2014 Boardman CX Team... Does it do what it says on the tin?

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Interested by the thoughts on the bb7... I have no experience with them, but thought they were better

not used BB5's so can't compare just went with the forum consensus that BB7 better than BB5 as easier to adjust and I built up bike so had choice at not a big price difference
In theory you can turn the inner adjuster by hand on the BB7's so quick and easy to do - in practise it is hard to turn and often need to dig out torx tool - I think BB5's don't have the monkey fingers dial and you have to use the torx tool - if you keep a tool handy it is only a 30second job each wheel then they are a consistent brake - problem is single moving pad design is not for the lazy

edit not forgetting that discs are much better than rim brakes when commuting in the wet - I see the Boardman come with bar top levers - great for when sitting up in traffic - as said above downside is limited room for lights

Not a Boardman CX rider but some interesting points.
Have a Kinesis Pro6 which I use for gravel trails some single track and commuting - run BB7's and think the issue for me is lack of predictability. If I've remembered to wind in and out recently and I've managed to wind the inner side without digging out a torx wrench and are set up how I like then I'm not going to panic and grab too much and lock out in traffic but sometimes the amount of movement is just not what I expect. Much better than rim brakes and simple to set up but you have to do it too often or not consistent enough. So when they are readily available I'll be fitting some spyres not an obvious design solution (cable to hydraulic) but looks very neat and reviews good. Though I suspect UCI endorsement of road discs is pretty close so might see some other options soon.
As to front mudguards Pro6 comes with eyelets and I've run full mudguards but the toe overlap (small frame) when doing "u bends" on bridges needs a lot of careful coordination - so beware you may get mudguards but if your commute has tight turns you may need to be very alert

Oh, and I've found that a Cat Eye mounting is so flat on the bars that you can fit it on around the extra levers very easily. I know a lot of people hate them, but I find them really useful when I'm sitting at lights, especially on a hill.

I wouldn't say that a click is inherent to the BB30, given that my Cannondale Synapse has a BB30 and is silent. It's more inherent to Halfords. My Boardman became far better once I took it to someone who knows there way around those components, and that really isn't the case at Halfords in my experience.

Hi there, I've been riding the 2014 CX Team since it came out.

I've put 28mm Gatorskin Hardshells on mine and got around the front mudguard issue by using Elite Bottle Cage mounts on the forks, just above the front brake mount, to provide a mounting point for the mudguard stays. I also wrapped a zip tie around it to make it doubly secure. No issues so far.

(http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_...)

I've had two of these bikes now, the first one had the cracked seatpost cluster and to be honest, the front mech action was incredibly stiff, changing back down gear was horrible due to the tension that seemed to be in the cable/mech.

In complete contrast, the first time I changed gear on the second bike I thought Halfords hadn't fastened the cable. The front mech was completely different and had no weight behind the shift at all.

My front brake, BB5-R, has a strange thing going on, in that it grumbles/gurgles or possibly rumbles when braking and almost coming to a stand still. Halfords have had it in but can't identify what the noise is. It doesn't detract from braking, but it's not confidence inspiring.

I find the frame sizing to be not right for me, Medium was too small, but Large feels too large, even though I have the bike set up as close as I can to my road bike, there's something just not right, but I can't put my finger on it.

The bottom bracket is now clicking, but this seems to be inherent with the BB30/PF30 bottom bracket. Again Halfords have had the bike in and replaced a "faulty" bearing, but the clicking is still there. I need to take a look at this myself as the bearing that they replaced feels fine to me.

I'm not sure what would make the wheels "truly crap", they're definitely not light, but they're solid.

Planned upgrades... Possibly get rid of the BB5 brakes, maybe a carbon seatpost as I find the ride very harsh and my saddle is as far forward as it will go with the massive amount of set back, probably will upgrade the FD to a SRAM one to make it match, but honestly, so far, nothing is causing me problems.... Except for those bl**dy interrupter brake levers and trying to get my lights mounted... In fact that might be my first change!

I've had mine for 18 months, and I've only just really started tinkering with it. after wearing out the original tyres I've put 32mm Gatorskins on it and it's miles faster. Not as fast as my road bike, but it's definitely very quick.

I swapped out the Microshift front mech, which wasn't very good, for a 10 speed Sram Force one. It wasn't exactly urgent, but I'm glad I did it. I think it was £30 from my LBS. I've also changed the brakes to Hayes CX because I found it too hard adjust the BB5s that came on it. Again, that was after well over a year and I wouldn't rush to do either.

The wheels aren't great, but they're very tough, so they do the job for me through the winter in Glasgow. I'm toying with something new for the summer and for CX racing in the autumn though.

I would also suggest you don't let Halfords within a million miles of building the thing. They did almost everything wrong on mine, and it's taken a good few trips to the bike shop to unpick all the damage and get it working like it should. Paying someone who knows what they are doing it put it together will save you a lot of hassle down the line.

It's very good value for money
Yes - I have commuted with a rack and laptop as well as raced CX and done the flanders sportive on mine.
Wouldn't say it's a perfect fast commuter; I am quicke on my shiny (best) bike but with 28mm conti gatorskin slicks I am within a km/hr or so or good bike.
I haven't swapped anything yet (2 years and going strong)
No - I have raced in hub deep mud for 2 winters and now need a new rear minial trueing required in that time.
Crud race pack guards front and rear - work fine