# New bike advice



## matt_r (Jun 20, 2006)

Hi guys,

I need some help.. My work has just started the cycle to work scheme, so I'm about to get myself a road bike. I have the usual 1000pound limit on it but could top up a extra couple of hundred if needed.. 

The question is what to get? I cycle to work everyday not a huge distance 10miles or so, and I might join a little local cycling club, some possible beginners triathlons and general keeping fit..

The usual reviews say the boardman team carbon, which does look very nice but my concerns were with a cheaper end carbon frame for commuting on.

The main bikes I've been looking at are:
boardman team carbon (if ok to commute)
planet x carbon (again if ok to commute)

Scott speedster s20
or Verenti millook.

What would you recommend and advise? 

Cheers


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## rainifa (Mar 12, 2009)

The Boardman bikes do take some beating on price. They seem to have the next standard up of groupset from their competitors for the price. I think a Boardman would be hard to beat (nothing to do with them by the way!).


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

firstly, WHERE are you able to buy from? If Halfords then your choices are limited and I doubt you'll get much other than their normal stock.

Dont have any worries on those frames. 10 mile commutes will be NOTHING to them but the issue with CF is that if you have a big crash then you risk writing off the frame. Both frames are race geometries so will be pretty 'full-on' in terms of ride position. Thats not always what people want for commuting and navigating traffic, poor roads and potholes etc. A less severe geometry and more relaxed riding position is often what people want for a 'workhorse' bike. If you are realy going to be riding for sport and serious distances then both will be idea longer term. Its things like the wheels and the risks of crashing through potholes etc that will be much more of a worry...

If commuting then is it year round? It sounds a bit fuddy-duddy but take it from someone cycling year round, that if you are cycling to/from work in winter then you will want mudguards and not too many road frame will allow them. You can fit the Crud Raceguards, and I did o one of my CF frames last year, but they are a compromise and not nearly as good as full guards.

What sort of roads and distances will you be riding? Tyre choice is critical to comfort and some super race frames wont allow anything other than 23c tyres, which have to be run rock hard and on anything over than smooth tarmac they very quickly become very tiring. 10 miles is nothing really but if its over roads like some of the lanes round here then I'd be looking for something a little more comfortable.

Boardman seem like great bikes with a good spec etc. but bear in mind the above as I dont think they do a bike you can put guards on. Give us some more info and we'l be able to advise better.


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## andy monty (Dec 29, 2007)

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/CBPXUJSL/uncle-john-ultegra-sl

i like the look of that...

a Cyclo cross is a bit of a comramise over lightness and durability (but lets face it the local roads at least round here are rough as hell)

the carbon fork should remove a bit of sting


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## matt_r (Jun 20, 2006)

Cheers for your replys.

We can go to any cycle scheme store, with our voucher..

With the commuting, it will probably be upto the beginning of December then will be going by car until mid to end of February sometime when weather picks up anyway..

Road wise not to bad, more speed humps than potholes, its just general roads of sunny Romford, and personal riding will be the lanes of Essex abridge and ongar, that's also where the cycle club trains and rides...Distances I haven't got a clue, would like to build up to a fair amount..

Cheers


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

the 2 you mention are good options then if you want a road bike for club type riding. MOst important factor in bike choice is fit and sadly neither of those places will be much help. Halfords are worse on bike stuff than car stuff and unless you are in Sheffield you will be buying the X online and therefore not able to get properly fitted on it. I'd suggest getting a proper bike fit (approx £20-40) and get the correct measurements for frame, stem, bars, cranks etc so you can get the right size bike upfront. 90% of people end up trying to ride a poorly fitting bike and its not going to help you ride for any length of time successfully...fit is MUCH more critical on a road bike than MTB.

Good luck with it.


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## andycole (Jun 8, 2006)

I've used the cycle to work scheme for the last two years, buying Boardman Pro hybrids on both occasions. 
Cant fault my local Halfords for service nor the bikes, my latest bike is sat ready for the ride to work tom, the work car park is closed for a few days and it seemed like a good idea earlier


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## matt_r (Jun 20, 2006)

I just hope that my local halfords is a good one, because I know nothng about setting up bikes and getting them running correctly.. As for getting myself properly measured, where can I go to get this done?? 

And is it easy getting cleats adjusted right?


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

find a good local bike shop and see if they offer a fitting service. Halfords is very hit and miss and you might get lucky or could end up with a shoddily built bike that is all wrong. I'd personally take it to your local bike shop and then get set up on it with someone who really knows what they are talking about. Saddle height & position, stem height and pedal/cleat position is critical to comfort and and efficiency as well as long term injury prevention.

Cleat adjustment, like bike fit, is a big area by itself, as they are easy to screw on the shoes but positioning can only be properly done as part of a full bike fit. Mine cost me about £40 IIRC and took 3 hours at a specialist, but as I have 5 bikes I was able to then use the measurements and setup data to fine tune my fit on all of them. Its THE best money I have ever spent in cycling...

I've ridden over 2000 miles since March this year, and Sunday 4th is my 'A' race - a 100 mile race - and trust me that without good bike setup there is no way I'd be able to make the gains I have or ride for 6-8 hours non stop.


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## matt_r (Jun 20, 2006)

Hi sorry for late reply, ive been away on holiday and working loads.

Cheers for the replies and useful information.

I was set on getting myself the Boardman Team Carbon, but I come back from holiday to find that Halfrauds have kindly put the price up by £200. Now this has got me thinking, would it be worth me putting an extra £200 towards the bike and going for the Cannondale Six Carbon Special Edition? 
and does anyone know if its a good bike and worth the money?? 
I know the standard one got voted bike of the year..

Matt


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## nick-a6 (Jun 9, 2007)

Forgive for asking and hi-jacking the thread but how does the cycle to work scheme work money wise. PM if you wish thanks


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## Jace (Oct 26, 2005)

http://www.cyclescheme.co.uk/


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## matt_r (Jun 20, 2006)

Nick the web-link that jace has put up covers it all, but if dont understand it just get back to us.


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## nick-a6 (Jun 9, 2007)

Am I right in thinking you pay for it out of your wage before tax? much like a finance plan


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

Nick - yep, thats right. Just like a finance plan the bike is also owned by your employer, so you also need to know how they will manage it eg the scheme suggests they 'sell' it to you at the end of the plan so you want to know what that amount will be, and also what might happen if you leave the job or have the bike nicked etc.

The scheme also says the bike must be used for commuting to work at least in some way, so while most people seem to ignore that part, there are specific details you should look into. 

IIRC your employer must offer it to all employees as well, and it does take some work to set it up and administer it so you cant just get access to the scheme.


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## matt_r (Jun 20, 2006)

Bigpikle whats your opinion on the new Cannondale Six Carbon Special Edition?


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## nick-a6 (Jun 9, 2007)

Thanks for that, I have been asking around at work and apparently they are in the process of implementing the scheme.

Does it work out cheaper than just going to a bike shop and getting one on 0% finance?


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## magic919 (Mar 11, 2007)

How much cheaper depends on the tax bracket a person is in and also whether the employer pockets the VAT or not. There are calulators on the web. Savings are better for higher rate tax payers.


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

matt_r said:


> Bigpikle whats your opinion on the new Cannondale Six Carbon Special Edition?


Sadly I havent ridden a Cannondale in years, although am looking at buying a secondhand Cyclocross SL right now.

IIRC the Six won bike of the year in Cycling Plus at the start of the year and they raved about its performance and value. I havent read any negative stuff about Canondales for a long time and they have a big fan base, so if the price is right....

Edit: thought I remembered reading about this so have a look here

http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12716434&highlight=six+special+edition


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## rich-hill (May 13, 2008)

I bought a Kouta Korsa from my local bike shop, tri uk the middle of June. Got a free fitting as part of it.

I have averaged 100 miles a week on this since buying it and have been more than happy with it


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

nick-a6 said:


> Thanks for that, I have been asking around at work and apparently they are in the process of implementing the scheme.
> 
> Does it work out cheaper than just going to a bike shop and getting one on 0% finance?


yep - probably by a LOT, because the company claims back the VAT and then you get to pay the rest BEFORE you pay tax, so you save a fortune. Only issue is what the company will charge you at the end. Most seem to charge a nominal fee of sod all, but the rules do say 'market value', but I have yet to hear of anyone complaining about how much they were charged. IIRC the max amount you can spend is £1k list price, which is plenty for most but wont buy you high end kit. Of course, its meant to be a commuter bike so high end kit isnt the point!


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## chunkytfg (Feb 1, 2009)

Bigpikle said:


> yep - probably by a LOT, because the company claims back the VAT and then you get to pay the rest BEFORE you pay tax, so you save a fortune. Only issue is what the company will charge you at the end. Most seem to charge a nominal fee of sod all, but the rules do say 'market value', but I have yet to hear of anyone complaining about how much they were charged. IIRC the max amount you can spend is £1k list price, which is plenty for most but wont buy you high end kit. Of course, its meant to be a commuter bike so high end kit isnt the point!


The max is actually whatever the employer wishes to set it at but to go over a grand they have to be registered with the FSA and jump through loads of hoops as far as I understand it!!!! A mate of mine bought a 4.5K TT bike through the scheme:doublesho:lol:

As for the amount you pay at the end my empolyer(TFL) is saying 3% of market value of £20 which ever is higher:thumb:

My only Problem is Halfords cant get a huge range of bikes at the moment! Road bike wise with a 1k limit I'm pretty much stuck with Boardman, Dawes, Merida, Cinnelli(dont like Campag) or Van nicholas(too expensive)

SO i've been looking at either a Dawes or the Merida's. I'll end up with either a top of the range Dawes and not even spend all the 1k or a Merida Road Ride HFS 903-30 but I can literally not find it anywhere to find out how much it is! Every bike dealer listing merida's only has the MTB's listed!!!:wall:


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

Rumour seems to be that the recent 20% price hike on the Boardman Comp thingy that went from £1000-1200 might soon be part of a big sale and hence see the bike back at the £1k price so it fits within the scheme. Seems really daft to put it outside the budget for all those people buying with the C2W money :wall:


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## Jace (Oct 26, 2005)

Bigpikle said:


> Rumour seems to be that the recent 20% price hike on the Boardman Comp thingy that went from £1000-1200 might soon be part of a big sale and hence see the bike back at the £1k price so it fits within the scheme. Seems really daft to put it outside the budget for all those people buying with the C2W money :wall:


20% "hikes" will be the norm for 2011 models, unless they down grade the spec level of a model to retain the majic price points.


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

^^ yep, already been happening for all the 2010 ranges as well with the £$euro related pricing. Most 2010 bikes were lower spec or much more expensive


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## magic919 (Mar 11, 2007)

Bigpikle said:


> yep - probably by a LOT, because the company claims back the VAT


This is one of the local variations. My company keeps the VAT and doesn't pass on the saving to us. They say that money is used to pay the admin for the scheme.


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## Jace (Oct 26, 2005)

Bigpikle said:


> ^^ yep, already been happening for all the 2010 ranges as well with the £ related pricing. Most 2010 bikes were lower spec or much more expensive


Correct, but 2011 will be more so.

I'll have a better Idea after ive been to Eurobike in september on whos doing what etc



magic919 said:


> This is one of the local variations. My company keeps the VAT and doesn't pass on the saving to us. They say that money is used to pay the admin for the scheme.


Sounds like they're scamming you

The bicycle shops that are in the scheme have to pay 10% commission on every sale to the Cycle Scheme. I'm sure employers dont, other than the NI/TAX contributions.


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