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I know this is a fat tyred type of place but anyone got any views (or own) either of the above?
Boardman is £899
Trek £775
Both similar spec, Boardmans get excellent press but not sure if press get a bit dewy eyed when seeing brit designed bike with ex olympian behind it etc etc.
Try both and buy whichever fits best - or the one with the nicest colour 😉
Go to your LBS and try them, alternatively just buy whichever one you like the colour of, assuming you know what size to buy, rather than having excel spreadsheeted the spec and chosen it by that.
Own a 1,5 for about 4 months. Absolutely stunning bike.
Not riden a road bike since 1990 before this, so have nothing to compare it to though.
i have a 1.5, rides very nice, frame is worth upgrading the parts for when they wear out, i know nothing about boardman bikes, do they still have that hideous triangular tubing (that put me off theri MTB and Hybrids when i looked a couple of years ago)
I have a 1.5 from a couple of years ago. It's my first road bike and I really like it. I think you'll need to ride both to see which you like though. The big thing for me would be the shop where you buy it from. I'd hate to have to deal with halfrauds if there was a problem. At least with buying a Trek from your (I assume) LBS means you should get better aftersales service....
Ultimately, try them both. Either bike will be fine, so don't be afraid to ignore peoples advice and buy the one that looks nicest/matches your favourite socks.
I have a Boardman Team and its v.good but not perfect. Very light, good gears and very racy feeling geometry. For me there are a couple of niggles though, although you can probably sort them easily enough.
The worst thing is that the bar tape is incredibly thin, so the first thing I did was get some Bonty Gel stuff for about £7. The brake pads don't seem particularly great, but that doesn't bother me too much and might just be a road bike thing. Finally, some people dislike the tyres. I eBayed them and bought some Conti Gatorskins (which a lot of people dislike) for some puncture protection, but if you are feeling posh you could go for GP 4 Season.
That said, I am very happy with it and couldn't have got a better spec for the price at the time. I could possibly have got a sexier brand with a lower spec if I wanted, but that didn't bother me.
Finally, make sure you get it fitted properly. Fit is crucial. Halfords staff are variable and often not good at this. If you have a mate who rides road bikes regularly, take him with you. Or else try a Trek at your LBS, get the size right, and you will know a bit better for when you try a Boardman for comparison. FWIW I am 5'10.5" and ride a medium Boardman. I am probably on the upper limit for that frame size, which gives a very low front end and aggressive ride position. If you are my height and have back problems then go for a large or flip the stem.
I got a Boardman Team Carbon which I think has similar geometry to the Team. Great bike, handles well, good groupset for the money and it is fast.
Niggles.... bar tape too thin, Bars too narrow for me (not an unusual problem). Easy things to remedy and not unusual on an off the peg bike.
When I trundle along and do the odd TT with the local road club they spend more time looking at my bike than all the Colnagos and Pinarellos which are 10 a penny. They just can't believe what you get for £ik.
Having said that, it is a great bike but if it doesn't fit you it'll be pants.
Size wise I ride the XL.
Both good bikes, go with whatever one fits you or whichever one you like the look of 😛
If fit and colour is acceptable on both I'd go for the Trek, just because I like them better as a brand (not really backed up by anything...just my personal opinion 😛 )
Size wise I ride the XL.
Not to be sarcastic, but is that very useful info if you don't tell us your height? 😀
sorry Poppa - 6ft 4ins