Have been looking for a second hand bike for a while but none have come up on FB marketplace in my size. (6'3/190~cm)
So I've been looking to get a new one at around £1200 and have seen these 2 come up a few times:
Boardman SLR 8.9 | Specialized Allez
Which one would you choose? Or is there any other bikes at a similar price point that you guys would recommend?
I live in Exeter, UK for what its worth, and would primarily want to ride on roads and climb hills as fast as possible. As the roads are rubbish i would not be against a similar spec gravel bike either. I'm currently leaning towards the SLR as i live near a halfords which could be handy if something went wrong.
Thanks!!
by scn1sla
2 Comments
Hmm, thats a toughie. I much prefer the drivetrain on the Boardman, and I also prefer rim brakes over mechanical disc. However, the limitation with the rim brakes is you’re forced to use narrow (by todays standards) tyres, which won’t be great given you’re considering a gravel bike because of your local road conditions. The Boardman also has Quick Release axles, which is old tech now.
So although the spec of the Allez is quite low, theres a lot more upgrade potential. At a later date you could upgrade the drivetrain and brakes to a flat mount hydraulic disc set up, more gears, and you’ll have plenty of choice to upgrade the wheels given that they appear to be thru axle.
Out of the two I would go for the SLR but I think I would want disc brakes some company’s to try are ribble or decathlon or if you want a 2nd hand bike but professionally serviced try cycle exchange.