Boardman has finally had to put up the price of its carbon fibre SLR 8.9 – but this has been accompanied by an upgrade to a mainly Shimano 105 groupset. And Boardman has also worked to improve the contact points.
Throw in a frameset with the same aerodynamic profiles as Boardman’s top-level 9.6 and the SLR 8.9’s 2021 iteration looks to offer the same impressive value as its predecessors.
Despite that price increase over the 2020 model, which we also rated, the SLR 8.9 is still one of the least expensive carbon road bikes you can buy right now....
VERDICT
"Retains the crown for best-value bike, despite the £100 increase" 4.5/5
Cycling Plus Magazine August 2021