B0ARDMAN TEAM CARBON

£1000

The somewhat racy Team has a full carbon frame and fork with mostly-external cables and a big PF30 bottom bracket shell. Unusually for carbon, it’s got eyelets to take proper mudguards, although clearances aren’t huge. Boardman takes a piecemeal approach, giving you shifting kit from Shimano’s very competent 10-speed Tiagra, cheap FSA cranks and Tektro brakes. The Mavicrimmed wheels and the own-brand finishing kit are all fine, but the bars are unusually short reach, so bear that in mind when sizing. It’s not particularly springy, but the Boardman offers decent comfort and stiffness to be a lot of fun – it doesn’t have the dead feeling that blights the ride quality of some affordable carbon. The brakes are spongy thanks to calliper flex, but they don’t ruin a rewarding ride. We would upgrade the brakes sooner rather than later, but the Team Carbon still has one of the best budget carbon frames on the market.