During the coronavirus pandemic, the government has been pushing people to ride bikes instead of taking public transportation. This has led to a lot of new and former cyclists wanting to get back on their bikes.
Since Halfords is the biggest bike store in the UK, it makes sense that many people go there. It has 450 service shops, and right now, all bikes are getting free safety checks to help people get machines that have been sitting in a shed or garage back on the road.
If a fix won’t work or you don’t already have a bike, the store has a lot of choices. Halfords sells road, hybrid, mountain, old, and kids’ bikes, as well as some of the best electric bikes from a variety of brands, some of which are exclusive to the store. It’s a popular place for first-time buyers, along with Evans Cycles and Decathlon, which are also popular.
Also, don’t forget that your local bike shop has been open during the Covid crisis and can be a great choice. The big chains are known for having cheap products, but your local shop can give you great help and will surprise you with how competitive their prices are.
We have detailed guides to the Halfords Carrera range and the Boardman bikes, but in this piece, we just wanted to sort through the big ranges and give you five solid recommendations based on our years of testing. You’ll notice that most of them are from Boardman. This is because the tech team at Cycling Weekly has tested a lot of bikes from this brand in the past.
VooDoo makes a lot of mountain bikes, and Haldfords has a lot of them. Our friends at MBR have also done a lot of testing on VooDoo bikes.
You’ll find a “Buy Now” or “Best Deal” link next to each product that you can buy right now. If you click on this link and then buy the thing, the store may give you a small amount of money. This won’t change how much you pay.
1. The road bike: Boardman SLR 8.8
Since Boardman’s SLR line came out, Cycling Weekly’s tech team has given it a lot of points. The 9.2 model got a score of 9/10 on a test.
At the 8.8 level, which costs £750, riders get an aluminum frame that uses technology from the machines at the top of the line. The fork is made of carbon, which makes it lighter and more comfortable.
Shimano Sora shifters and Tektro brakes, as well as Boardman’s own wheels and puncture-resistant Vittoria Zaffiro tires, are built into this model.
Buy the Boardman SLR 8.8 Road Bike for £750 at Halfords, or the Boardman SLR 8.6 Women’s Road Bike for £550 at Halfords.
2. Boardman SLR 8.9
Once you move into the 8.9 ranks of this model, you’re rewarded with a carbon frame, bringing the weight down to 9kg. Unfortunately stock is limited, and all there is available now is the women’s model in a size large (recommended for those between 177 and 183cm). The frame is the same as the men’s model, with narrower bars, shorter stems, and a women’s specific saddle.
Alongside the carbon frame and fork, you get shifting from Shimano Tiagra, and Tektro rim brakes and this model rolls aboard Vittoria’s Rubino tyres which are designed to offer plenty of puncture protection whilst rolling well on the road.
3. The adventure road bike: Boardman ADV 8.8
Adventure road bikes are made to handle different kinds of terrain, like light trails and cracked canal paths. They roll well on the road and can also handle light trails and cracked canal paths.
When our tester looked at the ADV 9.0, he said, “This bike could be a specialist bike for real adventure riding, but it could also be a commuter bike, winter trainer, tourer, or cross bike.” If you only have room for one bike at home, this one might be a good choice.”
The 8.8 model costs £750 and has an aluminum frame, full carbon forks, Shimano Sora shifting, and TRP Spyre disc brakes. On a bike like this, the tires are important. Boardman chose Schwalbe G-One rubber, which is good for going on both roads and trails.
4. The electric bike: Carrera Subway electric bike
Electric bikes can carry hefty price tags, but Carrera has managed to get its Subway hybrid down to £1099.
The bike is built around an aluminum frame, with Shimano Atlus shifting and Tektro hydraulic disc brakes. The tyres are wide 1.95″ Kenda rubber, offering comfort over rutted roads and light off-road paths.
Power comes from a 374Wh battery which provides up to 60 miles of assistance and takes between five and six hours to charge.
5. The hybrid: Boardman HYB 8.6
Hybrid bikes are made to be a happy medium between a road bike’s quick speed on the road and a mountain bike’s rough look. The frame of this flat bar machine is made of aluminum, and the arms are also made of aluminum, which helps keep the price down.
The Shimano Acera system gives the bike a total of 18 gears, and the Tektro hydraulic disc brakes give you faith that you can stop quickly in any weather. Disc brakes are better than rim brakes in wet weather.
The Schwalbe tires are the Citizen type, which is made to protect against flats for people who just want to get from A to B without any trouble.
