The Team Carbon is part of Boardman’s newly launched Performance range, which includes bikes from £499 to £1,799, which is the point that the British brand’s top-end Elite collection, launched in January, takes over. The Team Carbon slap bang in the middle of the Performance range – above it is the disc-equipped Pro Carbon at £1,499 and the range-topping Pro SLR, which gets an upgraded frame made from Boardman’s lighter C8 carbon fibre, while below it come the Comp with mechanical discs at £699 and the entry-level Sport at £499.

The Team Carbon may lack the disc brakes and shiny paint of the Pro Carbon but the monocoque C7 frame underneath that gilding is exactly the same – it isn’t simply an exercise in bolting cheap parts to a cheap frame. Both have broad, sturdy tubes for the front triangle and a rear triangle that pairs boxy, stiff chainstays to slim, supple seatstays.

In other words, our introduction to the Team Carbon was perfect rom-com fodder: a first date with plenty of promise taking place under comically unpleasant conditions.

As if adhering to Hollywood conventions, we had no choice but to soldier on and, in doing so, gradually gained a deeper appreciation of the partner we’d been thrown into this situation with. A partner which turned out to be very capable and assured in these circumstances, and would only be more impressive when the going was good.

The Team Carbon is a lovely bike. Not the most visually striking perhaps but lovely nonetheless. It’s a bike you can feel at home on straight away. Its geometry isn’t so aggressive that you ride it with your nose down and tail high but isn’t so relaxed that you feel as though you’re sitting as upright as a ship’s mast. It’s stiff enough to spark into action easily on the climbs but, on this ride, feels comfortable enough that you could spend long hours riding it without feeling beaten up when you climb off.

It’s lively and easy to flick about, which came in handy for dodging the damp drain covers and muddy puddles that cropped up on the route. The only thing that seems to be holding the Team Carbon back is its wheelset – but you’re probably used to us saying that by now. A pair of lighter hoops would add a little zip, which is the only thing the bike feels like it’s lacking. Other than that, it’s a fine machine at an excellent price, and ultimately it’s a lot of bike for the money.

It may not be the sexiest bike in the Performance range but when you take a step back and judge the Team Carbon on its own merit, you find it’s got an awful lot going for it.