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    Creating National Title and Olympic winning road bikes is in our DNA and something we have been doing since 2007. Each of the Boardman road platforms is designed, developed and specced for a specific intended purpose without compromise.

    Whether it is a cutting-edge aero product or an endurance bike developed with comfort in mind we have the perfect road bike suitable for your needs.
    • Boardman SLR 8.9 Carbon "Blimey, what a corker! The Boardman SLR 8.9 Carbon replaces the Road Team Carbon which is road.cc Road Bike of the Year 2017-18, and it's a lot of bike for £1,000." Read Article

      The Boardman SLR 8.9 Carbon replaces the Road Team Carbon which is road.cc Road Bike of the Year 2017-18, and it's a lot of bike for £1,000. Every so often in this job you review a bike that makes you think, 'I'd happily ride this one day in, day out.' That's not entirely surprising when you're on a 10 grand superbike, but it's less common at the £1,000 mark. The Boardman SLR 8.9 is one of those bikes.

      Of course, £1,000 represents a significant investment for most of us, but it's not stratospheric these days, and means the Boardman SLR 8.9 Carbon is accessible via most tax-free Cycle to Work schemes. The highlight is the new frameset, which is good news because that's the heart of any bike. The frame was developed with the use of CFD (computational fluid dynamics), the idea being to provide improved aerodynamic efficiency. You wouldn't call this a full-on aero road bike but you do get features designed to reduce drag. The down tube, seat tube and fork legs have truncated aerofoil profiles, meaning that the trailing edge is cut off square – a design technique that's widely used in the bike industry (and elsewhere).

      THE RIDE

      We can't offer any assessment of aerodynamics, but I can tell you that the Boardman SLR 8.9 Carbon feels lively in use. You'll find lighter bikes out there at this price point – the £999 Giant Contend SL1 that we reviewed weighed 8.74kg, for instance, and the Specialized Allez Elite, also £999, was 8.77kg – but don't get too hung up on that. The SLR 8.9 Carbon offers a high level of stiffness for its price point. Okay, you'll probably notice a bit of frame flex if you absolutely hammer it in a quad-twanging sprint for a town sign, and a little from Boardman's own alloy tubeless-ready wheels, but that's about the extent of it. In general, the SLR 8.9 Carbon gives a good account of itself, standing firm when you launch into your best KOM efforts.

      You get a tapered head tube that's home to a 1 1/8in upper bearing and a 1 1/2in lower bearing. This gives the front end a pretty solid feel that makes carving through the bends a whole lot of fun. You can smash it through the corners without the need to back off if things get vague.

      The handling is quick but a way short of twitchy. You can manoeuvre yourself easily enough without any sense of skittishness. This is a bike that's simple to control – well, pretty much. I wouldn't say that the Tektro R315 long arm brakes, which have been specced to allow the use of mudguards and 28mm tyres, have quite the punch of Shimano equivalents. Don't get me wrong, they work fine, they just feel like they're lacking a little power when push comes to shove. One thing that surprised me about the SLR 8.9 Carbon is the level of comfort on offer here. I've ridden it loads over the past few weeks, including up the Col de la Madone in southeast France two or three times and the Col de Turini, and I've never given comfort a whole lot of thought. That's definitely a good thing because the only time I usually think about that ride quality is when it's missing.

      One thing that surprised me about the SLR 8.9 Carbon is the level of comfort on offer here. I've ridden it loads over the past few weeks, including up the Col de la Madone in southeast France two or three times and the Col de Turini, and I've never given comfort a whole lot of thought. That's definitely a good thing because the only time I usually think about that ride quality is when it's missing. Boardman has dropped the seatstays on this model so that they meet the seat tube low down, while the seatpost is a slim 27.2mm in diameter and its clamping point is low – it's a wedge-type design in the top tube/seat tube junction. All of this helps to make for a reasonable amount of movement at the saddle; not so much that you bounce around when laying down the power, but enough to take the edge off holes and bumps in the road and to filter out a lot of vibration.

      The saddle itself is made for Boardman by Velo, although the shape is reminiscent of that of a Fizik. Let's just say that the design looks as though it has been heavily influenced by the Antares. Saddles are always a matter of personal taste but I imagine that most people are going to get along with the generous amount of gel-feel padding on offer. The only thing that I'd really have preferred in terms of comfort would have been a larger diameter handlebar. Boardman's own alloy bar is a 31.8mm diameter at the clamp but slims down a lot from there. A chunkier bar would make for lower pressure on your hands... but that's a personal preference and I'm being picky. If you want to fit mudguards, the SLR 8.9 Carbon comes with eyelets. The ones on the inside of the rear dropouts are hardly noticeable when not in use and those on the outside of the fork legs aren't a whole lot more conspicuous. Subtle, then, but invaluable for year-round riding in the UK.

      GEOMETRY

      I've been riding the SLR 8.9 Carbon in a 58cm. This one comes with a 570mm effective top tube (the measurement if the top tube was horizontal rather than sloping), a 580mm effective seat tube (again, assuming the top tube was horizontal) and a 160mm head tube. The head angle is 73 degrees and the seat angle is 73.5 degrees. The stack height (the vertical distance from the centre of the bottom bracket to the top of the head tube) is 582mm and the reach (the horizontal distance between those points) is 392mm.

      Divide the stack by the reach and you get 1.48 which is exactly the same as you get with Boardman's high level SLR Endurance 9.9. The geometry is identical. It's not nearly as relaxed as something like a Specialized Roubaix, though, where the 58cm model has a stack/reach figure of 1.67. Boardman's SLR Race, on the other hand, has a lower stack and a longer reach, putting you into a more aggressive riding position. The top and the bottom of all this number talk is that this is a performance-minded geometry but it's more relaxed than that of a full-on race bike. It splits the difference between a traditional race bike and an endurance bike. You feel like you're riding in an efficient position and the chances are that you're not going to get an ache in your back or a crick in your neck 10 miles down the road from trying to hold it.

      GROUPSET AND GEARING

      The SLR 8.9 Carbon is built up with a Shimano Tiagra groupset, aside from those Tektro R315 long arm brakes that I mentioned. Tiagra might lack the prestige of Shimano's higher level groupsets (it sits fourth in the hierarchy behind Dura-Ace, Ultegra and 105) but it just works. Okay, it's a 10-speed rather than an 11-speed system but you don't particularly notice that difference in use; at least, I don't. You just adjust to these things.

      You get a compact chainset (50/34-tooth) and a 12-28t cassette here which will probably suit most. I guess that some people might prefer an 11-32t cassette or even 11-34 to make things easier on the toughest hills. Handily, Boardman has specced the GS version of the Tiagra rear derailleur here so going for larger sprockets would be a relatively straightforward swap.

      WHEELS AND TYRES

      I wouldn't say that Boardman's SLR alloy wheels are anything to get particularly excited about but they've done a decent job over the past few weeks. After a good few hundred miles the front one is still perfectly true – bang on – while the rear one is near as damn it too. That's a good sign. It means that the wheels probably won't need much attention for a long time. The rims are tubeless ready, although the 700 x 25 Vittoria Rubino tyres aren't, so you'll need to swap them over if you want to go down that route. These tyres aren't especially lightweight or supple but they do offer durability and avoid flats pretty well thanks to a puncture protection layer.

      GOOD VALUE?

      Interestingly, Boardman offers the SLR 8.9 Alloy at exactly the same price: £1,000. The main differences are that you get an alloy frame (you worked that out for yourself, right?) – it's triple butted 6061 aluminium alloy – and a Shimano 105 11-speed groupset, which is a level higher than the SLR 8.9 Carbon's Tiagra. You also get a Fizik Antares saddle rather than Boardman's own. The tube profiles aren't exactly the same as those of the SLR 8.9 Carbon that I've been riding but the frames are recognisably from the same family. Smooth welding gives a carbon look. I'd guess that most people are going to be tempted by the lure of carbon, but who knows? We've not reviewed the SLR 8.9 Alloy so we can't comment on the relative performance.

      The Giant Contend SL 1 that we did review here on road.cc is similar to the SLR 8.9 Alloy in that you get an alloy frame and a mainly Shimano 105 groupset, although you get a cheaper chainset and Tektro R540 brakes. The Specialized Allez Elite is also £999, it's also built around an aluminium frame, and it's also built up with a largely Shimano 105 groupset (with a Praxis groupset and Tektro brakes). You need to decide whether you'd prefer the higher level groupset of any of these three bikes or a carbon frame. That's down to you, clearly. What I would say is that I'd consider the Boardman SLR 8.9 Carbon to be more upgradeable. It could certainly handle higher level components if you're likely to add them as and when the various parts wear out.

      CONCLUSION

      The Boardman SLR 8.9 Carbon is a really good road bike, particularly because the frameset is an absolute winner. Add in a reliable Shimano Tiagra groupset, no-nonsense finishing kit and the ability to fit mudguards easily and this is a bike that'll give you a ton of enjoyment all year round.

      VERDICT

      Really impressive road bike that's built around a corker of a frameset, and the price is very good too.

      Road.cc July 2018 - Full Review  Here
    • Boardman SLR 8.9 Carbon - Bike Radar “Quality modern-looking carbon frame and all-carbon fork, great commuter/sportive ride, tubeless-ready wheels.” Read Article

      The Boardman SLR 8.9 Carbon is one of our Bike of the Year bikes for 2019. Impressively, while the Boardman Road Team Carbon’s spec evolved over the years, the bike’s price never crept over the all-important £1,000 mark in the UK, crucial both psychologically and in making it eligible for the UK’s Cycle to Work scheme’s tax breaks.

      Just as impressively, Boardman’s team of designers has replaced the Boardman Road Team Carbon with a more modern-looking all-carbon road bike and a bang-up-to-date spec, happily losing a few features that were starting to show their age. Crucially, the familiar sportive- and distance-friendly geometry are unchanged, as is the £1,000 price of the SLR 8.9c (there’s also an aluminium model at the same price, the cunningly named SLR 8.9a).

      To hit that very appealing price, Boardman has gone with a near-complete Shimano Tiagra groupset rather than the predominantly 105 setups on the similarly priced Cannondale CAAD Optimo, Giant Contend SL1 and Specialized Allez Elite – and the full-on 105 setups of Canyon and Rose’s £1,000 online offerings. The wheels have also stepped into the future compared with previous versions. The last few years saw the pretty basic Mavic CX22 rim, though Boardman was a comparatively early adopter of 25mm tyres, which are retained here. The new wheels are Boardman branded and have a modern rounded profile rim. They’re also future-proofed, as they come tubeless-ready, though you will have to swap the non-tubeless-ready tyres. As well as recognising the benefits of wider tyres, Boardman Bikes was also an early adopter of ‘sportive geometry’. Aware that the great majority of us don’t want a super-long top-tube and our nose down on the front wheel, Boardman relaxed the geometry.

      If you compare the SLR 8.9c with today’s 54cm Specialized Allez Elite (which has a similar length top-tube to my medium-size Boardman), and which itself has become less aggressive, the Boardman has a marginally taller head-tube, higher stack and lower reach figures – albeit by a matter of just a few millimetres – as well as a compact handlebar. The result is a more upright riding position that’s comfortable, puts no strain on your lower back and is great for dodging through city traffic, as well as on longer, more adventurous days out. And while this makes it a great choice for the leisure, fitness and endurance rider, it’s still not so extreme that you can’t have a competitive outing on it. After all, its predecessor propelled Nicole Cooke to Olympic gold in Beijing. And this being 2019, you’re getting a frame created using ‘computational fluid dynamics’, which has resulted in some drag-beating aerodynamic touches, such as truncated aerofoil profiles in the fork, down tube and seat tube. It’s also as comfortable as anything you’ll find at the price, and you could up the plushness further by going for 28mm tyres, which you can fit along with mudguards.

      The new, dropped seatstays will also help with rear-end comfort, as does the 27.2mm diameter seatpost. Yes, Boardman has finally ditched the oversize 31.6mm post it stuck with for a decade, though I’d have preferred a handlebar that kept its wide diameter further out from the stem than the Boardman’s did.

      The handling is quick and lively but you always feel in complete control, even descending, while the solid front end, with its tapered steerer, is stiff enough for rapid changes of direction. And while the carbon does cushion the ride, you’re never totally insulated from the road surface, so the feedback is very good.

      The step-down from 105 to Tiagra is painless, it works pretty much as efficiently and effectively with the loss of one rear gear. The only deviation from the groupset is the deep-drop Tektro brakes, but even these budget stoppers work pretty well thanks to their cartridge brake blocks, and they’ll allow mudguards and wider tyres. Not up there with 105 brakes, but not bad. One area where I think Boardman did miss a trick was in its cassette. Giant has moved to a 32t bottom sprocket and Specialized 34t on its 2019 bikes, whereas Boardman has stuck with a 28t sprocket for its bailout gear. I’d have gone for the 11-32 or 11-34 cassette, which gives you a little more at both ends of the spectrum. Thankfully the Tiagra mech will cope with a wider cassette, and if you like maximum help on the hills a wider-ranging cassette is well worth considering. Aside from the slightly limited gear range, one of my few other criticisms is that it’s only available in four sizes (and three women’s models) compared with six for the Specialized and eight for the Cannondale, for example.

      I’d also have liked to see rear rack mount fittings to go with the very near mudguard fittings on the fork and inside the seatstays, which would have upped the versatility and its commuting credentials.

      But limiting the size range is almost certainly one of the ways that Boardman has kept the price so attractive, and this is still pretty much the only £1,000 carbon bike readily available in your high street.

      VERDICT

      The Boardman Road Team Carbon is dead. Long Live the Boardman SLR 8.9 carbon!

      Bikeradar July 2019
    • Boardman SLR 8.6 - Cycling Plus "If you’re looking to trade up from your very first, super-cheap road bike to something with a little more poise and panache and a recognisable brand name, then Boardman’s SLR 8.6 should be one of the bikes to consider." Read Article

      Boardman’s SLR 8.6 has an all-new and very neatly finished 7005 aluminium frame.

      And if you’re only experience of riding a bike with drop bars is the notorious BSO – ‘bike-shaped object’ – bought for £100–£150 or so from somewhere other than a bike shop, then Boardman’s SLR 8.6 will be head and shoulders above it. And then some.

      In fact, it has a lot of features far more familiar on bikes costing around twice the price, and this frameset could well be the basis for long-term upgrading.

      BOARDMAN SLR 8.6 FRAME AND KIT

      Boardman’s SLR 8.6 has an all-new and very neatly finished 7005 aluminium frame. Unusually for such a modestly priced bike this features frame tubes with aerodynamic profiles – Boardman Bikes has invested heavily in its own Performance Centre complete with its own wind tunnel – and a full-carbon fork with mudguard mounts.

      The up-to-date dropped seat stays, with their pronounced keyhole profile, should add rear-end comfort and their rack mounts factor in a little more versatility too.

      The componentry is pretty much what you’d expect for the money, with Shimano’s 8-speed Claris levers, derailleurs and cassette accompanied by an FSA Tempo compact chainset and the same company’s deep-drop R315 levers. This is very similar to the kit found on comparably priced road bikes from Trek, Giant and Genesis, for example.

      The top-tube is on the shorter side, the head tube slightly taller than average, putting it smack-bang into endurance territory The Claris setup works well, though I’d have still preferred a lower gear than that offered by the 28t sprocket.

      The 34×32 bottom gear is certainly lower than would have been standard a few years ago and will get you up most climbs you’re likely to come across, but on steeper hills into double digit gradients you will find yourself out of the saddle and working hard. Shimano does offer an 8-speed 11-30 and 11-32 cassette which would ease climbs.

      The dual-pivot Tektro brakes, again typical at the price, are okay but you’d improve stopping power by swapping the non-cartridge blocks for cartridge models when they reach the end of their life.

      Apart from the frame, Boardman has made a few other welcome changes over this bike’s predecessors. The new Boardman-branded wheels have a wider profile than the earlier Road Sport’s Mavic rims, which allows the Zaffiro tyres to make the most of their 25mm width.

      Boardman has also – finally – dispensed with the oversize 31.6mm diameter seatpost. Hurrah! Combined with the more compact frame and those dropped, shaped stays this means more comfort, without compromising performance. Should you want to upgrade later, say to a carbon seatpost, you’ll have more choice these days too.

      BOARDMAN SLR 8.6 GEOMETRY

      One thing that has stayed largely the same, and which is very welcome, is the geometry.

      The top-tube is on the shorter side, the head tube slightly taller than average, putting it smack-bang into endurance territory, without making it so extreme that you can’t get down reasonably low if you want to.

      But the position is friendly to your lower back, which is ideal for commuting, fitness and leisure riding, while the mudguard clearance makes it a more-than-decent trainer too, or you can fit 28mm tyres for a little extra plushness.

      Great to see tubeless-ready rims here too, another rare sight on bikes around the £500 mark. More familiar are the external cable routing and square-tapered bottom bracket. Both are tried-and-trusted features, and though not cutting edge, make life easier for the spanner-wielding home mechanic.

      The cabling didn’t seem to have any negative impacts on the gearing, with front and rear shifting consistently accurate, though without quite the smoothness of Shimano’s more expensive groupsets.

      The own-brand stem, bar and saddle are all good for the money and the bar end plugs have expanding wedges rather than just being banged in, another nice little feature. They also all contribute to an attractive, albeit slightly muted, overall look.

      BOARDMAN SLR 8.6 OVERALL

      Boardman Bikes has been one of the market leaders for entry-level road bikes in the UK over the last decade and the company’s SLR range, launched in 2018, looks likely to further that reputation.

      The SLR 8.6’s ride is great in city and country, on the flats and over hills — though I’d have liked a slightly lower bailout gear — and the price is very competitive for a first ‘serious’ road bike for leisure, fitness riding and more. Fancy a challenging sportive? Or your first 100-miler? This’ll do you proud for both.

      Rack and mudguard mounts pile on the practicality, the all-carbon fork is very pleasing to see and the aero-profiled tubes don’t detract from the handling. The tubeless-ready rims add future-proofing, the all-round ride is excellent, and comfort is very good.

      There are four men’s models and it’s good to see three women’s models with pretty much identical geometry. These have narrower bars, female-specific saddles and… pink highlights on the rims and beneath the down tube.

      VERDICT

      “A lot of bike for not that much money, Boardman’s SLR 8.6 is one of the best budget bikes around - 4/5”

      Bikeradar May 2019
    • Boardman ADV 8.8 "With the ADV 8.8, Boardman has continued its theme of offering great performing bikes at a sensible price. Well made, well specced and fun to ride, this latest adventure machine covers plenty of bases, from blasting the local gravel byways to year-round commuting. It's a lot of bike for not a lot of money." Read Article

      ADV stands for adventure, and this is exactly what Boardman has aimed the 8.8 at, a little bit of everything. As Boardman points out, we don't have thousands of miles of unsurfaced gravel roads so the company hasn't gone down that route specifically, instead of taking the fast-rolling features of a road bike with slightly more forgiving geometry for multi-terrain use. Compared with its SLR Endurance Disc model, for instance, the ADV has a much more relaxed head angle at 70.5 degrees compared to 73 degrees, and a slightly bigger bottom bracket drop of 70mm to lower the centre of gravity and aid stability.

      THE RIDE

      The slacker front end means the ADV 8.8 never feels twitchy on loose surfaces, with similar steering and handling off-road to the SLR Endurance on tarmac, which is confidence-inspiring, especially if you dart between the two terrains mid-ride. On the road the ADV loses some of its steering sharpness but it never really feels ponderous through the bends. If you commute in all weathers this slower steering benefits in dodgy weather conditions like heavy rain or greasy, salt-covered winter roads. With a tapered head tube up front and full carbon fork, stiffness is impressive which also helps in the bends.

      The gravel tracks I have near me are mainly wide and flowing, covering hundreds of miles as they criss-cross Salisbury Plain, and the Boardman really was fun to ride in this type of surroundings. It was being tested at the same time as the Canyon Grail, which is a much faster, more aggressive gravel machine, but I never thought of the Boardman as the softer option; a more relaxed ride maybe, but never dull.

      Fast, rocky descents took a little more concentration to get the perfect line, and away from the Plain where the gravel tracks and twisty hardpack trails are a little more technical a more methodical and calculated approach was required, but ride the ADV 8.8 in isolation and you'll find it a fun and solid performer. As standard, the Boardman comes with Schwalbe's G-One Allround tyres and they are very good, both on and off-road. If you are going to spend a lot of time on the tarmac, though, as a commuter for instance, then a switch to some slicks will make for a better ride. I tried the 8.8 with both a set of 28mm road tyres I had knocking about and the 30mm-wide inverse treaded Ritchey Alpine JBs, and that really made for a fun cruising machine for the likes of commuting or day trips. The bike rolls well, so you can cover some decent distance, and its all-in weight of 10.57kg never really feels like a hindrance under acceleration or when climbing. Boardman has specced a 48/32t chainset option plus an 11-32t cassette so you have plenty of low gears to get you up the steep stuff anyway.

      Like a lot of other bikes at this price point, the ADV 8.8 is fitted with a set of mechanical TRP Spyre-C brake callipers and while they are one of the better ones, braking performance can be... how can I put it?... challenging. You really need to pull them on hard if you need to stop from speed and there can be a few heart-stopping moments if you aren't planning ahead. There isn't a huge amount of feel or modulation and in the dry, you aren't really benefiting over a good set of dual pivot rim brakes, though you are obviously reaping the benefits in the wet. You're also experiencing less wheel wear if you ride and commute year-round: it's much cheaper to replace a rotor than a wheel rim.

      FRAME AND FORK

      Boardman has created the frame from 7005 aluminium alloy and it looks and feels to be well made, with a smooth finish to the welds and a tough paintjob. The graphics look pretty cool, too, to my mind making the 8.8 look a more expensive bike than it actually is. As I mentioned above, the head tube is tapered, which is standard fare these days but still good to see at the lower end of the market. It goes from 1 1/8in at the top to 1 1/2in at the bottom for maximum stiffness under braking and steering. It also allows for a larger crown diameter on the full carbon fork fitted to complete the package. All the tubing is on the larger side when it comes to diameters, although very few of them are actually round. It offers a firm ride, but like a lot of alloy bikes these days, it isn't harsh. The top tube tapers down as it gets near to the seatpost for added comfort, and the larger diameter seat tube (it takes a 31.6mm seatpost) paired with the down tube and chunky chainstays work in the opposite direction, to create a stiff bottom end for power transfer. Those who aren't fans of creaks will be glad to see that Boardman has gone down the threaded bottom bracket route.

      One thing we have seen trickling down through the price range is the adoption of thru-axles front and rear, but Boardman has stuck with traditional quick releases here for both the rear dropouts and the fork. Thru-axles, if you don't know, are tubes that pass through the frame and fork one side and are screwed into a threaded part on the opposing side, locking them into the bike. It adds a level of security over QR skewers, as in the wheels can't drop out even if the thru-axle was to loosen, plus there are some benefits at the fork as it helps resist twisting forces under braking on account of the rotor only being attached to one side of the wheel. Quick releases aren't redundant, though, and they worked fine throughout the test period, especially as the brakes here don't have the amount of power that a hydraulic setup has. The frame and fork are set up for flat mount callipers for a smoother look than post mount options.

      I mentioned earlier about using the ADV 8.8 for commuting, and to make this more pleasurable it comes with a full complement of mounting eyes for mudguards and a rear pannier rack. You also get two sets of bottle cage mounts. It's getting quite rare to see a frame that still has external cable routing but the 8.8 does use various guides to keep everything looking neat and tidy as it passes underneath the down tube.

      WHEELS AND TYRES

      Speccing Schwalbe's awesome G-Ones as standard is a bit of a masterstroke by Boardman, as they are great all-rounders perfect for the 'bit of everything' style of the ADV. They are fast on the road and grippy too, and take most things in their stride away from it; they're especially suited to hardpacked gravel and firm, dry forest trails. The trade-off is that they can be a little fragile, which I have found through testing them on various other bikes, but I had no issues here. Boardman provides its own wheelset, made up of ADV tubeless ready rims mated to Formula hubs. It's not a massively exciting package but it works well and the wheels feel very solid, taking plenty of abuse on the trails. Both the front and rear use 32 spokes set up in a two-cross pattern for strength. The bearings feel smooth and the pick-up from the freehub pawls is quick enough so I'd be happy to leave these fitted to the ADV without worrying about an upgrade – not something I often say when it comes to bikes below a grand.

      FINISHING KIT

      Shimano provides the majority of the drivetrain by way of its 9-speed Sora groupset. It's great kit and good to see here as the shifting is positive and the gear/brake STI levers are a joy to use. As they mimic the design of the 105 5800 shifters and those of the next level up Tiagra model, there is very little to separate them other than the fact that those two get an extra sprocket or two. The cassette we have here ranges from 11 to 32 teeth (11-12-14-16-18-21-24-28-32), which as you can see has pretty close jumps at the bottom of the sprockets but they get larger towards the bigger ones. A jump of four teeth is quite noticeable but as they are predominantly for the bailout gears, I could live with it. FSA has supplied the chainset, primarily because Shimano doesn't offer a 48/32t chainset option in Sora. The FSA shifts across chainrings fine, and even though it looks a little dated with its cartridge bottom bracket setup, there is no need to rush out and upgrade. TRP Spyre-C mechanical brakes are starting to become the norm on bikes of this price, but as I said above they aren't the most powerful, even when paired with the 160mm diameter rotors. I ride a lot of disc-equipped bikes and most of them have hydraulics so I probably notice the difference between them and the Spyres more so than someone coming from cable-operated rim brakes, but just don't be expecting anything amazing in terms of a performance upgrade. Unlike a lot of mechanical disc options, the Spyre-Cs do move both pads onto the rotor so you get equal pressure applied. A lot of others on the market have just the one side that moves, pushing the rotor across to the stationary pad, so the Spyres do have a benefit there.

      The rest of the finishing kit comes from Boardman's own box of bits. The aluminium alloy stem does the job, and like most adventure bikes you get a shorter length fitted than you would to the equivalent road machine: just 80mm here on the ADV 8.8. I'm a big fan of a flared handlebar on bikes designed for off-road use, as it gives a bit more stability when you are flying along in the drops. At the hoods it measures 440mm across but that increases by quite a bit by the time you get to the bottom. The bar is again an alloy offering but it is stiff enough for hauling up hills or when you load it up when cornering hard or braking. On all its bikes, Boardman seems to favour a 31.6mm seatpost over a narrower 27.2mm option. It is a minimal difference but going for the smaller option promotes a little more flex for comfort, especially if you swap out the standard alloy one for a carbon fibre post.

      One thing that I wasn't totally enamoured with was the Boardman Road by Velo saddle; I just didn't really get on with the shape or its firmness. It's a personal thing, though, and swapping to a trusted favourite isn't a major hassle.

      VALUE

      We've had quite a few of this style of bike in lately and at first glance the ADV 8.8 is one of the cheapest at £750, and it comes in a women's version too. If you want hydraulic braking there is an 8.9 model with 10-speed Tiagra hydraulic shifters, mechs and an upgraded FSA chainset for £1,000. The closest in price to the 8.8 is Raleigh's Mustang Sport, a similar beast with an alloy frame and carbon fork, but it only gets 8-speed Claris and it weighs 11.38kg compared to the Boardman's 10.57kg. A bike that I really enjoyed riding was the Kona Rove DL, which comes with a very similar setup for its £899 but it does get a Sora chainset. It has an aluminium fork instead of carbon and weighs a heady 12.17kg, although as I said in my review, it never felt heavy when being ridden.Then there is the Bianchi Via Nirone All Road – not quite as off-road inspired as the Boardman, and it costs £1,000 for very similar kit and weight.

      CONCLUSION

      On paper, it's hard to discount the ADV 8.8. It's relatively light against the opposition, and quite a bit cheaper. In the real world that doesn't change either: it's a fun bike to ride, has loads of versatility and really is a bargain.

      VERDICT

      Boardman's adventure bike has an impressive ride on and off the road, at a very competitive price


      Road.cc June 2018 - Full Review Here

    • Boardman SLR 9.2 - Cycling Weekly "The Boardman SLR 9.2 blends endurance and aero, as many bikes are doing, but Boardman has done an exceptional job of using high-grade carbon to engineer a ride that is both nimble yet comfortable." Read Article

      With its own wind tunnel, Boardman has been able to hone the aerodynamics of the SLR range, and the result is a bike made from ultra-high modulus C10 carbon-fibre with wind-cheating features such as truncated aerofoil tube profiles, an aero seat post and dropped seat stays.

      The Boardman is designed for a high level of comfort and gives an engaging ride that’s stable without being too plush. With its lightweight, it climbed well through the ups and downs of the Chilterns. On the flat, the aero features boost speed, and downhill the steering felt precise without being edgy. On a wet ride, we felt the absence of disc brakes though and found the 25mm tyres slipped slightly in the damp. Thankfully, tread at the sides of the slick central section keeps slippage under control and in dry conditions, the tyres felt fast. The not-too-upright geometry is spot-on for a racy endurance ride, and there are plenty of spacers supplied so you can raise the bar by up to 3cm if you wish. You get a well-designed frameset that’s pleasingly light, and it’s nice to see a full Shimano Ultegra groupset with neither the brakes nor the chainset swapped out. As tends to be the case with bikes at this price point, the robust wheels are good for training, but the Boardman really needs carbon hoops to fulfil its potential.

      VERDICT

      The Boardman SLR 9.2 blends endurance and aero, as many bikes are doing, but Boardman has done an exceptional job of using high-grade carbon to engineer a ride that is both nimble yet comfortable. It also has a geometry that’s exactly right for fast road riding of virtually any denomination, be that racing or longer-distance events, and it impressed us with its low weight — it is easily the lightest bike on test. So although it was a close run thing with all four bikes scoring well-deserved nines, we’re awarding the grouptest win to the Boardman.

      OVERALL RATING:9/10

      Cycling Weekly March 2019
    • Boardman SLR 9.4 - BikesETC “With a rate of turn that can’t fail to excite, the Boardman encourages you to take some serious liberties at speed.” Read Article

      ABOUT THE BIKE

      An aero frame, a stiffness designed to propel you at speed with minimal losses, the same high-mod carbon construction as its almost £6K cousin, a paint scheme that screams ‘RAPID’, and an electronic groupset to hold it all together. For just over £2,500. Boardman reckons it’s good to go for any type of riding. We’ll level with you; we’re keen to see if that claim holds up.

      THE RIDE

      First impression: Riding this bike a day after the Ribble came as quite a shock. Not only does the SLR’s near 1500g weight difference become obvious very early on, but also its rate of turn is quick enough to almost catch us out within 15 minutes of leaving the house. Brains recalibrated, expectations adjusted, we prepare to get our heads down for a few hours of high voltage hilarity.

      On the road: OK, we’re not the biggest fans of shouty paint jobs on road bikes, but if a bike is going to stand out this much, it better have the performance to back it up. Rest assured; the Boardman SLR 9.4 has it. The way in which it combines a comparatively lightweight with a stiffness unsurpassed by any other bike in this test makes for a ride that’s typified by rapid progress. So often, a bike of this nature can leave you feeling like you’ve been in a washing machine after you climb off it, but the SLR combines its eager performance with a degree of comfort which ensures you’re not overly fatigued when you get home. The compact 50/34 chainset works in harmony with an 11-30 Ultegra cassette to offer an easier spread of gears than the Ribble, but they’re selected with a similarly fuss-free electronic actuation which makes for an engaging ride. It has the beating of the Ribble on hillier terrain, too, where even the double-shifts under load are responded to with instant cog engagement and silky progress. The stiff carbon frame has no discernible flex, even when throwing it from side to side, struggling up steep inclines in the big chainring. Braking is as assured as the Ultegra callipers we enjoyed on the Ribble.

      Handling: As you might expect, this is where the Boardman really shines, with a rate of turn that can’t fail to excite. A 73.5-degree head angle gives a much steeper front end than Endurance 725, encouraging a later tip-in to corners, wider lines of approach, and some serious liberties to be taken with speed. The compact rear frame triangle allows you to get the power down quickly, demonstrated amply when exiting each of a series of downhill switchbacks in the big ring, then rapidly getting back on the power, out of the saddle, to speed towards the next. A mesmerising cornering rhythm can be developed in no time, making this bike just the sort of thing we’d take away for a long weekend on Mallorca’s challenging passes, as it performs as well uphill as it does downhill. Wearing the same tyres as the Ribble (although with different colour sidewalls), the levels of comfort and grip are clearly on par. Although the on-brand wheels aren’t quite as light, nor as quick to spin up as even the mid-range Mavics on the Ribble, they’re a decent match for the price of this build. However, a later upgrade to lightweight deep-section carbon wheels will give you a bike that should show anyone a clean set of cleats, whether on a Sunday ride or high-paced sportive.

      THE SPEC

      Frameset: The Boardman’s high-mod carbon-fibre frame declares its intent even before the ride. A square-section, sloping, flat top tube and oversize aero profile downtube speak of this bikes stiffness and need for speed. At the rear end, its compact frame triangle allows effective power transfer with minimal flex. Interestingly, this is not at the expense on comfort, as the SLR’s rear end allows little in the way of intrusive road vibration to reach the rider’s chamois. The cable for the rear brake and Di2 mechs is run internally through the frame. In terms of geometry, its 73.5-degree head angle and sub-1000mm wheelbase provide a quick-steering, compact package to encourage rocket-fast riding. We would expect 28mm tyres to present no problem in terms of frame clearance, although the 25mm Vittoria rubber fitted to our test bike is already particularly complementary to the overall set up.

      Groupset: The SLR wears a wholly Ultegra Di2 groupset, from the 50/34 chainset to the 11-speed chain. Its braking performance is just as good as the Ribble’s, thanks to well set-up rim brakes at either end. The shifters fire ratio changes into the battery-operated gear system with sure-fire efficiency, while the brake hoods – as with all three of our bikes – are satisfyingly compact, when compared to those of the hydraulic brake-equipped bikes we ride more and more these days. An 11-30 spread across the cassette is slightly more compact than the 11-32 on the Ribble, narrowing the jumps between cogs when changing up and down the block.

      Finishing kit: With the exception of the comfortable, light and perfectly flexible Fizik Antares saddle that sits proudly atop the bike, the finishing kit is a mixture of Boardman’s own in-house alloy and carbon. The aero profile seat post’s height is adjustable by way of a recessed bolt in the top tube., while its offset is also adjustable in three increments. At the front end of the SLR, we find a 400mm diameter alloy handlebar with a compact drop, bolted to the steerer by a 100mm alloy stem — a perfect fit for the size of the frame.

      Wheels: Although the brand names aren’t identical, the rotational mass of the Boardman has a similar look and feel to that of the Ribble’s. The 25c tyres are, like the Endurance 725, graphene-infused Vittoria Corsa rubber, while the rims are Boardman’s own SLR Elite Seven alloy hoops. They’re a little heavier than the Mavic Ksyrium Elites on the Ribble, but don’t suffer too much as a result. They’re stable all-rounders, but they’d be the only thing worth swapping for lighter and more aero efficient items.

      VERDICT

      BikesETC 8.6/10 August 2019
    • Boardman SLR 9.6 Disc - Road.cc "Boardman's road bikes have been consistently good performers in road.cc tests over the years, and the SLR 9.6 Disc is no exception. It's a really good bike that neatly toes the line between race and endurance, offering enough speed for the former while adding in plenty of versatility for the latter. If you ride quickly on tarmac and you want a bike to handle all your riding, it's definitely one for the shortlist" Read Article

      Boardman has dropped the 'Endurance' tag, presumably to emphasise the fact that this is a quick bike that's been aero-optimised, but it's still a good choice for longer rides too.

      Excellent bike for fast riding that can cope with everything from racing to endurance.

      Pros: Engaging ride, versatile enough for all-year riding, excellent value
      Cons: A bit of rotor rub from the fork under load

      THE FRAME: MORE AERO, MORE LIGHTWEIGHT

      We looked at the whole of the SLR 9 series a while back. Boardman's SLR bikes have been winning plenty of accolades, and bringing a new version to market always carries a bit of risk if the outgoing bike is well liked. One of the areas that Boardman has concentrated on with the new bike is its aerodynamic performance. Boardman has a shiny new wind tunnel of its own now, of course, so plenty of opportunity to refine the design.

      "The obvious flaw with the [previous] SLR Endurance was its aerodynamic attributes," Boardman told us. "The frame was great for long, steep climbs where its low weight played to its advantage, but we knew it was giving something away when it came to fast flat sections. So that was our challenge for the new SLR platform: how could we capture the award-winning ride characteristics of the outgoing SLR Endurance and make it even faster?"

      Boardman already has the AIR series of aero road bikes so the idea wasn't to make the SLR into that, but just to move it a bit closer in terms of aerodynamic performance. Boardman says it's dependent on the size of bike and rider, but it's effectively halved the gap: at 40km/h the difference between the AIR and the outgoing SLR design was 20W; now it's 10W. The frame design isn't over-heavy on the aero touches. There's a lot of squared-off tube profiles, a flat-topped top tube, an aero-profile seatpost and a recessed seat clamp. The seatstays are dropped, and the bike's bottom bracket area is sculpted to allow smooth airflow.

      There's a new fork design that uses a thinner leg profile, and both the frame and the fork of the SLR Disc bikes are designed to take up to a 30mm tyre. Boardman uses the same mould for all the SLR Disc bikes, but the 9 series bikes get the most expensive carbon layup. The 8 series bikes are made from C7 carbon, which is mostly Toray T700, and the lower end 9 series models use C8, which is a mixture of T700 and T800. This bike, along with the rest of the 9 series models, uses C10, which is a mix of T800 and T1000. The higher modulus carbon allows for a lower weight while keeping a similar level of stiffness; Boardman claims a raw frame weight (in Medium) of 790g and 360g for the fork, which is 80g lighter than the outgoing model. The SLR 9 series bikes start at £1,500 (currently reduced to £1,249) for a rim-braked SLR 9.0 with a C8 frame. The SLR 9.6 Disc I rode is only out-specced by the 9.8 and 9.8 Disc, which get Zipp wheels and a SRAM Red eTap groupset.

      THE RIDE: COMPOSED, FAST, COMFORTABLE

      If there's one word that sums up the ride experience of the SLR 9.6 Disc it's probably composed. Right from the off the Boardman feels like a bike that's been well considered. It's not a bike that looks especially flashy, but everything about it is high quality, and the ride kind of reflects that. It's a very well-behaved bike to the point where often it doesn't even feel especially fast. There's very little of the seat-of-your-pants feel that you get from some road bikes, especially skittish super-light ones. At a whisker under 8kg the Boardman is comfortably light, but you can certainly go lighter for a similar spend, not least by opting for the rim-brake version of this bike, which is £500 cheaper and a claimed half-kilo under what the disc version weighs. Some of that extra weight is in the groupset itself, and some in the heavier build of the disc wheelset to cope with the braking forces from the callipers.

      The position on the XL bike I tested is 'comfortably quick' but not especially aggressive. With a stack-to-reach ratio of 1.49 in XL it's definitely endurance rather than full-on race; the smaller bikes get a bit lower at the front in relation to their reach. The SLR bikes are available in sizes down to XXS (this is the same frame size as the women's XS) to accommodate riders down to 1.55m. There's a 20mm stack of spacers at the front to adjust your bar height, and the seatpost has a three-position adjustable layback for further tinkering. I didn't find it hard to get comfortable, and the drops position felt purposeful enough for going quickly.

      Wind the Boardman up along the flat and it's happy to cruise along with minimal input. It responds well to sprint efforts too: stamp on the pedals and there's no sense that the switch to a threaded bottom bracket and narrower BB shell has had a noticeable effect on the frame's stiffness. It's possible to eke out a bit of rotor rub at the front wheel under heavy loads, suggesting that maybe the comfort requirements at the front have taken precedence over out-and-out stiffness there. It doesn't affect the handling: this is a bike that very much goes where you point it, with a planted feel when you lean it into the corners and neutral steering. The excellent Shimano hydraulic disc brakes give you masses of confidence that you can slow yourself up if you need to.

      The SLR is a pretty comfortable bike for a fast machine. Partly, that's down to the fact that Boardman has specced the 9.6 Disc with Vittoria's excellent (if slightly fragile) Corsa G+ tyres in a 28mm width, which I was happy to run at 80/85psi for general riding. They're great all-rounders, offering a big air chamber for comfort and lots of grip when you lean the bike over or get out of the saddle on a greasy climb.

      Even with the tyres pumped up as hard as they suggest is sensible, the Boardman is no boneshaker. There's a bit of suppleness in the ride that makes it easy to pilot even on dubious back-road tarmac. It's no sofa, and is still a firmer ride than more out-and-out endurance bikes, but I've completed 100km+ rides on this bike with ease, in spite of it having a Fizik Arione saddle fitted as standard, which is a long way from being my favourite. The 9.6 Disc uses Boardman's Elite Alloy handlebar, which is a perfectly serviceable standard compact design, and own-brand tape that's decent enough too.

      The Knight Composites 35TLA wheels are excellent; 35mm is ideal for an all-round wheel and they performed very well even in some very gusty conditions. We've tested the wheels on road.cc before and they did very well; these wheels made for Boardman don't have quite the same build quality – DT Swiss hubs are swapped out for Knight-branded units – but they're very well built and they feel like a quality addition to the bike's spec. They're tubeless-compatible too, if you want to embrace the world of sealant and compressors. The Vittoria tyres aren't, though, which is a shame. However, they're not the longest-lived of tyres, so it won't be long before you can lob some tubeless tyres on in their place.

      Shimano's Ultegra Di2 groupset probably needs no introduction: it's the best value electronic groupset out there, and offers exceptional shifting performance for the money. Boardman has located the junction box on the stem which isn't the neatest solution or the most aero, but it is easy enough to get to there. My only bugbear with the Di2 system is that it's too easy to forget which button does what as they're not a different action like the mechanical shifters are. Left to my own devices I generally reprogram the shifters so they work more like paddle shifters, with the top buttons doing the front and the bottom doing the rear.

      So who's the bike for? Well, you could show up to a local race on the Boardman fresh out of the box and not feel like you were giving anything away, but realistically most people aren't racing; a rung below that, it's a great bike to chuck at a sportive, the local club chaingang, rides with your friends... more or less anything that's quick, really.

      The Di2 groupset and hydraulic disc brakes are superb in all conditions, and Boardman has sensibly added hidden mudguard mounts on both the frame and fork so you can winterise the SLR if you don't want to swap to another bike when it gets cold and wet, or you just don't have another bike.

      If you're looking for a proper endurance bike for longer events then the position will be good for that and it's reasonably comfortable, but it's firmer of ride than an out-and-out endurance bike. The option to fit a 30mm tyre goes a long way to mitigating that, and if you went tubeless with a set of Schwalbe G-One Speed tyres the Boardman would certainly be all-day comfortable.

      NOT CHEAP, BUT A LOT OF BIKE FOR THE MONEY

      This bike has an RRP of £3,900, but it's £3,499 on Boardman's own site, and everywhere else, so that's realistically what you're going to be laying out. You might consider Boardman to be a value-led brand, and if you do you might be thinking that three and a half grand is a lot to be paying for one of its bikes. But let's unpack that.

      A Ribble SL Disc with Di2 and Cosmics would cost £3,800, and the Knight wheels are more costly than a pair of Cosmics; okay the Knights on the Boardman aren't quite the £2,000 aftermarket build with DT Swiss 240S hubs, but they're still very nice wheels. A similar Canyon Ultimate CF SL build is over £4,000, and a Giant TCR Advanced is £4,500. So you're getting an awful lot of bike for your money. All that's to naught, of course, if the Boardman doesn't perform. But it does: it's a fast and efficient bike that's comfortable and easy to live with. It doesn't have any obvious foibles, and the level of spec for the money is top drawer. You can have the same spec without the posh wheels as the 9.4 Disc for £600 less, but the Knights are excellent and it'll cost you plenty more than that to upgrade later, so if you don't have nice wheels already and you want some then you might as well go the whole hog.

      CONCLUSION

      I've been very impressed with the SLR 9.6 Disc and I can thoroughly recommend it as a bike that's well equipped for fast riding. If you're after a do-it-all bike that's good for everything up to the odd race, then it has a lot going for it. If it's just a race bike you're after, then the lighter, cheaper rim-braked version would be the one to go for in my opinion.

      VERDICT

      Excellent bike for fast riding that can cope with everything from racing to endurance

      Road.cc May 2019 - Full Review Here
    • Boardman SLR 9.8 Disc - Cyclist Magazine "Boardman SLR 9.8 Disc, if you own a wind tunnel, speed is sure to be top of the agenda." Read Article

      The year was 1992. A young man from the Wirral threw his leg over what appeared to be a space-age carbon bicycle, made by a well-known car brand, and promptly won the Individual Pursuit on the track at the Barcelona Olympics.

      At the time, the nation was so thankful for a gold medal (Britain managed a meagre five golds at Barcelona, compared to 27 at Rio in 2016) that most people missed the true significance of the moment. Chris Boardman had not only made himself a household name overnight, but his approach to training and aerodynamic testing in the wind-tunnel had arguably laid down the blueprint for Britain’s dominance on the track and road in the modern era, and the subsequent boom in interest in cycling in the UK. So thank you, Chris.

      Tunnel Vision

      Boardman – the brand, not the man – now has its own wind-tunnel facility, recently opened to the public in Evesham, Worcestershire. It’s something that product manager Matt Dowler tells me has been instrumental in the final developmental stages and validation of its latest range of top-end road bikes: the 9 Series SLR.

      That said, the man himself is still very much involved with the design and testing. ‘We’d be foolish not to make use of his experience and knowledge,’ says Dowler. ‘He steers a lot of the aero testing we do, and he still signs off on anything with his name on.’

      This is the most significant overhaul the SLR has undergone since it joined the range in 2012. Seven years on, Boardman felt aerodynamic performance was the area in whIch the previous SLR could be improved most.

      ‘We were happy with where the previous model was with regards to its stiffness and weight, and we’d always received such positive feedback about its handling and ride feel, so the goal for the new 9 Series SLR was to try to optimise it aerodynamically without affecting any of its good traits,’ Dowler says.

      The SLR acronym rather unimaginatively stands for ‘super light road’, but thankfully it was immediately obvious that a little more creativity had gone into the frame design, in particular the tube profiles, when the 9.8 SLR Disc first arrived at the Cyclist office.

      ‘Mostly we’ve used truncated aerofoil profiles,’ Dowler says. ‘They’re perhaps a little wider than what you’d go for in an out-and-out aero frame, but this was to maintain the stiffness and rigidity we wanted. The square section top tube carries load well with almost no torsional twisting, so that really comes through in the stiffness and responsiveness of the front end.’

      Getting a buzz

      I would agree with Dowler. The SLR 9.8 Disc had a sprightliness about it, the lightweight chassis feeling solid as I stomped hard on the pedals up a steep climb I frequently use as a benchmark, coupled with a direct steering feel as I pushed the tyres to the point of scrubbing through sweeping bends on descents.

      Speed-wise, I can’t say for certain how accurate Boardman’s claim of a 10 watt saving at 40kmh (versus the old SLR) is, but what I can say is rattling along at above 40kmh didn’t feel overly arduous. Did I say rattling? Well, yes. What the SLR 9.8 Disc delivers in terms of pace is not entirely matched by what it delivers in the comfort stakes.

      It deals well with bigger blows – a pothole catching you off-guard, for example – and in these instances there’s a real sense of the impact being deadened quickly. However it’s less adept at absorbing high-frequency buzz. Unfortunately I experience this a lot where I ride, as most of my local lanes have been given that nasty chipseal surface treatment that makes roads feel like riding on a tiny rumble strip. I frequently found my feet taking the brunt of this on the SLR 9.8 Disc, with occasional pins and needles after long stretches of poor road surface.

      ‘The squarer tube profiles we use to be fast aerodynamically do have a slight compromise in their ability to deal with higher-frequency vibration,’ admits Dowler when I feed back my findings. ‘But now with 28mm tyres, and assuming they will be run at lower pressures, we can design a bit around that trend. We don’t need to go after every little bit of vibration.

      ‘Also, the SLR is not trying to be a Trek Domane or a Specialized Roubaix. We haven’t engineered in any specific shock damping solutions; it’s more about bridging the gap between that “endurance” style of bike and a thoroughbred racer.’

      The key differences keeping it out of the latter camp are a slightly shorter reach and slightly higher stack than what might be considered traditional race geometry. Otherwise, I would agree that the SLR 9.8 Disc does indeed slot into the territory he suggests – not a cushy ride, nor an eyeballs-out racer, but a well balanced and fast all-rounder.

      I can’t wrap up this review without mentioning the superb value this bike offers. The spec sheet reads like a wishlist of top-drawer components: Sram’s wireless shifting eTap hydraulic disc brake groupset paired with Zipp 202 Firecrest clincher disc wheels (that would comfortably set you back over £2k alone), and with a classy Zipp Service Course finishing kit, Fizik Antares R3 saddle and top-of-the-line Vittoria Corsa G+ tyres, it would be practically impossible to find areas to upgrade.

      What’s more, during the time I was testing the bike, Boardman took the decision to reduce the RRP from its original price of £5,900 to £4,999, a drop of over £900. It’s hard to fathom how you get all this for under five grand.

      With the SLR 9.8 Disc leant up outside a café after a group ride, I overheard someone scoffing at the Boardman, describing it as ‘looking like a poor man’s [Specialized] Tarmac’. But to that person and all the other brand snobs out there, I would say there is nothing ‘poor’ about this bike. Get over your preconceptions and you can book a few cycling holidays abroad with the nearly £5k you’ll save over the equivalent-spec Tarmac
    • Boardman AIR 9.2 - BikesETC “In this particular race for pace and pampering the Boardman AIR 9.2 is first over the line" Read Article

      ABOUT THE BIKE

      The good people at Boardman tell us that this bike ‘combines our most aerodynamically efficient road frame with Shimano’s Ultegra R8000 groupset and Vision Team Comp 35 wheels, making it equally at home on the open road, a tight crit circuit or powering out of transition after a rapid swim leg.’ A triathlon? Steady on…

      THE RIDE

      First impression: There is absolutely no doubt in our minds within only 10 minutes of riding the Air 9.2 that it’s a punchy thing. Its gearing is spot-on for level roads early in our test loop, allowing rapid progress to be made out into the countryside, turning out-of-the-saddle accelerations to crest small rises almost a pleasurable experience.

      On the road: We hear a lot about lateral stiffness and vertical compliance. Fifty per cent of the time, it’s marketing bumpf, but sometimes a bike comes along that exemplifies this approach to frame building. The carbon seat stays of the Boardman contribute to comfort at the rear end by adding a little flex to the set-up to nullify hits from the rough tarmac. The girder-like chainstays, however, give this bike proper race- or group training ride-winning potential. There is minimal delay between stamping on the 52-tooth big ring and the delivery of power at the rear wheel. The Vision wheelset plays its part in this arrangement to the best of its ability, but the thought of putting some carbon clinchers on the Air 9.2 make us very, very excitable. The gear ratios on offer reflect the racy nature of this bike, with a 52-11 supplying serious acceleration downhill. But that’s not at the expense of an easier life uphill. The stiff frameset, not one jot if you want to get out of the saddle on a climb, and the expected rub from the rear brake caliper just never materialised (its arms have a longer drop than an Ultegra unit, allowing wider rims and wider tyres). Factor in that the Air 9.2 is by far the lightest bike here, and you’ve got a bike that’s an accomplished all-day ride and a sharp tool.

      Handling: If you can accept the fact that you’ll be leaning on the front brake a lot for your speed arrestment duties, the Boardman is as engaging as it gets – certainly for less than £2,000! The rear brake doesn’t have the stopping force of a standard set-up, but it’s certainly better than the weak bottom bracket-mounted stoppers of yesteryear. Pin that front caliper hard with a squeeze of the Ultegra lever, and the bike slows; aim it at the apex of a corner, and it tips in with confidence. The 72.5° head angle ensures it doesn’t flop into corners. Instead, what you get is a progressive sensation which promotes the utmost confidence in the Vittoria rubber beneath you. We ran these 25c tyres at 95psi, which provides more than enough feel, and an acceptable cushioning from the worst of the road surface. In all, the handling is better than you’d expect of a mid-range tyre/wheel, and would only improve with an upgrade in this department. That said, this is clearly the best bike straight out of the box, satisfying the urge for speed, cornering confidence, and even comfort. Even at the full retail price of £2,150 – £400 more than its current offer price – it would still shade the win.

      THE SPEC

      Frameset: Boardman’s own Performance Centre – a one-stop shop for aerodynamic efficiency – is where the Air 9.2 was born. Consequently, its frame tube profiles maximise its ability to slice through the air. With a top tube very similar in shape to the Giant’s (although we’d wager Boardman actually pioneered this when the Evo version of the Air range was launched several years ago), while the downtube is the only one here to boast the profile of a very thin slice of bread! The seat tube curves around the rear wheel, contributing to a very squat wheelbase of 978mm on our size S model. While we’re blown away by the work that’s gone into the design of this bike, we were less than charmed by the rough and ready mouldings in the top tube where the cables enter the frame. The overall appearance of the Boardman frame is almost organic; all sloping lines, curving tubes and stays. It’s not the prettiest of bikes, but does that matter when it’s getting you where you need to be with the least fatigue and the biggest grin? Its 72.5° head angle and 74° seat angle are not only the exact same angles the makers claim them to be, but also an ideal set-up to facilitate aggressive riding in comfort when the need takes you.

      Groupset: When you consider the price of this bike, it’s extremely gratifying to know you’re getting a full house of Shimano Ultegra gear. Well, with the exception of the rear brake, tucked behind the bottom bracket, out of the airflow, is a TRP caliper, which might not be the strongest stopper, but certainly isn’t creating any drag. Beyond this, you’re looking at a 52/36 Ultegra chainset, 11-28 cassett e, Ultegra front and rear mechs and a front brake also from Shimano’s almost-top-of-the-range mechanical groupset.

      Finishing kit: While some manufacturers opt to festoon their bikes with alloy bits and bobs, mainly to keep the price down, Boardman has gone the extra mile. Although the 400mm handlebars and associated stem are from the company’s own range of alloy finishing kit, the seat post is a clever, aero-profiled carbon unit whose angle can be adjusted between 73° and 75°, depending on whether you’re competing in a time trial, triathlon, or simply putt ing in the miles. Whichever discipline you’re partaking in, the accompanying Fizik Antares saddle is an absolute belter.

      Wheels: Vision’s alloy Team Comp 35 wheels are handbuilt, feature bladed aero spokes, and sealed bearings. We’ve a lot of time for these durable, dependable, though moderately hefty hoops. Swap them out for a lightweight carbon wheelset, and this bike would wallop everyone on the club run. The 25c tyres are Vittoria’s Rubino Pro G+. The ‘G’ means they contain graphene, a tough wonder ingredient now found in everything from trainer soles to body armour. Although we had no cause to test their grip in the wet (where they’re said to shine), the dry roads of our test loop presented no barrier to rapid cornering, while the rubber’s suppleness contributed greatly to overall comfort.

      VERDICT

      BikesETC 9.4/10 April 2019
    • Boardman AIR 9.6 The AIR has benefitted from Chris Boardman’s aerodynamic acumen as well as his experience against the clock to ensure that the British brand gets to punch well above its weight. Add in some choice Knight Composite deep section wheels, and the 2019 AIR 9.6 looks like a serious bargain. Read Article

      THE RIDE

      First impressions - First off, we had to double check we had the right bike and right spec. Fitted with Ultegra Di2 and deep section aerodynamic wheels, the AIR 9.6 is a lot of bike for less than £4,000. And it looks like something a lot more expensive too. With some assurances received, we set about adjusting the saddle and stem before heading for the quiet roads to make sure things really did stack up as well as the spec sheet suggested they should.

      On the road - The AIR 9.6 has been substantially updated and revised for 2019, the design team looking in particular at the head, down and seat tubes areas of the frame to improve aerodynamic performance while also taking on board customer feedback in regards to the brakes - the front stopper has gone back to a conventional mount rather than the hidden version used on last year’s model. While this change may cause a few extra watts of drag, it certainly makes for an easier bike to set up and guarantees class-leading performance - an important aspect on a bike designed to go fast. And go fast it does. Drive pick-up is near instantaneous, the stiff rear triangle offering ample resistance to our efforts. While the front doesn’t feel quite as stiff as some of the other bikes no test, we’d say it’s well up to the task - perhaps others are trying to hard? This means that overall, the ride is a touch softer, passing on less vibration to the rider, which is given the depth of the wheels must be down to the excellent Vittoria Corsa tyres and a more forgiving carbon fibre layup of the frame.

      Handling - While the ride feel is obviously still that of an aerodynamic bike, this is to say slightly more print to twisting forces and less compliant, the Boardman AIR’s 2019 frame stokes a great balance between stiffness and comfort. Low-speed handling is very capable, and as speed increases, the bike gets bumped around less by poor road surfaces which is very welcome. Combined with excellent stability in crosswinds, it definitely gets a thumbs-up from us and should win friends with anyone who lacks a little confidence too. Diving into corners, the whole front end loads up nicely, giving the feedback required to precisely judge grip levels available. The front brake works well once the carbon pads and rim have been given time to bed in. Coming off the back of riding other test bikes with disc brakes, there is a slight feeling of a lack of immediate stopping power, but that takes just a few corners to get used to and ultimately the rim brakes stop the bike just as well as disc brakes - in the dry, at least.

      THE SPEC

      Framest - For 2019 the top of the range AIR still uses what Boardman calls C10 high-modulus carbon to give stiffness to the frame without adding weight. As mentioned already, the fork has been redesigned to use a conventional front brake, and the package of fork and frame have been revised to ensure that they compliment each other aerodynamically. Along with the direct-mount rear brake under the bottom bracket, the AIR 9.6 uses a Pressfit 30 bottom bracket. This isn’t our favourite solution as the can get noisy and seem to need more mechanic’s care than other options., but we had no complaints during the test. With the frame being designed for both wireless and mechanical groupsets, the gear cables/wires all run internally, with the rear brake cable also routed internally and interestingly, with a full length outer from shifter to brake, which means it should perform well all winter long.

      Groupset - A full covering of Shimano Ultegra R8050 means the AIR 9.6 fits with the other bikes here and benefits from the same groupset excellence. The wiring runs under the stem to connect to the charging block and hidden battery. As mentioned, the updated frame uses a conventional R8000 front brake calliper rather than one hidden behind the fork crown as on last year's model, but on the rear it sticks with the hidden style under the bottom bracket, opting for the TRP/714R direct mount. This improves aerodynamics, but it does mean that the brakes are more susceptible to picking up muck and water from the road in less than perfect conditions.

      Finishing Kit - Naturally, like all the others on test, the AIR 9.6 has a propriety seat post fitted, a carbon inline design that offers four saddle mounting points to give plenty of fore and aft adjustments to the Fizik Antares saddle. An own-brand Elite alloy bar and stem complete the cockpit and give a harmonious look to the bike. A short and shallow bar, we found it to be very comfortable.

      Wheels - Where can you start with such excellent wheels? At this price range, they look too good to be true. Knight Composite TLA 50s normally retail for around £2000, so Boardman must have strong-armed someone important to be able to spec them on a bike with a list price of less than £4000. Somewhat old-school, narrow hubs make for an undoubted aero advantage, but most other brands have moved away from this style. None the less, to get a deep section, aero, carbon wheelset at this price is truly outstanding and makes the AIR 9.6 a standout machine in this sector of the market. Fitted to them are Vittoria’s Corsa G+, a great tyre in our experience that uses graphene to improve grip and durability, and reduce rolling resistance. An excellent partner for the wheels. 

      VERDICT

      When it comes to specification the Boardman is head and shoulders above the rest. It's Ultegra equipped just like the others on test but it's the £2000 carbon wheels that really make it stand out in the value-for-money stakes, and it's hard to think of anything you'd want or need to upgrade if you bought this bike


      BikesEtc Issue 49

    SLR 8.9 Carbon Red £1,000.00 Cutting-edge carbon fibre development at an attainable price point with outstanding performance.
    SLR 8.9 Carbon Grey £1,000.00 Cutting-edge carbon fibre development at an attainable price point with outstanding performance.
    SLR 8.9 Carbon Womens £1,000.00 New colour, new name, new frame but the same award winning performance as before. The SLR 8.9 Carbon womens.
    SLR 8.9 Alloy £1,000.00 Inspired by its carbon siblings the SLR 8.9 Alloy offers the same inspiring handling but from its 6061 alloy frame.
    SLR 8.8 Alloy £700.00 The SLR 8.8 features a full carbon fork saving weight and super reliable shifting from its Shimano Sora componentry.
    SLR 8.6 Alloy £550.00 The SLR 8.6 is our new entry level road bike sharing its DNA with the top of the range 9 Series bikes.
    SLR 8.6 Alloy Womens £550.00 The SLR 8.6 is our new entry level women's road bike sharing its DNA with the top of the range 9 Series bikes.
    ASR 8.8 £849.99 The 8.8 features a 4130 Cro-Mo steel frame and Shimano Sora groupset, with stopping power provided by TRP Spyre discs.
    ADV 8.9 £1,000.00 Go anywhere, anytime on any surface. The ADV 8.9 provides the perfect platform for your cycling adventures.
    ADV 8.8 £800.00 Designed to offer maximum versatility the ADV 8.8 excels when you want to get off the beaten track.
    ADV 8.8 Womens £800.00 The new ADV 8.8 Womens Adventure Bike is a bike made to help you explore new possibilities and maximum versatility.
    SLR 9.0 £1,399.00 RRP£1,500.00 The SLR 9.0 offers the outstanding all round capabilities of the SLR frameset using our C8 Carbon.
    SLR 9.2 £1,799.00 RRP£2,000.00 The SLR 9.2 upgrades to a C10 Carbon frame and fork, which uses ultra-high modulus fibres to achieve a perfect blend of low weight and frame stiffness.
    SLR 9.2 Disc £2,099.00 RRP£2,300.00 With Shimano Ultegra hydraulic disc brakes, 28mm tyres, lowered seat stays for enhanced comfort and hidden mudguard mounts on the frame and fork, the SLR 9.2 Disc provides a fun and engaging year round riding.
    SLR 9.4 £2,199.00 RRP£2,900.00 The SLR 9.4 uses the same high modulus C10 carbon frame as the flagship 9.8 model, maximising power transfer and minimising weight
    SLR 9.4 Disc £2,599.00 RRP£3,200.00 The SLR 9.4 Disc uses our highest C10 grade of carbon to deliver an outstanding blend of low weight, power transfer and comfort, alongside aerodynamically optimised tube profiles.
    SLR 9.6 £2,799.00 RRP£3,600.00 The SLR 9.6 builds on the impressive formula of the SLR 9.4 with the addition of a Knight Composites 35mm TLA wheelset. These 35mm deep tubeless ready carbon wheels are lighter and more aerodynamically efficient.
    SLR 9.6 Disc £3,299.00 RRP£3,900.00 The SLR 9.6 Disc enhances the already impressive package of the SLR 9.4 Disc with the addition of a Knight Composites 35mm TLA wheelset.
    SLR 9.8 £3,799.00 RRP£5,700.00 The SLR 9.8 is the flagship model in the range, using our highest grade of carbon fibre to deliver a light and efficient frame with impressive aero-credentials, without compromising on comfort.
    SLR 9.8 Disc £4,199.00 RRP£5,900.00 Designed to offer every advantage possible, the SLR 9.8 Disc is uncompromising in its spec to deliver the best all round road package that Boardman have ever offered.
    2019 AIR 9.0 £1,349.00 RRP£1,750.00 Entry level doesn't mean poor performance - the AIR 9.0 uses our high modulous C10 Carbon and Shimano's 105 groupset
    2019 AIR 9.2 £1,649.00 RRP£2,150.00 Vision Team Comp 35 wheels and an Ultegra R8000 groupset complete this race ready package
    AIR 9.2 Womens £1,649.00 RRP£2,150.00 Vision Team Comp 35 wheels and an Ultegra R8000 groupset complete this race ready package
    2019 AIR 9.4 £2,399.00 RRP£3,000.00 Our aerodynamic AIR frame with electronic Shimano Ultegra Di2 Groupset
    2019 AIR 9.6 £2,999.00 RRP£3,800.00 Knight Composites 50mm TLA wheels keep the AIR 9.6 rolling at maximum speed
    2019 AIR 9.8 £3,999.00 RRP£6,000.00 SRAM REd eTap groupset and Zipp 404 Firecrest wheels combine to make the ultimate Boardman AIR
    ADV 8.9e £2,700.00 Whether you want to ride further or faster, or just want a bit of help up the hills, the Boardman ADV 8.9e Adventure Electric Bike is a great option.