Boardman Pro Carbon SLR….. Overweight?

Interesting thread. I’m

Interesting thread. I’m buying a new bike and the SLR was on the list. Not any more is it.

I did go to Halfords and asked if they could spec this bike with a wifli deralieur and 11-32 cassette..all met with blank expressions and a comment that I’d have to go to cycle republic for that. 

The German bikes – Rose, Canyon seem more on spec from reviews I read. And you can get a lighter Rose or Canyon for about the same price…

In my newbie experience, weight off the rolling mass  seems crucual – wheels, tyres, tubes makes a hell of a difference. Taking 400g off the wheels, 100g off the tubes and 250g off the tyres has bought me two extra gears for nothing and nearly a 1.5mph average speed increase.  Feels more than the 15% performance gain.

kil0ran wrote:

alansmurphy wrote:

I’ll bet your hair gel weighs more…

Doesn’t seem to hold Kittel back…

Then again, I hear Alpecin use carbon nanotubes in their hair care products

Got me a new Canyon. Came with some hair loss prevention Alpecin. About 25 years too late…

alansmurphy wrote:

ibr17xvii wrote:

 

If you’re happy with the bike & don’t want a full refund I’d be going for some kind of part refund or a Halfords voucher as a goodwill gesture without a doubt.

 

Good call, do Halfords do decent wheels – enourage them to get it down weight for you; super light wheels, carbon bottle cages, super light pedals, carbon helmet…

 

Just don’t let them fit any of it……….

efail wrote:

efail wrote:

Once again, thank you for all of the comments. I didn’t expect this response. The dilema I have, is with the 10% off at Halfords, and a further 10% off from British Cycling, it makes the bike a very good buy, even with the extra weight included. I don’t think I can find another bike like this for the price. It’s a very nice bike. I have been offered a refund by Halfords and can only say how good they have been. I haven’t taken this up, yet.

Perhaps the debate might, though there are doubts, make some of the manufacturers/suppliers be a little more honest. I have grave doubts about Boardman, as they still haven’t replied to any of my emails.

Just to clarify. The bike is a small. Boardman advertise their medium at 7.3kg. Halfords advertise it at 7kg. It has been weighed by their chief mechanic in the shop at 7.8kg. At all times of weighing it has no pedals, cages, mudguards or ribbons coming out of the handlebars.

I’d just buy a cheaper set of scales then and maybe it’ll weigh lighter on there.

efail wrote:

Once again, thank you for all of the comments. I didn’t expect this response. The dilema I have, is with the 10% off at Halfords, and a further 10% off from British Cycling, it makes the bike a very good buy, even with the extra weight included. I don’t think I can find another bike like this for the price. It’s a very nice bike. I have been offered a refund by Halfords and can only say how good they have been. I haven’t taken this up, yet.

Perhaps the debate might, though there are doubts, make some of the manufacturers/suppliers be a little more honest. I have grave doubts about Boardman, as they still haven’t replied to any of my emails.

Just to clarify. The bike is a small. Boardman advertise their medium at 7.3kg. Halfords advertise it at 7kg. It has been weighed by their chief mechanic in the shop at 7.8kg. At all times of weighing it has no pedals, cages, mudguards or ribbons coming out of the handlebars.

Hrm, that is a little disappointing that a small frame is coming up heavier than the claimed weight of a medium. I wouldn’t feel particularly annoyed about the weight, however, I would be quite unhappy about Halfords selling something that isn’t as advertised.

7.8kg for a bike that I’m guessing cost you a little less than £1500 (after discounts) isn’t bad at all. Even Canyon only get to 7.6kg with their Ultimate CF SL 7.0 (which would cost you just under £1500 after shipping https://www.canyon.com/en-gb/road/ultimate/2016/ultimate-cf-sl-7-0.html

Some lightweight wheels and tyres will bring it down another 200 or 300 grams…

Road cc. did a review,

Road cc. did a review, claimed 7.07 kg for the small with Sram force (which is seriously light for a bike with force)

If your bike weight is

If your bike weight is “within acceptable tolerance” then perhaps as a geature of goodwill, Boardman’s will track down and swap with a bike that is 6.8 Kg as that also will be within  tolerance?

efail wrote:

Thanks for the response. No pedals, no tat. Basic. Even if I accept the BS (quote), is 500g above their claimed, ‘super lightweight’ (quote Boardman website, medium), acceptable? It’s like asking someone to carry an extra bottle of water up the 152,00 m  of ‘elevation gain'(Strava) that I did last year, for absolutely nothing.

I think it’s fair to query that the bike is 8% over the advertised weight, especially when the weight is one of the major marketing factors. In any arguments I wouldn’t dwell on the effect it will have on your riding / performance which is three fifths of five eighths of not a lot.

My immediate query is whether your components are exactly the same as the one with the advertised weight, and if the weight is for the same frame size. As an example, I bought a cannondale super six hi mod frame, and had old dura-ace on it, with dura-ace wheels etc. As the same model was ridden in the TdF and claimed to be about 6.65 kg I was really disappointed that mine weighed in at 7.6 kg. However, in preparing it for a major race, I put carbon wheels on, carbon handlebars, seat post, cranks etc etc in much the same configuration as it would be ridden by the pros and lo and behold it came down to 6.55 kg. It’s amazing how the little differences add up. The 2 biggest difference was carbon cranks on a hollow axle (300g) and the carbon tubular wheels (400g over DA alloy clinchers).