Boardman Road Pro Carbon: bike preview | Martin Love

A great all-round road bike that will flatter your skills and save your pockets

Chris Boardman, MBE, sometimes known as the Bike Prof for his masterly attention to detail, relaunched his eponymous range at the start of this year. As you would expect from a relaunch, the considerable hike in tech, quality and design was matched by a price rise. If you were tempted by the Prof's smooth and dextrous frames but didn't think you could quite afford one, then your reticence has been rewarded. Halfords is currently holding a 15% sale on all 2016 Boardman bikes. Does that mean they aren't selling as well as hoped? Maybe, but who cares - they are sodding good. I've ridden the Road Pro Carbon and it was a revelation. Fast, comfortable and, thanks to very grippy disc brakes, safe in all this summer rain. It's built around Boardman's award-winning SLR Endurance frame platform and uses its C7 carbon throughout. You'll find it treads a fine line between balance, stiffness and weight. Add in the ever-reliable Shimano 105 5800 groupset and Shimano RS505 hydraulic disc brakes and you have a surefire winner. Go on, treat yourself - you're worth it" (halfords.com)

Price: 1,274 (was 1,499)
Frame: full carbon
Gears: Shimano 105
Weight: 8.3kg