New and ready to ride...

[rj1031]

Hello there guys and girls! I am fairly new to this game of biking. I have not been on a bike for a few years and I cannot wait to get on one again and enjoy riding...plain and simple. As I write, I am waiting for my Boardman Hybrid Pro. It's not the most high-tech of a bike in this forum but I am sure with the help of forum members; I can make it lighter and better once I get my hands on it. I will post pictures once I receive it. So please, post away any recommendation you may have and I will greatly appreciate it.

Cheers,

Robert

Here's what the bike looks like:


Frame: Superlight alloy triple butted, full smooth welding
Fork: Ultralight full carbon, tapered steerer, disc compatible
Shifters: SRAM DoubleTap, 10 speed
Front Derailleur: Microshift
Rear Derailleur: SRAM Rival
Brakes: Avid Elixir 5
Chainset: FSA Energy Compact (50x34T)
Cassette: Shimano CS5700, 10 speed
Chain: KMC X10
Bottom Bracket: FSA BB30
Rims: Ritchey Pro Disc
Hubs: Formula Disc
Spokes: Stainless black
Tyres: Continental Ultra race 700x28c
Handlebars: cboardman
Stem: cboardman Pro
Headset: FSA semi integrated
Seatpost: cboardman Carbon
Saddle: cboardman
Weight: 20.5lbs

[Boonen]

Welcome to the forum Robert, hope you'll enjoy the new bike!

[Fibre-Lyte]

Welcome to the forum, I'm sure that you'll enjoy your new ride. Are you using it as a city bike?

[rj1031]

Welcome to the forum Robert, hope you'll enjoy the new bike!

Thank you! Yeah, can't wait to ride it

Welcome to the forum, I'm sure that you'll enjoy your new ride. Are you using it as a city bike?

Thanks for the warm welcome! It will be my fitness/commute/errands/leisure kind of bike.

[rj1031]

As I wait upon receiving my bike, I have been researching and getting some expert advises on how to make the bike any better, faster and lighter.

Currently, I have been looking at the following upgrades:

Hope Tech's Race Evo X2 complete brake assembly.


FSA K-FORCE LIGHT BB30 CRANKSET


FSA K-FORCE LIGHT SUPER-K FLAT HANDLEBAR


FSA K-FORCE STEM


K-FORCE SB32 SEATPOST


Stan's NoTube Alpha 340 Disc Wheelset 2012


Well, so far these are the parts that I am ordering soon. Any other suggestions will be highly appreciated.

[Ypsylon]

Wheelset and brakes look like good choices, the other stuff are nice parts, but if I were you I'd might hold out for a moment instead of changing those right away.

They all influence your position on the bike and I'd want to get in some miles so I know in what direction to go. You might want a seatpost with no setback, a longer or shorter stem and a handlebar that's not perfectly straight.

The crank comes with the chainrings and I suspect you don't know what gearing you need yet. A 48/36 might make more sense than 50/34.

Also you might find other parts on the bike that are not to your liking and want a little reserve in your cycling budget. The saddle is a usual suspect. Sometimes the grips are not for you or the shifters aren't made for your hands.

Remember you'll want a helmet, maybe clipless pedals and shoes and with fall approaching maybe a nice jacket or something. Those pieces are maybe more important than the bike to have fun riding.

[rj1031]

Wheelset and brakes look like good choices, the other stuff are nice parts, but if I were you I'd might hold out for a moment instead of changing those right away.

They all influence your position on the bike and I'd want to get in some miles so I know in what direction to go. You might want a seatpost with no setback, a longer or shorter stem and a handlebar that's not perfectly straight.

The crank comes with the chainrings and I suspect you don't know what gearing you need yet. A 48/36 might make more sense than 50/34.

Also you might find other parts on the bike that are not to your liking and want a little reserve in your cycling budget. The saddle is a usual suspect. Sometimes the grips are not for you or the shifters aren't made for your hands.

Remember you'll want a helmet, maybe clipless pedals and shoes and with fall approaching maybe a nice jacket or something. Those pieces are maybe more important than the bike to have fun riding.

Ypsylon,

Thank you so much for the wise advises! I think I may consider the necessary stuff first and just enjoy riding for now. The brakes is the only thing I ordered. I love the feel of the Hope compared to other hydraulic brakes. For pedals, I am going to go with Shimano PD-A530 (One side flat and one side with clips). Anyhow, you're right, I need to put some miles on it and decipher from then on which parts needs to be changed (saddle, crank and etc.).

[rj1031]

The wait is over! It's here and I can't wait to put some good miles on it.

Since I am not getting any younger, these joints of mine are not as fresh like 20 years ago...yeah I’m old whatever. I love to run, play tennis and basketball but all of them come with a price... strenuous impact to my joints. I thought of what sport or fitness can I do to help my joints relax for a while...swimming? Yes, but there's no swimming pool nearby. Ocean swims? Yeah, but I am wise enough not go alone without a swim buddy. Maybe it’s Arthritis?!?!?! Oh, heck nah! It's no brainer that biking is the only thing that I can think of, which is a low-impact fitness sport that is next to swimming. Plus I miss the feeling of riding on two wheels again, which excites me in some way…fitness (I need to hang with my kid) and just enjoying the ride. So for the past few months, I’ve been calling/visiting local bike shops, going to bike forums and talking and getting some advises from a local friend who has tons of experience in riding bikes. Wow! Even my wife was in disbelief on how much I’m in to this sport of cycling and searching for a bike. I know I know a bike is a bike but I am picky. After a good search and test riding, I came down to a Chris Boardman Hybrid Pro bike. I know some of you are not familiar with the brand and I am not going to details about it so…google it . I am a big guy (not vertical…the other way…get it?) and I need to find something lighter than a mountain bike. I figured it has to have the speed of a road bike and the controls of a mountain bike. Light materials are expensive…they just do (too damn expensive) but it helps on the weight and speed. Oh, about the bike…I love the seamless welds on the bike’s triple butted super alloy frame and the fact that it cannot be purchased locally in the US challenges me in some way. I really like the challenge when this word “impossible” hits you in the face. Luckily, Boardman bike’s website has a link “Buy” that connects to an internet company that sells it directly from the UK to the US called Wiggle. I was skeptical at first and debating if I should buy locally or overseas. Without a doubt, buying locally is the wisest thing to do. Not only will I get great support from my local bike shop; building a relationship is what you really after for. Okay…but I still want something unique and cool. Bought it! Shipped it! Signed it! Took it to Sprocket Cycles to build it for me and WALLA!















Tools came with it.

[rj1031]

I'll post more pics later when the Hope Tech's Race X2s are installed. For now, I will enjoy riding this bad boy!

[Ypsylon]

Looks like a very good choice for the job to me.

Also ordering a bike overseas and having it assembled by the LBS seems like the best of both worlds to me. As long as it's a brand they can't get I'm sure they will be happy to do follow ups and might help on refining your position.

If they did a decent job adjusting the gears you could loose the pizza plate in your spokes and the plastic caps on your valves.

Any particular reason for the location of the bottle cage? Most people I ride with find it easier to grab the bottle from the one on the downtube than the one on the seattube. Then again, you might just not be most people.

If you don't have one, a mini pump and a spare tube might be a smart investment, other than that, I'd just get going.

Have fun.

[rj1031]

Looks like a very good choice for the job to me.

Also ordering a bike overseas and having it assembled by the LBS seems like the best of both worlds to me. As long as it's a brand they can't get I'm sure they will be happy to do follow ups and might help on refining your position.

If they did a decent job adjusting the gears you could loose the pizza plate in your spokes and the plastic caps on your valves.

Any particular reason for the location of the bottle cage? Most people I ride with find it easier to grab the bottle from the one on the downtube than the one on the seattube. Then again, you might just not be most people.

If you don't have one, a mini pump and a spare tube might be a smart investment, other than that, I'd just get going.

Have fun.

Thanks Ypsylon!

Sprocket Cycles in Redondo Beach, CA is the closest and friendliest bike shop near me. They welcomed me just like any other customer and you're right, it was a privilege for them to work on the bike. They did a great job building, adjusting and recommended some upgrades IF ever I decided to do it.

Yeah, I will take off the pizza plate and plastic caps eventually. I am also getting another bottle cage but I get what you're saying I will order some nice caps, mini pump and tubes at Fairwheel bikes.

Cheers,
Robert

[garyniem]

Hi, I'm a bike enthusiast from the Midwest looking for a fast hybrid that also is well-mannered for enough city/commuting. It's important to me that the ride not be overly harsh, but not soggy either. "Supple and responsive" best describes the goal. I'd zeroed in on the Specialized Sirrus Comp or the Marin Lucas Valley before discovering Chris Boardman and his line of hybrids. So I was very interested to read your post (great unboxing pics, by the way). Now that you've had time to ride the bike for a few days, how would you describe the experience? Can you relate what size frame you bought, and your own height? I'm 6-1 (feet-inches) with a 33-inch inseam, and am wondering if the Large frame will be big enough. I'm hoping that a stem with more angle would bring up the bars more in line with the seat. I come from a background of upright bikes, and at least in the beginning, that's the position I hope to retain. How does the bike feel to you? Your "real world" riding evaluation of the bike would be greatly appreciated. Congrats on your purchase.

P.S. Would also enjoy hearing how those SRAM Double-Taps are working on the flat bars. Do you really "double-tap" for an upshift, or is it more like "a small tap for upshift" and "push it 15 degrees for a downshift"? Did you have to adjust its position for your thumb? Thanks.

Gary

[rj1031]

garyniem,

Thanks for your kind words of appreciation. Prior to this purchase, I have spent like several weeks deciding which hybrid to get. I have looked at a lot of hybrid bikes including the ones you mentioned. Without a doubt, all other hybrids would serve its job well but it came down to uniqueness...which made me decide on the Boardman.

I am 5'6" and I bought the small sized frame. From my first ride, I was expecting it be more upright riding but it wasn't. The longer I ride the more it gets uncomfortable so I may get a riser shorter stem and a riser bar to get a more upright position. I still have not decided what to do or which part I should get now in able to achieve what I think is comfortable for me. At the moment, the bike is at my local bike shop having the Hope Tech X2 brakes, 183mm disc fronts and 160mm disc rears installed as well the new grips with bar ends (Ergon GP3).

About the ride...

The bike is fast for a hybrid. Smooth, nimble and quick. Bumps and vibrations were soften well by the carbon forks and carbon seat post. Upshifts are just one small tap on the lever and downshift consist of one full push (maybe 15 degrees) of the lever. I think it's perfect for the bike, shifts fast and precise. Sram Rival and FSA crank BB30 are in unison...real pleasure to ride. I might change to a different saddle soon for more comfortable ride. I will slowly upgrade for lighter components later (ENVE stuff, SRAM Red and etc.).

Good luck!

[garyniem]

Thanks for the description! It's apparent that the bike isn't very upright (as befits its status as one of the fastest hybrids on the planet), so like you I'll almost certainly switch to an adjustable stem, or one with a bigger angle. Thanks for the suggestion on bar ends... Ergon looks like a good product line. At any rate, everyone has to fit the bike to themselves for the long haul. That's one of the fun things about bikes, right? From your description of the bike itself, it sounds like a real screamer, but well-mannered, too, with carbon at key junctures. I can hardly wait. I ordered my Hybrid Pro this morning! Good luck with your mods, and keep posting as you go. Good stuff.

[rj1031]

Way to go, garyniem! I am sure you will love it!

I will be picking-up my bike from my bike shop tomorrow and can't wait to try the new brakes and new grip with bar ends. I am hoping the bar ends will help and hopefully make my ride more comfortable. I will take some pics when I get it and post it right away.