After getting back on my bike after 15 years and training this winter on an old steel mtb, I am about to purchase my first racer to train and also enter a few local time trials to watch my progress as I try to get fit again.
Using the cycle2work scheme I was planning to buy the basic Boardman Comp, but then I noticed that for a little more I can get the Team model with SRAM 20 speed groupset.
My first question is, is there any catch with this brand, they are so much lighter and better specced than the similarly priced Trek or Specialized and even the Focus, Cube, Pinnacle value brands?
My second question is should I pay the extra 100 for the Carbon Team? The only difference being the frame, it looks a bit flash for my taste but would I regret it if I bought the alloy model, and I was wondering if a carbon frame would take any more looking after or will it damage easier than an alloy frame if I fall off?
Any advice much appreciated, I have studied sub grand bikes for a while now and cant find any downsides or bad reviews for the boardmans apart from loose spokes which I can live with as even if I have to change the rims its still seems better value than the opposition.
Using the cycle2work scheme I was planning to buy the basic Boardman Comp, but then I noticed that for a little more I can get the Team model with SRAM 20 speed groupset.
My first question is, is there any catch with this brand, they are so much lighter and better specced than the similarly priced Trek or Specialized and even the Focus, Cube, Pinnacle value brands?
My second question is should I pay the extra 100 for the Carbon Team? The only difference being the frame, it looks a bit flash for my taste but would I regret it if I bought the alloy model, and I was wondering if a carbon frame would take any more looking after or will it damage easier than an alloy frame if I fall off?
Any advice much appreciated, I have studied sub grand bikes for a while now and cant find any downsides or bad reviews for the boardmans apart from loose spokes which I can live with as even if I have to change the rims its still seems better value than the opposition.