take any notice of PP, he doesn't know anything other than his own assumptions. Probably better service than most LBS eh Poddy?
I wouldn't of described my pro 29er as heavy as er it isn't lol. I love it. A fantastic bike for the money.
9mm QR on the front and 142mm bolt on the back??
its a 29er, thats reason enough not to buy one lol
9mm QR on the front
Maxle front according to the spec?
Every time someone wants to criticise a bike like this, they'll always criticise the frame- reason being it's hard to contradict. It's exactly what people said about Canyon before that turned out to be bobbins, and it's exactly what people say about my Dune, especially people who've not ridden the bikes. I've not ridden that particular Boardman but I've owned a couple (still do) plus Carreras and Voodoos, ridden some others, there's been nothing wrong with them unless you're a snob or an LBS IMO.
And I've had better customer service from my local Halfords than I've had from some "proper bike companies", I'd certainly rather buy there than On One frinstance, and I've never had them try and steal from me as I have had with some LBSs. YMMV on that one of course, they have a lot of shops and there's good and bad in there.
Boardmans are cracking value, like Pinnacles. Non branded frames with good components, nice packages for good money
I bought the previous model a few weeks ago when they were selling them at £750. Bought it on the c2w and saved an extra 10% with British Cycling discount. Cracking bike even at full price.
The only issue with Boardmans, is the hit-and-miss nature of Halfords' PDIing. Beyond that, they're exactly the same as bikes from other mainstream brands, as they're made in the same factories as mentioned earlier. As for weight; a friend recently stripped his alloy frame down to transfer all the components to a carbon frame he'd bought, and found that the Boardman weighed less than 200g more.
I'm surprised that Peterpoddy is so concerned with their weight, given that he choses to ride a steel tourer with particularly heavy kit. 😉