Boardman CXR 9.2

The down-tube is boxy, with an almost square profile, the top-tube is triangular where it meets the tapered head-tube, and becomes ovalized, via a flatter midsection, and the round seat-tube is topped with a 31.6mm diameter carbon seatpost. Boardman’s wishbone seatstays are flattened and join the deep, outward curved chainstays at the beefy dropouts. The subtly curved fork has a purposeful look, and there are flat-mount disc callipers at both ends.

Although built with a 1x drivetrain, the CXR can be converted for a two ring setup, with internal top-tube cable routing, seatpost cable stop, electronic wire port and front mech friendly clearance dimple in the seat-tube. But just because you can doesn’t mean that you should, as SRAM’s 1X drivetrains are perfect for cyclocross, and the 40-tooth ring with 11-36 cassette here give you the gearing range to conquer anything that’s rideable on a ‘cross course. If it’s unrideable, the flattened top-tube sits nicely on the shoulder too.

All CXRs will be supplied with tubeless valves, and our test bike arrived already set up tubeless. The CXR Elite Five wheelset has a 28-hole asymmetric aluminium rims, that are 26mm externally, 21mm internally and 23mm tall. They’re fitted with Clement’s 33mm MXP tubeless tyres.

With an overall mass of 8.23kg, and great acceleration, the bike was at least competitive as the rider. We dropped the tyres pressure to 21psi front and 22psi rear o help in slippery race condition, and despite extensive off-cambers plus climbs and descents of grassy banks, they remained secure. Such pressures aren’t recommended, but dependant on rider weight (77kg), specific setup and riding style, it’s achievable.

Through constant switchbacks, high-speed corners and gnarly sticky mud technical sections, the CXR’s handling always felt positive. Dismounting for two hurdles each lap, and a carry through an almost unrideable section, was undramatic, and the bike performed as well as some costing much more.

Chainstay clearance is as good as it can be behind a narrow, alloy insert-based PF30 bottom bracket shell, but the enlarged tyres fill much of it out, and we did have quite a build up of much by the finish. The chainring and mech were wearing plenty of leaves, grass and mud too, but typically for Force 1, still functioned perfectly. That broad, flat-bottomed down-tube also creates a place where a lot of mud can stick, but the CXR coped well in pretty tough conditions.

Big tyres and low pressures colour comfort judgements, but even on the roughest sections of the course, the CXR felt composed with good shock absorption. The Boardman cockpit felt solid, and Fizik’s Tundra saddle comfortable enough. We’d prefer some sort of sealing on the unused top-tube cable channel, and the downtube's rear brake hose entry and entry and exit holes to prevent water ingress, but there are drain holes.

Boardman’s CXR 9.2 was thrown in at the deep end of a muddy cross race, performed very well, and emerged ready to do battle again. Its brilliant component spec, wide, grippy tubeless tyres and predictable handling make it a very tempting choice for racers.