The Team is the top aluminium road bike in the highly-rated Boardman range, and at £849.99 it looks like excellent value and a serious contender for the cash of anyone taking part in the UK's tax-free Cycle to Work scheme. That's why we thought it would make an ideal long-term test bike.
Sure, you could stump up another £150 for the Team Carbon, which has a nigh-on identical parts spec but upgrades to a carbon fibre frame, saving 0.5lb. But if you want a bike for commuting, alloy tubing will shrug off the knocks and bumps better, and the cash you've saved can be spent on accessories.
At the heart of the Road Team is a butted aluminium frame and monocoque carbon fork. Gearing is courtesy of SRAM Rival, with a compact S350 GXP chainset (50x34T) and 10-speed cassette (12-25T) out back. Tektro R580 callipers do the stopping, while wheels (shod in 23c Continental Ultra Sport tyres) and finishing kit are from Ritchey. Claimed weight is 18.1lb; our size XL test bike weighed in at 18.87lb (8.57kg, without pedals).
We've used this bike for everything from commuting to a 50-mile ride from the Cotswolds to Cardiff, and it's dealt with it all with aplomb. In fact, we've been putting off reviewing it because it's so hard to find anything to criticise. So far the only issues have been one puncture and some nervousness on high-speed off-camber corners, which was solved by lowering the bar height.
For more details about the Road Team, see www.boardmanbikes.com. Click here to read BikeRadar's review.
