# Halfords/Boardman Bikes - How Good Are They?



## JesTTer (7 Jul 2010)

Hi All,

How good are the Boardman range of bikes? I'm never quite sure about Halfords although their bying power should be huge! 

Are there bany other bikes that they sell any good?

Cheers,

JesTTer


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## Moodyman (7 Jul 2010)

The Boardman and Carrerra bikes get very good user reviews and are very good value for money.

Some people report poor customer service from staff, though my experience is quite positive.


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## battered (7 Jul 2010)

I think their better bikes are very good. Their setup skills are infamously variable. If you think about it there are going to be vast variations from branch to branch. For every branch with a very skilled mechanic there will be 9 with untrained 16 yr old plomkers who have no interest in bikes at all. Even if you find a decent shop if you go there 2 weeks before Xmas they will be flat out and none of the bikes will have been set up properly, they will just be chucking them out of the door, hoping for the best and knowing that a few will come back "yes Sir, we can sort that out at the first service, it's probably just the cables stretching as they are first used", a few won't be used beyond a potter to the local canal towpath so nobody will know or care that the gears don't really work, and more than a few will have a Dad on the scene who's more than happy to fix it and demonstrate his extreme manliness and general competence. 

I'd have a Boardman though, they look good.


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## adscrim (7 Jul 2010)

I have two Boardman road bikes and they are both excellent. The set-up on one was fairly shabby but the other was ok - some fine tuning was required but that's all. I haven't dealt with Halfords since purchase so can't tell you about after sales service.

I'd say definitely worth consideration if you're in the market for a new bike and can put up with the shame of entering Halfords (shopping online for discretion is an option).


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## Captain (7 Jul 2010)

I Have the Boardman Hybrid Comp - essentially the Lowest end of Boardman bikes. 

It is a really good bike, fullstop. 

The only complaint I have is that after 2 months I started to get the cables stretching out and I didn't know what was going on so I took it to a LBS who said that the brake pads hadn't been toe'd in correctly (there was a noticable squeak going on), other than that I had no problems with the set up. 

The bike is light (11kg) and very powerful brakes, every day as I leave work I get up to 15-20mph then slam the brakes on down to an almost stop and I have been very happy with the performance. Gear ratios are good too (I'm learning to climb) although I have had the chain come off the chainring several times. 

A very important thing though is that it does look nice too.


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## ramses (7 Jul 2010)

Hmm Halfords.

Can't say much about Boardman or Carrera bikes, as I don't own any of them.

My previous bike was from Halfords. Setup was a bit on the naff side, and after a few days I had an issue with the gears and due to this the chain came off and snapped, as it wrapped itself up between cassette and spokes!

The after care from this was equally shocking, basically my branch didn't really care, and were far too busy to replace my chain with a new one! Although much complaining later I did get what I rightly deserved, and some new spokes fitted, due to some damage.

Such an experience has put me off Halfords for a bike. Purchased the new one in a LBS.

I still use Halfords for the odd thing, mainly car shampoo etc...

But I'm sure there are people out there that have had good experiences.


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## amnesia (7 Jul 2010)

I had the Boardman Comp road bike last year and upgraded to the Boardman Team Carbon Ltd this year... one of the few bikes to get 10/10 in Cycling Plus mag... you need to spend several hundred £ more to get the same spec from Specialized / Cannondale / Wilier etc.

I love mine - light, stiff, double-tap SRAM is a dream to use.
I will probably upgrade the wheels shortly as I want to start racing, but the Ritchey Pro rims are strong and seem to be staying true at the moment.

The Ltd edition ones are all sold out now, but the same bike is available in black for £999.

For a grand you can't beat it. Take it to a reputable LBS to get it set up / checked over though.


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## Garz (7 Jul 2010)

Those ones amnesia got are droolingly nice.. anyway to answer the question directly


> Halfords/Boardman Bikes - How Good Are They?


 I have a COMP and it has been fantastic. If only I could get my hands on a the Ltd edition I would have bought it in a heartbeat.

Im hoping that by the time my work have finalised the c2w scheme boardman have an updated range of the original type that came out in 2008 or whenever they got released.


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## Guvnor (7 Jul 2010)

I've got the Boardman Hybrid Pro Ltd, and basically they are the dogs danglies. Loads of bike for your money. I'd highly recommend them.


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## skudupnorth (7 Jul 2010)

I'll let you know after i pick my SC comp single/fixed on Saturday.Must say pretty happy with Halfords White City so far,the assisstant was very enthusiastic about my choice and said he could not wait to see it himself as no-one had ordered one before !


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## obelix1664 (7 Jul 2010)

A work mate of mine bought a Boardman Hybrid to ride to work with and to use in the London to Brighton, 2 days before the ride the crank snapped. He took the bike back to Halfords and to say the customer service was appalling is an understatement. 

This has only just been resolved today after getting a solicitor involved and trading standards. Halfords replaced the bike with a new one this afternoon, but said that they accept no liability for the broken crank and that as far as they are concerned he received exemplary customer service.

While this might be a one off, if you were going to buy a Boardman, get it from the LBS.


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## amnesia (7 Jul 2010)

skudupnorth said:


> I'll let you know after i pick my SC comp single/fixed on Saturday.Must say pretty happy with Halfords White City so far,the assisstant was very enthusiastic about my choice and said he could not wait to see it himself as no-one had ordered one before !



Ooooh - interested to see how you get on with this... might be an option for next year's C2W scheme... been thinking about a fixie for a while.


@ Obelix1664 - the cranks are made by SRAM, it's not Halfords fault it was defective, however their aftersales (and before sales for that matter) can be very hit and miss. You can only get Boardman bikes from Halfords and BikeHut (owned by Halfords).


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## obelix1664 (7 Jul 2010)

@ Obelix1664 - the cranks are made by SRAM, it's not Halfords fault it was defective, however their aftersales (and before sales for that matter) can be very hit and miss. You can only get Boardman bikes from Halfords and BikeHut (owned by Halfords).[/QUOTE]


Thanks for that Amnesia, you learn something new everyday...But you would have thought that it can't be doing the Boardman reputation any good if the aftersales is as bad as it is...

Forgot to add when he took the bike in to Halfords after the crank had broken, he was told, "sorry mate that's a special type of crank, I won't be able to get one of them"...


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## amnesia (7 Jul 2010)

obelix1664 said:


> Thanks for that Amnesia, you learn something new everyday...But you would have thought that it can't be doing the Boardman reputation any good if the aftersales is as bad as it is...
> 
> Forgot to add when he took the bike in to Halfords after the crank had broken, he was told, "sorry mate that's a special type of crank, I won't be able to get one of them"...



A few people have questioned Boardman's decision to distribute exclusively through Halfords rather than 'proper' bike shops... it's bound to come down to cost though - the buying power of Halfords compared to sole-traders means transport costs, volumes etc are all in their favour. Ergo, they end up will a quality full carbon road bike for £1k that no-one else can compete with.

If I were Boardman Bikes I would be continually monitoring the after sales support (sic) of their distributor - maybe they are...


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## NormanD (7 Jul 2010)

I have the Carrera Subway LTD https://www.cyclechat.net/ it's a cracking bike for the price, although I've changed a lot of things on mine (personal preference)

You can throw a lot of abuse at it and it'll take it with ease, it's a lot of bike for the money 

Norm


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## skudupnorth (7 Jul 2010)

amnesia said:


> Ooooh - interested to see how you get on with this... might be an option for next year's C2W scheme... been thinking about a fixie for a while.
> 
> 
> @ Obelix1664 - the cranks are made by SRAM, it's not Halfords fault it was defective, however their aftersales (and before sales for that matter) can be very hit and miss. You can only get Boardman bikes from Halfords and BikeHut (owned by Halfords).



This is my c2w scheme choice,cannot wait !


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## Crankarm (7 Jul 2010)

amnesia said:


> A few people have questioned Boardman's decision to distribute exclusively through Halfords rather than 'proper' bike shops... it's bound to come down to cost though - the buying power of Halfords compared to sole-traders means transport costs, volumes etc are all in their favour. Ergo, they end up will a quality full carbon road bike for £1k that no-one else can compete with.
> 
> If I were Boardman Bikes I would be continually monitoring the after sales support (sic) of their distributor - maybe they are...



Chris Boardman does. Last year he kindly posted a full and frank explanation of his tie-up with Halfords on BikeRader in response to criticism in a thread. I have every respect for him. Unfortunately his vision sometimes doesn't seem to make it down to Halfords grass roots level. He does try though.

At my local Halfords I recently enquired how much it would cost to buy just the top Team carbon road frame - £850 without fork!!! The Halfords guy to his credit spent ages on the computer system trying to find a price.

I'm not keen on Truavit or Ritchey components as 1) they weigh a tonne and 2) break. Would fit my own components and wheels to the frame but not at £850 without forks.


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## battered (7 Jul 2010)

amnesia said:


> @ Obelix1664 - the cranks are made by SRAM, it's not Halfords fault it was defective,



It's not their *fault* but it's their problem under the Sale and Provision of Goods and Services Act in the UK. (Was Sale of Goods).

Your contract is with Halfords, not SRAM. If it's defective it's up to Halfords to fix it, replace or refund. They will in turn have a counterclaim against SRAM under the same act, so it goes on. But it is *their* problem.


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## shrew (8 Jul 2010)

I had a boardman comp i loved it, the bike was a joy to ride, very light and fast as hell, BUT.. i wouldnt trust halfords to set it up, take it somewhere else to give it the once over and DONT take it back for the free service!


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## bauldbairn (8 Jul 2010)

I've got a Boardman Pro flatbar(Hybrid) and love it.

Just buy the bike on line and set it up yourself, all the halfords staff do are add the seatposts, straighten the handlebars and put the pedals on - the rest of the stuff is done in the factory.


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## theboytaylor (8 Jul 2010)

amnesia said:


> upgraded to the Boardman Team Carbon Ltd this year... one of the few bikes to get 10/10 in Cycling Plus mag... you need to spend several hundred £ more to get the same spec from Specialized / Cannondale / Wilier etc.
> 
> I love mine - light, stiff, double-tap SRAM is a dream to use.
> 
> ...



Has just gone up to £1200 !. Just as I was about to take the plunge.

Stangely I think the prices of the other bikes are unaffected.....


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## ramses (8 Jul 2010)

theboytaylor said:


> Has just gone up to £1200 !. Just as I was about to take the plunge.
> 
> Stangely I think the prices of the other bikes are unaffected.....



Can you wait until Le Tour De France has finished. May be a marketing ploy with all the advertising that goes on with ITV4 to see if people get the bug and come in to buy the bike.

Might go back down in a few weeks.


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## shaunb (8 Jul 2010)

i recentlyordered my team carbon through the bike2work scheme ,local store have got non in stock and have been told to honour the £999.99.price for people who already have a letter of collection.anticipated collection date 26th of July..
Guy on the phone said they have been selling well due to excellent revues .
I imagine that the price will come down later in the summer,if they are planning on releasing a 2011 model


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## jimboalee (8 Jul 2010)

ramses said:


> Can you wait until Le Tour De France has finished. May be a marketing ploy with all the advertising that goes on with ITV4 to see if people get the bug and come in to buy the bike.
> 
> Might go back down in a few weeks.



Does the price of tennis racquets increase by 20% during Wimbledon, only to drop down again afterwards?

If it does, its a racquet.


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## karan733 (8 Jul 2010)

I think Halfords are noted for increasing the price for a few weeks, only to sell it at the original price in a 25% off sale. I wouldnt worry too much if I was parting with the cash myself, it'll be down to the original price soon enough.


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## cyberknight (8 Jul 2010)

I have a carrera subway 1 and a virtuosso and for the price they are great bikes .
The subway is fairly bomb proof and used as my winter hack/back up and the roady is a nicely specced machine for the price.

I would not hesitate the recommend any of the carrera /boardman bikes to anyone , bike radar agree.

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/mountain/product/virtuoso-09-34691

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/road/product/comp-08-22946

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/road/product/subway-1-8831


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## ramses (8 Jul 2010)

jimboalee said:


> Does the price of tennis racquets increase by 20% during Wimbledon, only to drop down again afterwards?
> 
> If it does, its a racquet.



I only said maybe!


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## amnesia (8 Jul 2010)

theboytaylor said:


> Has just gone up to £1200 !. Just as I was about to take the plunge.
> 
> Stangely I think the prices of the other bikes are unaffected.....



Cheeky sods...

Anyone want to buy a Ltd for £1500 ?*  












* joke - I am not selling this... infact I am going to find it difficult to get anything better with next year's C2W £1k


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## bauldbairn (8 Jul 2010)

theboytaylor said:


> Has just gone up to £1200 !. Just as I was about to take the plunge.
> 
> Stangely I think the prices of the other bikes are unaffected.....



Very strange to just stick £200 on a bike without reason?

The Team Carbon is still advertised for £1000 on the Boardman site - but probably £1200 when you transfer to Halfords to buy it? 

There's been a few subtle changes to other bikes specs - to keep prices down I suppose. The Pro Hybrid now has a "double butted" frame(same as Comp/Team) instead of "super butted" I got.


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## vernon (10 Jul 2010)

obelix1664 said:


> While this might be a one off, if you were going to buy a Boardman, get it from the LBS.



Halfords is the only stockist of Boardman bikes.


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## Harbornite (10 Jul 2010)

I think the Team went up by £50 a few months back.

Boardmans are fantastic value for money & great bikes - there are numerous reviews & posts on these forums that reinforce this.

Halfords are at best indifferent. The bikes come to them semi assembled & they appear to struggle with the last bit.

Buy one, you will not regret. Just take it to your LBS for a once over.


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## silverback_ade (20 Jun 2013)

I have a hybrid pro and is a fantastic bike for the price, if you do decide to buy a boardman I would get your servicing done at a local dedicated bike shop as your more likely to see the same person and get a better service as Halfords are very hit and miss. I was going to buy the comp but got a pro off ebay for comp price and was virtually new. The bikes are very light and strong and handle great, highly recommend the bikes but not Halfords.


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## Nigelnaturist (20 Jun 2013)

silverback_ade said:


> I have a hybrid pro and is a fantastic bike for the price, if you do decide to buy a boardman I would get your servicing done at a local dedicated bike shop as your more likely to see the same person and get a better service as Halfords are very hit and miss. I was going to buy the comp but got a pro off ebay for comp price and was virtually new. The bikes are very light and strong and handle great, highly recommend the bikes but not Halfords.


Just want to point out the date of the post previous to yours was nearly three years ago.
 to cyclechat.


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## Peter Ebdon (27 Aug 2013)

I've bought two Boardman carbon bikes in 3 years (mine a few years ago and my wife's recently). Setup on both was excellent.

These were both from Halfords in Newbury. 

My bike has needed no adjustment from new. I had a problem a few weeks ago (bike 2.5 years old) where the SRAM double-tap shifter snapped. Looking online this is a common problem with a batch from that time and SRAM had agreed to cover the parts and labour costs (£160 just for a shifter!!!).

I took the bike into Halfords in Newbury and they said they'd look into whether SRAM would cover it. A week later I picked the bike in and it looked as good as new and setup was spot on again. The bike technician said that SRAM had refused to cover the cost because 'it would fail in the first 6 months' but Halfords had covered the cost themselves. They also said if the other side broke they's replace that free-of-charge too.

I don't often post on forums but I'd read a lot of negative Halfords posts before choosing the boardman and wanted to let you all know that they can be fantastic.


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