Reply With QuoteI looked at those too, before I realised the Boardman came with some Wellgo alloy pedals which are OK, but it's certainly a possible future upgrade.Originally Posted by wileeeeeey
I did have a look at your Boardman and it's a lovely looking bike. I originally wanted one of the 2019 Sirrus models as they have much better colour options but no such luck. Looked at Cannondale but couldn't commit to buying something called a 'badboy' and thought the fork looked weird. In the end a local bike shop was on our work scheme and of researched the Sirrus the most at that point so went with it.
I've ordered a set of these in black as after riding a bicycle with proper aftermarket pedals which never slip and crack your shins I couldn't go back. Not ready for cleats yet.
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/dmr-v12-mag...flat-pedals-1/
I looked at those too, before I realised the Boardman came with some Wellgo alloy pedals which are OK, but it's certainly a possible future upgrade.
Andy
Wanted - Damasko DC57
Apparently Wellgo are made in the same factory so you might be fine without. Nice touch from Boardman either way.
V12's are excellent pedals, good choice. Partner your V12's with a pair of Five Ten shoes and you will be amazed at the combined grip.
+1 on the V12 pedals. I have them on two of my bikes. I normally bimble about in lightweight hiking boots and they grip the V12 pedals well. I have to remember to lift my feet a little when taking a foot off the pedal. V8 pedals are also available, a cheaper version.
I've got V12s on my full suspension bike, V8s on the hardtail, and V6s on the commuter!
Looking for a bit of advice, as considering buying a bike - I have been inspired by the number of cyclists I see around, and my son is getting more confident in his cycling so will go out with him too.
I think a hybrid will suit my needs best as likely to do a some on road, and some down a disused railway line.
Thinking of spending around £500, but would up the budget if there is a good justification. Would be happy with second hand (if anyone is selling) - I also put up a WTB for a Large hybrid (I am 6 foot, and would not describe myself as an athlete, but relatively active)
Any advice welcome on what to avoid, and any particular recommendations
There’s also longer pins available (effectively long grub screws) That can screw into the DMRs that makes them practically SPDs in terms of grip (they’ll also shred your shins if you miss the pedal 😳😂).
I’ve got the Crank Bros pedals (Replacing DMR V12s) with the longer pins and never felt the need for SPDs.
Hope you don't mind me shoving my oar in. When people say 'hybrid', they are normally referring to basically a flat bar road bike with tyres that can take a towpath. I'd always encourage people looking for a bike that can handle mixed terrain to go for something that is classed as either a CX / gravel / adventure bike (the terms change with current fashion). Drop handlebars are generally better as they allow you to mix up hand positions, which helps stave off what you might term 'position fatigue'. And the geo / tyre clearances of these bikes just make things a bit more efficient and flexible for more uses.
All IMHO of course!
Thanks - I hadn’t considered drop handle bars as I had assumed these were all road bikes, but opens up another type to look at
I dont know how many other people have noticed the number of classic 90’s bike appearing on the roads recently. On my daily exercise walk Im seeng Marin’s Treks and Giants from the 90’s all being ridden by somewhat red faced slightly portly men.
You can spot the bikes as the tube profile are round and super thin , denoting steel frames compared to our hydroformed Aluminium or swooping carbon steeds.
The thing is these bikes are immaculate, they must have been pushed up against the wall by their owners in the early 90’s and left there. I even saw a Raleigh in the 1970’s blue headstock and white and yellow frame, the other day stunning condition. Unlike its owner who was pushing it up the hill. Strange times indeed.
There will be equivalents from different brands but to give you an idea you can look at the following Specialized models: Sirrus, Sirrus X, Diverge.
The Sirrus is a hybrid that is more road focussed, the Sirrus X is the same but a bit more 'do it all', and the Diverge is similar to a mountain bike but in the frame of a road bike. It's meant to be very good as a first road bike did to the forgiving position. If none of their float your boat the Crosstrail is worth a look.
Merida are meant to be made in the same factory as Specialized so are a good option if trying to keep the cost down.
Thanks. Using some Nikes which normally only see the gym but will take a look.
Last edited by lewie; 7th May 2020 at 09:12.
A common sight here in East London, except that they're ridden by bearded hipsters or fashionable ladies. There are a couple of bike shops in the area that specialise in restoring classic road bikes. There's definitely a demand.
I feel the 2nd hand markets gone crazy with people selling rusty old crap for silly money
One of my 2 girls wanted something to get out for a bit of excersise - best I could do was an old Raleigh for £30
Amen, I have this kicking around, I'm sure it'll do okay one the second-hand London market:
Kudos, amazing performance - 270w = X.Xw/kg? I'm just trying to get an idea of the effort that took. Insane. Mserable. Well done.
Well I have been riding my 2005 Pegoretti a fair bit recently, was sent back to Dario (rip) for a new fork and paint job a couple of years ago. I may have a beard but I’m under 70kg
Thanks for that - I have seen the Sirrus before and just had a read through the range. Everywhere seems very low on stock (unsurprisingly) at the moment, although there is a Sirrus 2.0 in stock - the Sirrus 3.0 doesn’t seem available until July / August
I was also looking at the Boardman HYB 8.6 and 8.8 which look like a similar price to the 2.0 and 3.0 above - I see a few pictures in this thread.
How do the two brands compare?
The majority of the miles I do are on this -
Merlin were just down the road from where I used to live. Still use them for mail order, great deals.The majority of the miles I do are on this -
Looking at your bike the originals are often the best, nice bike.
My wife uses a 15 year old Marin, she loves it, its a 15” frame and dripping in XTR Durace and titanium bits. Oh and I forgot a Brooks honey gold Leather saddle with titanium seat rails.
Last edited by higham5; 7th May 2020 at 14:37.
I think the general consensus from what I can see if Boardman are fantastic bikes and Specialized are a bit overpriced. I'm not sure how much is in it but a local bike to me on the work cycle scheme stocked Specialized but not Boardman or Cannondale so I went with the Sirrus as I want it built and local, not posted. To get the Sirrus I had to pay half over the phone by card and they will order one in (didn't have my cycle scheme code ready and didn't want to miss out). When I collect they'll use the scheme code and refund me the deposit. It should be delivered on the 31st but as that's a Sunday I'm not sure how accurate it is. Hoping to be on it first week of June.
Some work schemes give 10% off if ordering direct but I skipped this to go local due to no stock. You can usually put the deduction over 12 or 18 months if you'd prefer to keep the monthly cost down.
thats a different Merlin, they are not in the same league as the US Merlin! i think US Merlin used to custom but their TI tubes for each customer? U.K. Merlin used to do Rock Lobster but that was just a trade name the real Rock Lobsters were also made in the US by Paul Sadoff
Indeed, the 'real' merlin USA were masters in their day.
I've owned Litespeed, Moots, Merlin and still rate the Merlin as the finer in terms of finish and detail.
Yep, Merlin USA were handmade titanium and famously used a selection of different wall thicknesses so that small frames had the same ride characteristics as the larger ones and were very expensive at the time (mine retailed at £2.5k back in 1995). Merlin UK are a shop who used to import steel and aluminium frames from Taiwan and put their stickers on them, typically selling for around £100 for a frame.
I always wondered why Merlin USA didn't challenge the UK operation seeing how the Americans love a bit of litigation.
Last edited by Dynam0humm; 7th May 2020 at 18:04.
Thanks for that I didn’t realise there were two Merlins. I remember seeing Lightspeed Ti bikes, they were very expensive.
I don’t believe that we have a cycle to work scheme at my work which is a bit of a shame. Just went to order the Boardman 8.8 which was in stock earlier today, and not in stock any longer 🙁
Looks like stock could be coming in again soon, so will keep an eye out
I read an article today from a large cycle retailer saying normal bike sales were 25/30 bikes per week. They are currently selling 50 per day. Thats some increase. Lets hope folk keep on riding and leave some cars at home.
Going to try and cancel the 2020 Sirrus 4.0 tomorrow and go for the 2021 Diverge Base Carbon which was just announced today. From looking online it will change the delivery from end of May to End of June. New geometry helped the decision but the cost difference is annoying, might have to do it over 18 months rather than the standard 12.
I can believe it. The number of places I have looked at with all models and sizes showing as out of stock.
Just ordered the Boardman HYB 8.8 myself, and should collect in the next few days. The diverge base carbon looks good, but a long time to wait
I read a review on the Specialized Diverge 2021 the other day. They say it combines the best bits of both mountain and gravel bikes. The shock absorber headset is pretty trick too. They reckoned this sector of the market will be the fastest growing over the next 18 months. Another review here
https://youtu.be/21x8-sug7Dk
Last edited by higham5; 8th May 2020 at 20:51.
I'm a roadie really, but got a new MTB on the C2W scheme for some offroad jaunts and kicking about on with the kids.
Cube Acid 29er, not bad - can still get some speed on it despite mahoosive tyres, but suspension takes some getting used to! I bought my last MTB in 1994 and have never ridden sus - very different!
Oh, the old skool Flite Ti saddle was mine for ages ago...figured you need a Flite saddle for an MTB!
Cube make some good looking bikes. Interesting how 1x has become all the rage. My order for the 2021 Diverge (also 1x) is definitely end of June so I've gone mad on various bike sites today with some stuff for the incoming and some stuff for the existing abused and neglected Hardrock. By 4pm my card was blocked! Might need to calm down now.
Saddle fitting - anyone know of shops in London / Surrey that can measure the sit bone distance and give proper unbiased advice on saddles?
Andy
Wanted - Damasko DC57
I dont know about London but as a generalisation. Most reasonable ( eg not one man shop) have silicon cushions you sit on and measure your sit bones. They often give a number which then aligns with brands like sella Italia.
Look for saddles with a void / slit in the top. This reduces pressure and also improves ventilation and cooling. Getting a hot backside leads quickly to rashes a bit like nappy rash.
Some bike shops even offer saddle hire before you buy. Only issue here is they recon you need to do 30/50 miles to let your backside adapt to the shape.
I used a very un technical method of ( wearing my cycling shorts) sitting on different saddles on a bench in the shop. I quickly found certain shapes and styles fitted or didnt. If the bike shop has some saddles on trainer bikes, clearly thats the best way To evaluate them.
Good luck
Steve.
With all this covid stuff going round, I am getting a bit bored of running as my only form of outdoor exercise and have been thinking about getting a bike.
I've mainly been looking at hybrids and the cannondale bad boy 2 has caught my eye. Has anyone had any experience with it? Or can recommend any alternatives. I looked at the boardman Hyb 8.9 which is slightly more expensive but sadly no stock, which seems to be the general theme at the moment. Price wise, I am capped at £1,000 as that is the max my work offers on the cycle scheme
Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk
For measurement, Sit on a bit of good corrugated cardboard on a hard surface with your knees up by your chin.
Your sit bones will be imprinted on the cardboard. If you cannot see them, rub a stitch of chalk flat against the card and they will be revealed.
Fabric saddles are nice and most dealers have demo versions you can test for a week.
One competitor to that would be the Sirrus or Sirrus X along with the Boardman you mentioned. The scheme isn't actually capped at £1k by law and guidance was given on this a while back. Our scheme is now £3.5k over 12 or 18 months.
If for whatever reason you wanted to go over £1k (not encouraging you to do) most schemes will let you (or the bike shop will find a way to) use your voucher up to the limit and pay the rest yourself.
As a general rule hybrids are going to be second-best at everything. They might feel more comfortable than a regular road bike initially, but if you're actually biking for exercise, a road bike will be far better for road riding (and a mountain bike will be far better for trails). The position a road bike gives you will allow you to ride harder for longer at the expense of some initial discomfort. This is not to say a hybrid isn't the right bike for you but I might consider broadening my sights first just to be sure that's the direction you want to go.
Also keep in mind that bikes depreciate much in the manner of cars. A good deal on a 10-year-old bike made with high-end stuff, if well maintained, could very well be comparable to a brand new model costing the same, and will retain its value far better.
Last edited by bitt3n; 12th May 2020 at 07:53.
I’ve had a Bad Boy 3 for the last 16 months and it’s been my 14 mile daily ride to work, so I’ve covered thousands of miles on it.
It’s a great urban bike, and happy on road, trails, but nothing too rough. I’d happily buy another.
If you head up a good few posts you’ll see that I had a head on collision with a car (post #1644), but even then no damage to the frame. This confirms it is a very solid bike.
Only downside is if you do need to replace the front wheel, it is likely to be a wheel build given the specialist lefty hub.
Not meaning to be snippy but this question has been asked a bunch of times in this thread alone, have you looked at the responses and if so what additional clarification are you after?
The type of bike will depend on what you want to ride, road, cycle path, disused train lines, bridle ways, mountain biking?
If you think of those as a (non-exhaustive) scale that will help with deciding what type of bike you want.
More road biased then think road bike or flat bar, skinny tyre’d (no suspension) hybrid, or a cx/gravel bike.
Mid point cx/gravel, trecking/wider tyre’d hybrid or ridged mtb.
Focused on the mtb end then mtb.
At the moment I’d avoid s/h as prices seem silly and under the same reasons supply of new bikes at reasonable timeframes is restricted.
Also there are very few really rubbish bikes out there today especially true in the £1k point, sizing and fit will be most important after selecting what type you want.
hth
My take after 40 odd years of riding:
If you stick to the main manufacturers of quality bikes you can't go too far wrong there are literally thousands of bikes stuck in sheds and garages due to being totally rubbish nasty cheaply made virtually un-rideable things in the first place also if you buy a decent bike then decide it's not for you it will be easier to sell on. Halfords do have some decent makes but they also sell a lot of shit. Don't buy mail order unless you know exactly the spec of bike you want but don't buy on price alone. There is data available to tell you roughly what size bike is best for your build and anticipated usage.
Seats. Buy a quality seat on recomendation if you can but most good bikes come with good seats. You will adapt to a seat it won't adapt to you. Don't be afraid of something that looks like it will cut you in half conversely don't assume a big fat comfy looking one will be better. After 10 mile in the saddle any seat can be torture to a novice but if you persevere your arse will adapt. Seat angle is very important, sloping forward will make you feel like you are sliding off and sloping back will dig into your tackle when leaning forward. Re Tackle; if you have a substantial meat and veg you will need to adjust yourself for comfort one side or other. Women have their own unique issues as can be imagined. Padded shorts/leggings are therefore very desirable.
Some bikes are so gorgeous you just want them but if you are a big 'overnourished' person imagine how daft you will look in lycra on your 8Kg carbon fibre dream machine. Hence, work out what type of riding you will be doing and buy appropriately, Hybrid bikes are a better first buy. Also, you can adapt a MTB to road use but you can not adapt a 'road racer' to off-road use.
I'll be up in that camp when my carbon base Diverge comes at the end of June although I won't be going for lycra. I'd end up as a meme, cry my eyes out, and never live it down.
What do you think of 'gravel' bikes like the Specialized Diverge or the Canoonndale Topstone?
Personally I'm not sure I agree 100% with Harry in that I think MTBs make pretty terrible road bikes, at least if you are vaguely serious about it.
In the winter quite a few of my club-mates ride gravel/CX bikes as their winter hacks, some of them literally ride on the road one day then change wheels/tyres and race CX the next. Sure you're not going to ride a MTB black trail on a gravel/cx but I've done Swinley blue on my CX without any bother. So I'd say if you want a bike that's reasonable on road and off then a gravel/CX makes more sense. I think that if you feel there's any chance you will get a bit more serious about road cycling you will quickly grow out of a hybrid, not so much a gravel.
Tbh I've never tried one but I'm sure they are quite capable for dirt to some degree and the disc brakes are useful. When I said Mtb's can be used on the road I'm going on my own experience in that my Rockhopper hardtail makes a good road/commuter with road tyres and fork lockout but still able to hop over curbs and deal with potholes. Never ever try to 'bunnyhop' a 8Kg carbon fibre racer over an obstacle.
I bought a 105 Topstone last year and have loved it. The Specialized Diverge was my preference but the ones within my budget didn't have Hydraulic brakes and mechanical discs are a faff to adjust, whereas I haven't touched my hydraulics since fitting new wheels. I think Specialized started to fit hydraulics on their lesser models from 2020 onwards. I haven't really looked at the new 2021 range, I assume they have now introduced GRX 2x? I'm more than happy with my Topstone 105 though, it's tackled everything from tarmac, rough gravel cycle tracks to some light trail use with aplomb.
I'm not saying they're stunt bikes but I hop over small holes or up and down kerbs most rides on my road bike. Clip-on pedals make it really easy. Even the odd speed ramp.
agree, an MTB makes a poor road bike even with a change in tires. they are somewhat more stable than road bikes, which makes them popular with people who just want something to ride a few miles on the weekends, but the body position and aerodynamics are much better for trails than road riding of any substantial length.
Well, we'll just have to agree to disagree on MTB's for road. A hybrid is essentially a hardtail MTB stylee frame with or without suspension forks and there are plenty of those around and a Steel framed racer is a different kof to a carbon one. That's all I have to say.
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