Best geared road bike, under £650

Don't wanna start anything here but just want to say be careful with the Boardmans.

Have you ever wondered how they manage to get such decent components on a frame for the money? The frames are NASTY. I've not ridden any myself, and can't comment on the '09 frmaes, but I know LOTS of people who buy the Boardmans JUST for the groupsets and then transfer parts over to decent frames and make shitty winter trainer/pub/shop bikes out of the frames and bin parts they have.

From what I've been told the weaves they use are 5 years out of date and the ridgidity of the frames have been tripe.Certainly not something you'd want to ride over long distances as they sap energy. I've heard they aren't too great in crashes either

Again, as I said I've never ridden one, this is just what I've picked up chatting to club members both in and around London and down in Dorset.

So much snobbery surrounding Boardman bikes, I presume because of the association with Halfords. The frames are so awful that last years Mens and Womens nationals were won on a Boardman Pro, and the five years out of date carbon one that was ridden to female Olympic and Worlds victories