I had been rattling around on a heavy hybrid bike for about eight years. It was my workhorse and we went everywhere together: from commutes across London in all weathers, to touring Scotland and Europe laden with panniers. As unwaveringly reliable as the bike had proved to be, day-to-day I’d started to feel I’d outgrown it – partly due to its weight and the upright riding position, and the fact that with flat handlebars it’s hard to minimise the effect of a headwind due to the fact that they force you to ride upright most of the time.
It wasn’t entirely the bike’s fault: I cleaned it rarely, and had ridden thousands of miles on the same chain, so that every pedal stroke elicited a grinding sound.
Perhaps the catalyst was meeting Kajsa Tylen, who’s currently taking on Billie Fleming’s 1938 record for the most miles cycled in a year by a woman. Rather than raising money for charity she’s asked for “sweat pledges” – calling for people to take on physical challenges in 2016. Having trained briefly for the Ride London 100 last year and enjoyed seeing my fitness improve, I wanted to up the ante a bit and perhaps join a cycling club to help me stay motivated and meet other cyclists. The idea of a longer ride (London to Paris, perhaps?) was the perfect excuse – if one were needed at all – to retire my old hybrid and find a new bike fit for the challenges ahead. I wanted something I could train on; tackle long, leisurely rides with; and use to generally whizz around town. After testing more than a few bikes, I rather fell for the Boardman Road Sport.
Ready to ride
Women’s bikes often have shorter top tubes than men’s, based on the theory that women have longer legs and shorter torsos in proportion to their height. However, this does not apply to me, so the bike specialists at my local Halfords store fitted me with a larger frame for a longer reach to the bars, and lowered the saddle for a comfortable knee position through the pedal stroke. The narrow handlebars, with brakes and gears I could operate easily, were a crucial part of my feeling confident on the bike.
It now feels like I’ve been riding it for years: it’s nippy and responsive but reassuringly manoeuvrable. The triple-butted aluminium frame is stiff enough to zoom away from the lights in town and the carbon forks help it glide comfortably over bumps.
Upping the game
The change in my performance was measurable: having recently downloaded Strava, a ride-tracking app, I could see my average speed increase considerably without trying. Personal bests were dropping like flies. The tight corners that are an integral part of city riding became a joy – I’d rekindled my love for cycling.
I’m happy with the Road Sport – it feels like a great entry-level road bike whose components can be upgraded as you go. Having tried the Team Carbon during my road test phase – a fast, responsive and light machine with higher spec components that you could race on – I can imagine perhaps upgrading the frame at some point. After years believing I was a bit slow on the road, reluctant to join a cycling club thinking I’d be left behind, I realise that all I needed was the right bike. I now feel ready to take on pretty much anything 2016 can throw at me.
