Road Bike question

maverick_21

I'm in the market for a new road bike and allied with the bike to work scheme my budget is around €1200 stretching to €1300 at most. I have gotten a quote on this Boardman's bike for €1300 in a sale:
http://www.halfords.ie/cycling/bikes/road-bikes/boardman-road-pro-carbon-bike
What does everyone think regarding specs and value for money?
If anyone has any more recommendations for bikes around this price range please let me know.
Thanks

Newer version of 105 groupset for same price: https://www.canyon.com/en/roadbikes/bike.html?b=3589

Edit: didn't see the sale price!

07Lapierre

Do you have to use Halfords for the BTW scheme? if yes, then go for it. nice bike.

maverick_21

Don't have to use Halfords but i saw the 15% discount and thought that bike looks very good. If there was another model around that price range with the same or better specs i'd consider that as well. Hence the post.

laraghrider

ronoc wrote: »

Newer version of 105 groupset for same price: https://www.canyon.com/en/roadbikes/bike.html?b=3589

Edit: didn't see the sale price!

Or go for the endurance rather than ultimate and still get the new 105 for within budget...

https://www.canyon.com/en/roadbikes/bike.html?b=3694

not yet

Any reason your going full Carbon..?

Giant Defy 0 full ultegra, alu frame carbon forks for 1299 approx...

I think a good top end alu is better then a low end carbon..

maverick_21

A few of my friends who are big into cycling recommended going Carbon. I thought the boardman at that price (with the discount) was a good buy! Am i wrong?

maverick_21

maverick_21 wrote: »

A few of my friends who are big into cycling recommended going Carbon. I thought the boardman at that price (with the discount) was a good buy! Am i wrong?

There is nothing wrong with the boardman bikes. They get good reviews. There's just lots of other good bikes worth considering

maverick_21

i guess for over €1000 i want to know i'm buying pure quality

cython

laraghrider wrote: »

Or go for the endurance rather than ultimate and still get the new 105 for within budget...

https://www.canyon.com/en/roadbikes/bike.html?b=3694

Have you looked at the availability on that lately? Unless the OP is a giant (3XL), they're not getting one of that model any time soon.

not yet

maverick_21 wrote: »

A few of my friends who are big into cycling recommended going Carbon. I thought the boardman at that price (with the discount) was a good buy! Am i wrong?

No, It's a decent price being carbon etc. There is probably better value out there..

I.e planet x or as above Canyon etc. But don't rule out a good alu, maybe just have a look.

maverick_21

Found a lovely canyon bike online- https://www.canyon.com/en/roadbikes/bike.html?b=3694 but it seems like they are all out of stock.

coach22

I'm pretty sure you cannot buy Canyon on the BTW scheme

The Boardman is very good. I'd go for that If I was you. If you have an AXA card you could get even further discount in Halfords

jon1981

not yet wrote: »

But don't rule out a good alu, maybe just have a look.

When you say don't rule out a good Alu, are you referring to the parts typically being better in that budget? I'm assuming the ALU frame doesn't vary much in terms of quality or strength or weight for ALU bikes in the 800 to 1500 bracket? Or has ALU advanced to be as light as Carbon, could you say get an ALU bike under the 8Kg weight?

cython

coach22 wrote: »

I'm pretty sure you cannot buy Canyon on the BTW scheme

The Boardman is very good. I'd go for that If I was you. If you have an AXA card you could get even further discount in Halfords

All depends on your employer, my brother, and plenty of users on here already have done. Once the bike is VAT-correct, then there is no issue with buying from any supplier at least within the EU (which canyon clearly are), and maybe even further afield.

gambeta_fc

jon1981 wrote: »

When you say don't rule out a good Alu, are you referring to the parts typically being better in that budget? I'm assuming the ALU frame doesn't vary much in terms of quality or strength or weight for ALU bikes in the 800 to 1500 bracket? Or has ALU advanced to be as light as Carbon, could you say get an ALU bike under the 8Kg weight?

For sure. The Canyon AL SLX for example can be got in an Ultegra build for €1699 that tips the scales at 7.25kg. That's slightly outside the budget you posted but it's a serious bit of kit and is going to be lighter than a lot of carbon bikes at that price point. You can go under 7kg with a Dura Ace build, just the small matter of another €1k to go with it For reference, the Canyon ALU frameset itself is 1.2kg, their top end CF frame is around the 800g mark.

The Cannondale CAAD 10 is also regarded as one of the best ALU frames available, weighs in at 1.15kg.

oconnpad

OP, here's one maybe to consider, full 105 and in stock.
http://www.rosebikes.com/bike/rose-pro-sl-2000-bike-now/aid:745551

There is a full ultegra version (except cassette) but €100 over budget but if you have a spare kidney might be worth a look:D
http://www.rosebikes.com/bike/rose-pro-sl-3000-744417/aid:744461

jon1981 wrote: »

could you say get an ALU bike under the 8Kg weight?

The 1st bike says 7.9kg, no weight on the 2nd but i assume small bit lighter again

maverick_21

ive heard Canyon are covered. my employer will pay the bike to work as long as there is an invoice. Doesnt look like i can get one anyway as all the cheaper Canyon Models are sold out.

CramCycle

jon1981 wrote: »

Or has ALU advanced to be as light as Carbon, could you say get an ALU bike under the 8Kg weight?

You can definitely get one under 8kg, I am looking at a Stevens Veulta at the minute which comes in comfy under 8kg with a pair of Aksiums and a 105 groupset, down to 7kg even with Ultegra and SL-Rs

jon1981

Good finds. I'd be more inclined to upgrade this frame with parts than my current ALU. Good to know you can get a lighter ALU frame without having to go for an entry level carbon frame to get the weight reduction.

gambeta_fc

Some of these might be pushing your budget but there's a couple might be within it?
http://road.cc/content/buyers-guide/142512-11-best-1200-1500-road-bikes

The B'TWIN bikes always seem to do well in value for money reviews if a trip to Decathlon in Belfast isn't too far out of the way. The MACH 720 is a 105 equipped carbon bike at £1000 (approximately €1380 at current exchange rate).
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/mach-720-carbon-road-bike-id_8311471.html

terrydel

coach22 wrote: »

I'm pretty sure you cannot buy Canyon on the BTW scheme

The Boardman is very good. I'd go for that If I was you. If you have an AXA card you could get even further discount in Halfords

You can, my brother did only about 6 months ago. So unless its changed you can indeed.

rtmie

maverick_21 wrote: »

ive heard Canyon are covered. my employer will pay the bike to work as long as there is an invoice. Doesnt look like i can get one anyway as all the cheaper Canyon Models are sold out.

In general Rose would be regarded as similar quality/value as Canyon.

I have th eone linked by oconnpad, 11 speed 105, really happy with it.

maverick_21

Went with the Giant Defy Composite 2! Happy days.

Canyon was my preference but they were all sold out .Thanks for all the posts on here.

Kaisr Sose

cython wrote: »

.....Once the bike is VAT-correct, then there is no issue with buying from any supplier at least within the EU (which canyon clearly are).....

My employer is fussy. What do you mean by vat correct?

Invoiced at 23% or at 0% so employer can self assess at 23%? AFAIK Canyon invoice at 19% and won't invoice at 0% for EU sale. They should at this stage have to charge VAT at 23% but I don't know if they do. I know they are not Irish VAT reg, but that does not really matter if the invoice is at 23% or 0%.

Mod -please move to B2W thread of you don't want to derail this.

cython

Kaisr Sose wrote: »

My employer is fussy. What do you mean by vat correct?

Invoiced at 23% or at 0% so employer can self assess at 23%? AFAIK Canyon invoice at 19% and won't invoice at 0% for EU sale. They should at this stage have to charge VAT at 23% but I don't know if they do. I know they are not Irish VAT reg, but that does not really matter if the invoice is at 23% or 0%.

Mod -please move to B2W thread of you don't want to derail this.

I haven't gone through it myself (my employer limits us to CSS at the moment), so I haven't looked into the exact requirements, but I can tell you now that Canyon charge VAT at 23% for orders into Ireland - just go through to the checkout and the VAT is quoted at 23%. It was 19% up to late last year/early this year, so I would check out the invoicing again if you haven't done since last year.

Kaisr Sose

^^Thats good to know. I was amazed they were not charging vat @23% ages ago (Bike24 have been). I think €50k is the threshold and that's just a few Boardsies bikes!!

cython

Kaisr Sose wrote: »

^^Thats good to know. I was amazed they were not charging vat @23% ages ago (Bike24 have been). I think €50k is the threshold and that's just a few Boardsies bikes!!

I think there was a further change around VAT at the start of this year that has basically meant that more retailers have to register for VAT in, or at least charge at the rate of, the destination country. Again, not sure of the specifics, but I think it was discussed elsewhere on here around the time it came in.