There is a decent spread of gears, which should help most riders get the most out of the uphills and downhills. The SLR Endurance had a great road bike geometry for long, fast rides, which we kept, but it wasnt particularly aerodynamic and lacked tyre clearance. Was that the original concept? In a world of price rises caused by demand and supply issues, delivering a bike of the calibre of the Boardman SLR 8.8 is a masterstroke not only for less than a grand, but for a cracking 850. It's not a massive issue we've lived with them for years without problems but I suppose I've just got used to the security of having the axle threaded into the frame. 6-degree flare handlebar offers better control when descending on the drops. Boardman have upgraded this SLR 9.6 machine from the SLR 9.2, with one of the main differences being a greater aerodynamic focus. Wireless shifts across the 12 speed 10-44t cassette are fast and smooth and combined with a single 42t chainring up front; there's a massive range of gears for off-road climbing right through to fast road descents. We actually produced some lighter prototypes using different carbon layups, but they were hasher on broken roads, so the negatives outweighed the positives of saving 50g. The top tube is a touch shorter for the bike's nominal size and the head tube a little taller. There's nothing wrong with that how exciting can you really make a stem or seatpost in terms of the job it needs to do? The 2x10 offering has been teamed with an 11-36 cassette and a 48-32 FSA Omega chainring for a range of gears that Boardman say should be big enough for hitting the tarmac fast, yet small enough to tackle slippery steep off-road gradients. There isn't anything out of the ordinary when it comes to the geometry of the Boardman, and that's a good thing. Other than that, you are getting two sets of bottle cage mounts, full mudguard mounts and bosses for attaching a rear rack. While Warren loves fast road bikes and the latest gravel bikes, he also believes electric bikes are the future of transport. Matt Dowler: We run an extensive component sourcing and testing programme to make sure they have a great performance versus cost ratio. SRAM Rival Hydraulic Disc Brakes - 160mm Rotor, SRAM Rival XPLR XG-1251 12 Speed - 10-44t, Boardman Alloy, 31.8mm clamp, 70mm reach, 120mm drop, 6 degree flare, Boardman Asymmetric Adventure Tubeless Ready Rims, Panaracer Gravel King SK, 700x38mm - Tubeless Ready. The HYB range share the same triple butted 6061 X7 aluminium frame, as well as a one piece bar and stem with adjustable ergonomic grips. The revenue from adverts helps to fund our site. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed The URB 8.6 has an alloy front fork, but this is upgraded to carbon in the URB 8.9 to help absorb the bumps of England's imperfect roads. Any components which didn't work well together? Quality ride: comfortable while still engaging, Narrower gear range than Ultegra can accommodate, UCI suspends continental team's licence due to doping investigation, Its always the same, the rider who wins the Tour, no one believes it: Christophe Laporte says nothing changes with suspicion in cycling. The bike's geometry is designed to balance fast riding and longer distance comfort, allowing both a low, stretched position and a more comfortable all-day cruising option. Because of an over-emphasis on aerodynamics, bikes are sometimes heavy and hard riding; or in the pursuit of being as light as possible, bikes overcompensate in stiffness, making for a harsh ride. Sign in to manage your newsletter preferences. As youll have discovered by reading our Bike of the Year 2021 coverage, the Boardman SLR 9.4 AXS Disc, which took our overall Road Bike of the Year award, is a superbly crafted machine. We spoke to Boardman Bikes product manager, Matt Dowler, and design manager, James Ryan, to get the inside story on the bike. Would you like to receive offers, updates and events from BikeRadar and its publisher Our Media Ltd (an Immediate Group Company)? Its comfortable, rapid, smooth and huge fun to ride, while being good value for money at 2,700 with an impressive suite of parts, including the latest SRAM Rival AXS groupset. How was the bike in terms of height and reach? The weight savings you can make in a frame and fork give such a tiny performance benefit even on a very steep climb, so it wasnt really a specific target. The geometry is typically endurance bike based neutral but with a sporty edge to it. Boardman's top of the range URB 8.9 also has a Gates Carbon Belt Drive with its Shimano Nexus 8 speed gear hub - this means no chain cleaning, low maintenance and no grease marks on your nice clothes when city riding. We focus on the components that are going to have the most positive impact for riders, rather than the flashy or the headline-grabbing stuff. BikeRadar: One of the major highlights of the 9.4 SLR is the new wireless SRAM Rival AXS groupset. Triple butted yep, you've guessed it means that the tube will have three different wall widths, giving even more scope to tweak the frame's stiffness and comfort levels. They come taped for tubeless and with valves supplied; it's just a case of adding sealant to reap all the benefits of ditching inner tubes! Well specced and a great ride feel from a bike that looks and feels more expensive than it is, If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website. Cycling Weekly is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. If so was it a problem? >10 of the best road bikes around 1,000, Giant's aluminium Contend AR is a similar machine. How would you describe the steering? With all of my testing taking place during the tail end of winter, durability was more of a concern than how they'd handle my favourite downhill at speed. The Alexrims RXD3 wheels weve used on the SLR are a great example of this they use a light, wide 30mm-deep rim with quality cartridge bearing hubs for a total weight of 1,550g. On the Olympic stage, both Nicole Cooke and Sarah Storey have raced them to victory in 2008 and 2016 respectively. >A-Z of cycling jargon: find out what over 150 strange terms really mean. Not just in the current climate, but generally. From that point of view, they haven't let me down, returning to Boardman without punctures or any small cuts to the rubber. The other thing is that the SLR doesn't use thru-axles for the disc wheels, going old school with quick release levers. Basic entry-level kit, but the shape is comfortable and very usable when it comes to the handlebar, plus the saddle offers comfort without being too soft. Two or three years ago, I knew roughly what a particular budget would get you from each brand off the top of my head, but the cycling world, like every other market, has changed dramatically in terms of pricing. For the same performance level from Mavic or Fulcrum, for example, the bike would cost 250-300 more. The head angle is 72.5 degrees while the seat tube sits at 73.5 degrees. A closely packed centre tread rolls fast on compacted surfaces, while the blocky, more widely spaced edge knobs give plenty of bite for cornering on looser, muddier surfaces. You currently have javascript disabled in your browser, for your best experience of this website please enable javscript in your settings. These Tektro MD-C511s aren't bad, though, especially once they have bedded in a bit. A supple, 120tpi tubeless-ready casing enhances grip and comfort. View our media pack. ), >10 of the best Shimano Tiagra-equipped road bikes for 999-2,100. If you click on this then we may receive a small amount of money from the retailer when you purchase the item. With clearance for up to 28mm tyres and mudguard mounts, the SLR 8.9 is adaptable for grittier miles on the road, whatever the weather. Our Bike of the Year 2021 is comfortable, rapid, smooth and, above all, huge fun to ride. giant fathom bizango voodoo hardtail 2022 ride The overall score is not just James Ryan: We put a lot of time into the development from the original concept designs through to extensive CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) modelling and a lot of work into the carbon layup with FEA (Finite Element Analysis). Knee-jerk reactions are kind of the job description of a pundit. However, with its ultra-high stiffness, aggressive geometry and low weight, the use case for the SLR Race was narrow. James Ryan: Features and spec choices that make a difference are a really big part of what we do at Boardman and on every bike that we design. Overall comfort is good, with no harshness from the frame. The full range of bikes detailed below are available directly from Boardman and Halfords. If you dont want to subscribe, please turn your ad blocker off. All Rights Reserved. The most impressive thing, though, is that it does all of this for a great price. Flat bars offer a more upright position that will suit commuters for whom speed is not the number one concern. If you want a similar build to the Boardman, you are looking at the Contend AR 2, and that's 1,349. Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access, Enjoy your first month for just 1 / $1 / 1, *Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription. As expected on a bike of this price, the finishing kit is own branded and basic. an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value with value determined by how a product Was the bike comfortable to ride? Use this box to explain your overall score. I'd sacrifice the next level up the component tree over ride quality ever day of the week. The SLR 9.6 (opens in new tab) is Boardman's carbon frame race bike that delivers as a perfect all-round bike with its aero-optimised and lightweight frame design, paired with dependable, high-performing components. Hannah is Cycling Weeklys longest-serving tech writer, having started with the magazine back in 2011. The new SLR kept the sub-900g frame weight of the old SLR Endurance, but when we put it in our wind tunnel to validate our modelling, we saw around a 10-watt reduction in aero drag at 40km/h, giving a genuine performance benefit. There is a hint of flex around the BB when really stamping on the pedals, but it is hardly a problem for 99% of your riding. SRAM Rival hydraulic disc brakes, 160mm rotor front and rear If you like road.cc, but you dont like ads, please consider subscribing to the site to support us directly. With Boardman himself believing that tyres are one of the most important components on a bike, the ADV 8.6 sticks with the tubeless-ready 38mm Schwalbe G-One ALLround TLE tubeless ready tyres and Boardman SLR wheels. Fast race bike with excellent handing the price is high, but so is the performance Great looks, plenty of stiffness and a smattering of aero benefits, ruined by a cheap spec list and heavy wheels, Editorial, general: info [at] road.cc Finished off with the industry favourite Donnelly Crusade PDX tyres on Boardman wheels, these will provide sufficient grip while pedalling about in the slippy mud. The power on offer is pretty good, and once I adapted (I'm currently riding five different bikes a week with all kinds of setups), I had plenty of confidence in them, with only the steepest technical descents seeing me squeeze the lever as hard as I could. There is an FSA Vero Compact chainset, which requires an old school square taper bottom bracket, driven by a KMC chain. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. The brand was launched in 2007 and its bikes were used by athletes whilst Boardman headed up R&D at British Cycling in his role as Director. It makes the Boardman feel like a much more expensive bike when you're riding it. Both models have an aluminium frame with geometry that gives an upright, relaxed riding position for head-up visibility. The wheels aren't off the shelf either. It gives you a less extreme, more relaxing position on the bike while still allowing you to get a bit aero in the drops when you want. It meant the SLR ended up being six months late and I really thought I might lose my job over that! Fitted with the grippy, durable 32mm Vittoria Randonneur Tech tyres with puncture protection these will minimise maintenance issues and hydraulic disc brakes ensure excellent stopping power. 2000 to 2400 is a 20% increase, pretty big I'd say. looks a tad staged to me but still funny. Tell us some more about the handling. With clearance for 42mm 700c tyres, hidden mudguard mounts and multiple mounting points for bottles and accessories inside the front triangle as well as under the down tube and top tube, the 9.4 is ready to go anywhere your imagination (and legs) can take you. Did they work well in the conditions you encountered? It's a mix of Boardman branded SLR rims, which are tubeless ready, laced to Formula DC-20 (front) and DC-22 (rear) hubs via 28 spokes. How did the bike feel overall? Any particularly good or bad components? If so what for? W52-FC Porto cannot compete in any races after an investigation conducted by the Anti-Doping Authority of Portugal, Laporte won stage 19 at the Tour de France but says some are still quick to doubt his progress. In my defence, the bike had to be right, and a Bike of the Year award has proven it was a good decision! Encompassing hybrid, road, time trial, cyclocross and mountain bike disciplines, the Boardman bikes range is vast and suits a variety of budgets from 500 to over 3,000. I found the handlebar/stem combination stiff enough for out of the saddle efforts. As I mentioned earlier, the SLR 8.8 is created from aluminium alloy tubing, 6061 grade in this case. I usually ride: This month's test bikeMy best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components, I've been riding for: Over 20 yearsI ride: Every dayI would class myself as: Expert. The all-new 9.4 adds SRAM's wireless Rival XPLR eTap AXS 12 speed groupset to our award-winning carbon ADV frameset, giving outstanding comfort, control and performance on almost any surface. Like this site? Get a Snycros iS Couple bottle cage when you subscribe to Mountain Biking UK today! It's a bit of a mixed bag components-wise, but the end product works fine. Where does this model sit in the range? Tubeless-ready 38mm Schwalbe G-One All Round TLE tubeless ready tyres and Boardman SLR wheels finishes off this bike that won't break the bank. Not everyone has the luxury of multiple bikes for different times of the year, so why wouldnt we put features into the bike that make using it year-round more enjoyable? Ribble's Endurance AL is 1,099 in a similar build, and Giant's Contend AR 2 is a lot more at 1,349 with Shimano Tiagra and mechanical brakes. At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Warren Rossiter is BikeRadar and Cycling Plus magazines senior technical editor for road and gravel. For that reason, the ADV 9.4 comes with Panaracer's 38mm GravelKing SK tyres.

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