Hey all

I recently bought a used Boardman Road Team in good-ish condition. Everything seemed alright when purchasing (except broken right shifter), but on closer inspection the cassette is mismatched (everything is for 10 sp, cassette is 7).

To get this up and running is would cost about 230 USD (replace wheelset, cassette, brake/shifter). Is it worth it, or should I resell and cut my losses?

What are your losses? If you paid $100, then its worth buying the correct stuff because for under $400 you have a great bike.

of course, if you paid $1000 for it, then spending the money is also a good idea because you are already spent a ton and ypu would be able to come close to selling it for what you paid.


so either way- keep it.

Why was there a 7 speed cassette on the bike? Was the bike stolen? I know not by you or at least I hope but the guy you bought it from could have stolen it or bought it stolen. What had happened to the shifter as well? Was the bike crashed? Is the frame undamaged?

If the bike is actually not stolen and was not crashed or at leas the frame is not damaged at all then put some money into it if stolen find the owner and report the person you bought it from. If the bike was crashed find the person you bought it from and get your money back they shouldn't be selling something dangerous like that especially not without telling you.

I guess my question is - full cost being 400 (bought for 150, fixes for 250); would I be better of reselling (assuming I can get the same amount) and buying something for 500 USD?

Doubt it was stolen. Bought from a middle-aged English lady in Westchester who didn't look particularly bike thief-y. These were only sold in England back when this model came out, so I'm inclined to believe this bike, in fact, belonged to her and she brought it with her when she moved.
When I went to pick it up she said the bike had been sitting in her garage for a couple of years. My guess is she had an old bike with 7 speeds and swapped the wheelset for some reason, not understanding shifting incompatibility. Alternatively, she had a different bike and wanted to keep the wheels that were on this one. Perhaps she brought it without the wheels, never used it, and threw on a set to sell it quickly. Can't really know.
The frame seems fine upon examination. I also took the bike to my LBS and the guy who runs it said the bike wasn't all that great and wasn't worth investing tons of money into - no mention of bent frame or crash issues. I'm wondering if this has to do with it being a less known brand stateside? I thought Boardman was generally great value for the quality at their original price?

hey there are numbers now, that helps.

being better off is relative. I have bikes that i couldbt sell for the $ i habe spebt on them. Is that a bad decision?
from an investment persepctive, yes its a bad decision. But from an enjoyment perspective, its an excellent decision.

You can see online what $500 will buy you. It isnt much. You are probably better off spending the $400 to get your bike working. This all assumes you like it and it fits great(which should be correct since ypu just bought it).

as for selling it...i would think itd be a tough sell to make for $150. Maybe not, but inwouldnt thinknit would garner a bunch of interest as its missing a shifter and needs a wheelset. Thats too significant for most people to mess with.

The whole breakdown from before was assuming nice-ish replacement parts to bring it back to 10 speed (SRAM cassette+brifters+chain and 10sp compatible wheelset). If I were to keep it 7 speed, I can keep the current wheelset (Rigida rims+Shimano Exage Hub) and buy a cheap shifter (probably SRAM comp grip) keeping the cost of repair under 20. Given the frame condition/weight and my location I feel somewhat confident I can recoup paid price or cloaw (an 80s not rare bike in OK cosmetic condition needing new cables, new chain sells for 100-125).

But my question is - if it were you, would a 2009 Boardman Road Team with SRAM Rival components compel you to invest 100-200 USD or would you just put a cheap shifter and get it running?

Boardman bikes have a good reputation over here in the UK. Is it worth getting in touch with the lady. The switch may have been completely inadvertant - presumably the bikes were dismantled for shipping and have just been put back together wrong. She may still have the correct wheels.

Personally I would certainly splash the extra for 10 speed rather than 7.

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Hopefully not, but things do happen. I would check and find out about the wheels if you can. It may have been a mix up or she may have actually meant to send the wrong wheels in which case you would need to replace those.

Boardman seems to be a decent enough bike but without actually seeing it myself it is hard to tell if it is worth much. Sometimes it could be a fine brand and a fine model but the parts are older and not worth investing in or they weren't of great quality or had issues or something like that. Not being known well can be more common at some bike shops. I remember a guy coming in to my old shop with a Chapman Mixte and he said everyone else thought his bike was crap or didn't even bother to look at it and I was the first to notice what it was. Sure it was a mixte but a handbuilt one from one of the guys at the old Circle A Cycles with cool vintage french parts on it for a quite awesome ride.