Boardman SLR 9.8 Review

By Matt Wikstrom,
CTech Editor

The SLR 9.8 is a lightweight carbon bike with high-end componentry. All that is missing is the high-end price.

Chris Boardman should be well known to all but the newest of road riders. Olympic gold, world championships, time trial victories, a yellow jersey at the Tour de France, and a world hour record, Boardman has an impressive list of achievements. In 2007, he started up Boardman Bikes and the brand has been growing rapidly in the UK. Now, thanks to a new partnership with Wiggle, Boardman Bikes are available internationally and there is a complete range of bikes for both on- and off-road use. The brand employs words like quality and performance in their marketing but after perusing the range, their value really stands out. Indeed, every bike has an asking price that has the potential to re-define market expectations. So it goes for the top of the line SLR 9.8, a purpose-built race bike with all the fruit that can be bought for ~$6,000 (~$7,000 including GST and duty).

Before the ride

The SLR 9.8 is equipped with a full SRAM Red groupset; Ritchey carbon bars, stem, and stubby seat post; a Zipp 202 wheelset with Vittoria Corsa CX tubular tires; and a Fizik Arione saddle with carbon rails. Add to that a very light frameset that features a BB30 bottom bracket and a tapered steerer tube, and you have a bike that is very similar to the Scott Foil Team Issue that we reviewed recently. Now compare the bottom line for each: Scott, $9500; Boardman, $7000. There are other bikes that can be added to the comparison (eg Cannondale SuperSix EVO Team, $10000) to help you appreciate the value of the package on offer, or you could just sum the cost of the parts to find that you could throw away the frameset and still come out ahead. The frameset is far from disposable, though.

The SLR frame and fork are made in Taiwan using high modulus carbon fibre and a monocoque construction process. The goal of the design was to save as much weight without compromising stiffness of the frame, particularly in the down tube and bottom bracket, while slender stays are employed to provide extra dampening at the rear of the bike. The frame lacks a dress layer of carbon weave and is largely unpainted aside from the inner face of the forks and stays, which have a thick coat of bright yellow. Interestingly, the SLR 9.8 frameset has an integrated seatpost, whereas a conventional seatpost is found on the other models in the SLR range. The rear brake and derailleur cables are threaded internally, and there is a Union Jack at the base of the down tube to remind you of the country of design. A quick inspection of the inside of the frame from the bottom bracket and heat tube revealed a very tidy finish and provided some appreciation for the layup employed. The claimed weight for the frame alone is 895 grams (6.44kg for the bike) and it comes with a two-year warranty.

If you live outside the United Kingdom, you can buy a Boardman SLR 9.8 online through Wiggle, however this presents a buyer with two significant hurdles: first, no test ride, and second, no after sales support for bike assembly and adjustment. As for after-sales service outside of the UK, Wiggle is partnering with local businesses to take care of this problem, including the first free service for the bike.

I received the SLR 9.8 in the same manner as any customer would, boxed up after assembly in the UK, and even though the cardboard had clearly suffered from some time in the rain or a puddle on the tarmac of an airport runway, the Boardman arrived in perfect condition. More importantly, the bike was essentially ready to ride straight out of the box; all that was needed was to fit the wheels, handlebars, and the rear derailleur hanger. I didn’t find any loose nuts or bolts, the brakes and derailleurs were adjusted near perfect, and the tires had been glued. The only challenge was to cut the integrated seatpost to the right length to set my saddle height. I chose to make my first cut a conservative one then I cut the post again after my first ride. I thought it was a nice touch that a carbon-specific hacksaw blade and cutting guide were included with the bike.

Frame geometry (all lengths are in mm):

Size	Top Tube	Seat Angle	Head Angle	Head Tube
XS	525	74	72	100
S	540	73	72.5	120
M	555	73	73	140
L	570	73	73	160
XL	585	73	73	170

The geometry of the SLR 9.8 is aggressive. The relatively short head tube allows plenty of handlebar drop while the long top tube favours a stretched out position. Less flexible riders will have to resort to multiple spacers under the stem, and in some cases, a shorter stem too. I found that swapping out the 120mm stem for a 110mm compromised the handling of the large frame on test by making the steering unstable when I was out of the saddle. In retrospect, the medium frame (with a longer stem) may have served me better, though I would have required at least 3cm of headset spacers to set my preferred handlebar drop.

To view the full specs and geometry for the SLR 9.8, visit Boardman Bikes.

After the ride

The first thing I noticed about the SLR 9.8 was its weight. It was an easy bike to ride, uphill and downhill. The handling was stable and predictable at all times, though I found the steering a little slow and had to direct the bike through corners when descending. The frame felt reasonably efficient, especially through the bottom bracket and head tube, though I found the chain stays were a little too supple when I was out of the saddle. The integrated seatpost seemed to provide some extra rigidity to anchor my efforts while I was in the saddle, and indeed, the bike seemed to work best when I was seated. As noted above, I had trouble with the handling of the bike after I fitted a shorter stem, so that may have altered my impression of the bike’s handling and efficiency. However, I remain convinced that the geometry of the bike is best suited to those riders that have an aggressive racing position (ie high saddle, low bars, and a long stem).

The Ritchey cockpit benefits from a classy aesthetic. The handlebars feature both a deep drop and a generous reach.

The Red groupset worked well despite its noisy cassette, however the front shifting was a little rough and sluggish compared to other groupsets. There is no word on when the SLR 9.8 will be equipped with the revamped Red 2012 groupset, but considering that it improves on both the noise of the cassette and the quality of the front shifting, I would be tempted to bide my time.

The highlight of the SLR 9.8 was the wheelset. The light and lively Zipp 202s are a perfect match, they brought out the best in the bike. I went for a few rides with a heavier aluminium wheelset, and while the nimble liveliness of the frame was still evident, it was a little like a dog with a muzzle on. Save the 202s for racing and long rides and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the transformation every time.

The SLR 9.8 suffered from just one detracting feature: the derailleur cables made a racket inside the downtube. They would twang, not from sudden hits, but with gentle road buzz, so the bike was only silent on the smoothest of roads. My guess is that the cables are too close to the wall of the down tube and any vibration is amplified, so I would try threading some fine lining tubing over them or installing Gore’s sealed cables to dampen the noise.

Once the derailleur cables exit the down tube, they follow a very clean pathway to their destination, but an excess of vibration in the down tube creates a lot of unnecessary noise while riding the bike.

In summary, the SLR 9.8 offers a buyer considerable value, however, while the price may have wide appeal, this bike will not suit all riders. The SLR 9.8 is essentially a privateer’s race bike and will find favour with hill-climbers, though it is versatile enough to serve as a reliable and effective race bike for any kind of road racing except criteriums.

The small elbow where the rear dropout enters the chain adds interest to the frame but in practice, it creates a pocket where the chain gets caught while fitting the rear wheel.

WRAP-UP

Enticing

Priced to entice, the SLR 9.8 is a purpose-built race bike that will suit riders that utilise an aggressive riding position.

GOOD STUFF

Price (~$7,000 including GST and Duty)
Quality componentry
Zipp 202 wheelset.

BAD STUFF

Noisy derailleur cables
Slow steering

CTECH RATING

8.5

Performance

8.0

Presentation

8.0

Value for money

10.0

WANT IT

Tags: Bike reviews, Boardman SLR 9.8 Review, ctech, Zipp 202

Nathanmon

Good review. I would thoroughly consider one as my next bike. Why would you discount it for Crits, though?
Nathanmon

Good review. I would thoroughly consider one as my next bike. Why would you discount it for Crits, though?
- http://www.cyclingtips.com.au/ CTech
  
  I’d prefer quicker steering for criterium racing to handle the high-speed cornering. You wouldn’t have a lot of trouble on the SLR 9.8 but staying in position (or stealing a few places) through fast corners would be a lot harder on this bike.
Marty

Wiggle have always been really good when sending out bikes. Last one I had delivered (when I lived in the UK) was a Felt track bike which came with a full set of 2mm through to 10mm allen keys in the box to assist with the assembly. Just had to turn the stem, tighten it, and add pedals.
- Anonymous
  
  Speaking on bonuses, my road bike from ChainReactionCycles arrived with a bidon (bottle), multi-tool, pedals (cheap platforms) and wrench for pedals (size 15).
http://www.chromaticdramatic.com/ Chromatic Dramatic

Interesting review. I’ve been looking at Boardman bikes for awhile now (dreaming of my next upgrade), so have been looking for proper reviews, so great to read one here.

I’m been looking at the lower level bikes, and from what I can tell, the frame is exactly the same (other than colour and the integrated seat post) in terms of design / material.

But I don’t need a bike for racing (hence why looking at the SLR versus the AiR range)… Will be interested to here other people’s experiences of the Boardman line of bikes.
jules

what do you mean by “privateer’s” race bike?

and is it fair to test a bike without pedals? :)
- http://www.cyclingtips.com.au/ CTech
  
  I believe it’s a motorcycling term. Here, I mean bike for someone who wants to race at an elite level but doesn’t have the resources to compete with team riders.
  - jules
    
    i know what privateer means, i meant why is the bike suited to one - assume you mean cos its cheap(er)
  - jules
    
    i know what privateer means, i meant why is the bike suited to one - assume you mean cos its cheap(er)
    - http://www.cyclingtips.com.au/ CTech
      
      With the SLR 9.8 a rider can get a bike that has the same spec as a team bike without having to pay a premium for it. Consider putting the same parts on the frame of your choice: wheels, $3K; groupset, $2.5K; tires, bars, stem and saddle, at least $0.5K. A self-funded racer (ie. the privateer) won’t ever get to ride a bike with the spec without spending $10K. Most riders are privateers anyway, but I hoped to convey some of the sense that this is a team bike that can be had for a relatively modest price. Just imagine a junior hoping to be competitive in something like the Tour of Bright and wishing they could get a bike with Red and lightweight carbon tubulars to help their performance against the stars in the field. I think this would be a perfect bike for that scenario.
BigM

Does the $6000 AUD price include GST and duty? Better to compare the REAL price of the bike
- http://www.cyclingTipsBlog.com cyclingTips
  
  Thanks BigM. I neglected to mention that and just added it in.
- Notso Swift
  
  True, delivered it would be very high 6’s
- http://www.cyclingtips.com.au/ CTech
  
  BigM, you make a very good point. Duty and GST does make a difference to the final purchase price and deserves to be highlighted here.
  
  I’ve never been able to understand how customs determines its import charges. but I’ll give it a shot. If the Australian Customs duty is a flat 5% for goods over $1000, I’ll have to pay $300 duty. Now, delivery and insurance comes in at about $160 when I put an SLR 9.8 in my shopping basket, so that takes the value of the bike to $6460 (including duty), 10% of which ($646) is payable as GST. Total for the exercise is $946. If I use Paypal when I place the order, I’ll avoid any processing fees, so the total purchase price comes in a little under $6950, assuming my understanding of Australian import duty is sound. So at nearly $7000, how do you think the SLR 9.8 compares to other bikes with a similar spec? Still looks like good value to me, but to buy one without appreciating the extra cost of GST and duty would add quite a sting to the purchase.
  
  Interestingly, when I checked the price of the bike on the weekend, it was on sale for $5400, but today, it’s back at full retail price.
  - BigM
    
    Thanks for the reply, I’ve often wondered exactly how much extra to allow for this. Still seems pretty good value
mattb

great review thanks. I have also been curious about the Boardmans as they have a great presence on Wiggle and seem like they are outstanding value. On some review sites a significant number of people in the UK seem to shun them as they are sold in what I gather is the equivalent of Rebel sport. Should this matter? I like to think not but I would never buy a high end bike from Rebel Sport.
- Echidna_sg
  
  They were sold through Halfords - more like a combo of super cheap auto and rays outdoors that sells mass market bikes.
  
  no longer the case as I understand it!
Steel

Good review, I’d certainly consider a Boardman for my next road bike purchase.

Just one pet hate. Everyone thinks that high modulus carbon = better. That’s not necessarily the case. Frame manufacturers should use a combination of high modulus/low strength, and low modulus/high strength carbon where it’s needed. Instead we’re fed all this stuff in marketing material about high modulus carbon. My Brother’s Fuji even has it written on the frame in big white letters.I’m no frame designer, but have designed a carbon structure for a race car before. Based on my admittedly limited knowledge I’m guessing you’d put your high mod carbon around areas where you want stiffness, such as the head stem and bottom bracket. You’d then use lower modulus carbon where you want more compliance such as the stays.Based on the two carbon road bikes I have ridden:a Cervelo R3 and a Trek Madone 4.5 the major difference in the frames seems to be the ability of the manufacturer to get this mix right. (The R3 was the better bike by the way but also cost another $4K.)
- jules
  
  or you could just use high modulus carbon to form thinner sections, to achieve lower stiffness, while achieving weight saving over an equivalent stiffness ‘member’ formed with lower modulus carbon. thinner sections are more suspectible to buckling/impact damage though i suppose.
- Tim
  
  Great insight.
  
  Be interested to see how this thinking is applied in Looks, Times, Bianchis, Wiliers (all my faves), Scott, Specialized, Cannondale, Cervelo (all apparently have excellent carbon R&D people and investment).
  - Steel
    
    I guess this is the question I’ve got with a bike company like Boardman. Are they doing the carbon layup work, or leaving it all to the Taiwanese manufacturer? Certainly Felt, Trek and Cervelo do all their own work, not sure about the ‘internet’ brands. I’m not really in a position, to judge, it’s more a general question that I would be asking myself when looking to purchase a $4,000 plus pushy.
    - http://www.cyclingTipsBlog.com cyclingTips
      
      What do you mean by “carbon layup work”? Are you implying that Felt, Trek and Cervelo build their own frames without outsourcing? Or do you just mean the design work?
      
      A good article on CyclingIQ on this topic here: http://cyclingiq.com/2012/02/14/shadow-optic-the-manufacturing-partner-paradox/
      - http://www.chromaticdramatic.com/ Chromatic Dramatic
        
        I think what they means is, do they design more than just the frame shape and leave the implementation to the frame builder? ie, do they define the shape, the type of carbon fibre and how the carbon fibre is arranged…
    - Sam
      
      Haha, this is funny. What makes you so certain that Trek, Felt and Cervelo do what they say? They got you on a line hey ;-)
      - Steel
        
        I think you’ve got me wrong here Sam. I ain’t no brand junkie.
        
        I understand the basic cynicism about brands. Some people have an inbuilt desire just to pay more to have a brand name like BMW, Specialized, Apple etc… Brand cache is important for these types. However, that brand name has to be earned at some point, it doesn’t appear out of nothing and it is usually generated because that brand has made a superior product that they have earned the right to charge a premium price for. The market has tested that product and agrees. (And yes, BMWs are overpriced but they are also undoubtedly better cars than Toyotas.)
        
        So I have also done a bit of reading on how bicycle manufacturers layup there carbon to achieve different results. Felt, for instance, completely redesigned their frame manufacturing process to ensure that the rather than laying up monocoque tubes and bonding at the joints, they layup monocoque joints and bond in the middle of the tubes. You don’t have to study engineering long to realise that this results in a superior structure. The results have been validated in the real world too. Tour magazine tests of these frames show these advancements result in superior results in weight, stiffness and stiffness to weight, aero etc… Having said that, there seem to be some internet brands such as Canyon that seem to lead in these results as well, so this isn’t limited to those brands with huge global presences.
        
        I also am under no illusion that these frames aren’t all manufactured in the same factory in Taiwan and that next to the sexy Colnago frame there is a no-frills frame going down the same line. However, the question for me is did the brand name company fly into Taiwan with a laptop full of CAE drawings, layup schedules, material specs, quality tests vs the non-brand company that turned up and asked a factory to build them a carbon frame?
        
        That’s my question in a nutshell. And I don’t know where Boardman bikes sit within that spectrum of engineering capability. I’d want to know the answer if I were spending $4,000 plus on a bike too.
Steel

Good review, I’d certainly consider a Boardman for my next road bike purchase.

Just one pet hate. Everyone thinks that high modulus carbon = better. That’s not necessarily the case. Frame manufacturers should use a combination of high modulus/low strength, and low modulus/high strength carbon where it’s needed. Instead we’re fed all this stuff in marketing material about high modulus carbon. My Brother’s Fuji even has it written on the frame in big white letters.I’m no frame designer, but have designed a carbon structure for a race car before. Based on my admittedly limited knowledge I’m guessing you’d put your high mod carbon around areas where you want stiffness, such as the head stem and bottom bracket. You’d then use lower modulus carbon where you want more compliance such as the stays.Based on the two carbon road bikes I have ridden:a Cervelo R3 and a Trek Madone 4.5 the major difference in the frames seems to be the ability of the manufacturer to get this mix right. (The R3 was the better bike by the way but also cost another $4K.)
jess89

Interesting review, I just want to point out, since we are already shopping on line I could build up this bike to the exact same speck for a fraction of that price.
Frame set: $1669.19 (current price with 20% off) Sram red: $1399.93 Zipp 202 or 404 FC tubular $1782.20
= $4851.32 leaves you a bit for finishing kit, keeping in mind wheels and groupset can be shipped in parts to remain under the $1000 threshold.
- pdw2244
  
  wow serious savings
Tim

You will note that Wiggle are expanding with local partnerships (in some cases LBSs) to create Wiggle service centres with an Australian footprint.
Robert Merkel

Great review.

If you get a chance, I’d be really interested in seeing a review of one of the AiR range. There’s heaps of good non-aero frames out there; but there’s only a few aero road frames, and nothing at anything like the price of the Boardman for comparable kit.
- eatmorelard
  
  I’m not convinced by the whole aero frame trend. Call me a round tubed luddite, but how much drag is attributed to the frame vs the wheels or most significantly the rider and helmet? Would I be better off improving my riding position or riding with narrower bars? I am certainly no expert in this area, but SRAM lost me when they claimed the new Red brakes were more aero - please…
  - Robert Merkel
    
    It’s very hard to get a definitive answer on this, but from all I’ve read the gains from aero bikes are not huge, but useful.
    
    And if the bike rides and handles OK, and you can build it up to near the UCI weight limit in race trim, why wouldn’t you go aero?
    - Steel
      
      That is my basic understanding as well. If you want to design a tube for bending use a square. If you want to design a tube for torsion, use a circle. And if neither of those matter to you because you’ve got a super duper material like carbon that hits your weight and stiffness targets, go for the aerofoil.
Baxterelax

I have just (in the last month) bought this bike. But rather than buying the full wiggle build I purchased the frame and then all components separately.
I built my bike with SRAM RED (tour edition), the Yellow on the tour edition matches the frame really well.
After reading some reviews I swapped the front deurailer for the new SRAM RED before getting it assembled.
I have also put Bouwmeester 50mmYellow Dot wheels, and purchased some integrated bars (I wish I had gone for the longer stem option).

Compared to my old bike this is a dream machine.
I have not got out on a seriously long ride as yet, due to family commitments, but my first 200 or so km have been fantastic.
- Robert Merkel
  
  Does the new front RD work OK with the older Red components?
  - eatmorelard
    
    According to Velo News, Yes!. Check out this link -
    http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/03/news/it-works-we-test-sram-red-backwards-compatibility_209270 . They claim that if front shifting on old SRAM Red is 5/10 (generous!) and with new it is 10/10, then just the FD upgrade is 9/10. My new FD has been ordered!
    - http://www.chromaticdramatic.com/ Chromatic Dramatic
      
      But how does the new FD compare with Force?
      
      I understood (not that I have sram) that Force gave a better front shift than the old Red.
    - Baxterelax
      
      I used the same reference as noted above by “eatmorelard” when deciding to integrate old and new SRAM….. I have had no issue and the bike store that built the bike for me did not mention that there were any difficulties.
      
      Hope that this helps.
- Sam
  
  Aside from the groupset this sounds like a great bike!
jlidds

Great review - nice headline photo also with the kangaroos grazing away!!

Here’s the ‘formula for calculating Duty + GST:
http://www.customs.gov.au/site/importingGoodsByPostFaq.asp
The estimate of $7K to get one of these in the country is pretty much right.
Charboy

I bought the SLR 9.8 frameset a few weeks ago (just before this review came out), and built it up with the new 2012 SRAM Red gruppo including BB30 cranks. I think the review is quite accurate, particularly in terms of the slightly annoying buzz from the cables inside the frame (this is far from a deal breaker but I will try and fix it). I have been riding a Cannondale Super Six Hi-Mod (2011, not the 2012 EVO) for the last 14 months, and the stiffness of the Boardman SLR 9.8 rear end feels at least as good as the Dale. I don’t have humungous thighs orpro level power outputs, but I am pretty fit and do like smashing it up hills. On my first few rides I felt that the steering was noticeably slower than my Cannondale. However, the headseat had been slightly over tightened - it seems to have a very sudden ‘take up’ point ie when adjusting it is easy to tighten it more than required. I have since backed this off a little, so that there is no play in the headset. It seems to have fixed the problem, as the steering is now a lot lighter. A comparison of the geometry charts shows that the SLR 9.8 (size L) has a head tube angle of 73, the Cannondale Super Six Hi-Mod (size 58) is 73.5 - fork rake is the same, so one would expect the Dale to be slightly quicker (the Cannondale has a slightly longer effective top tube). I think the SLR 9.8 would be fine in a crit, although no doubt there are bikes with quicker steering. As pointed out in the review, the front end is quite stiff, I can’t detect any obvious flex.

Overall I find the Boardman to be a slight improvement over the Cannondale - the frame is a little lighter, and the Red BB30 gruppo shaves a few further grams. It is a comfortable ride for a race bike, although my Mavic Open Pro 32 spoke/Dura Ace hub wheels help. Overall the ride quality is very similar, if slightly better, than the Dale, which was not overly harsh (running the exact same wheels). I bought the frame at 20% discount ($1650 incl. shipping). Plus duties/tax of $233. I bought the Red group from Cecil Walker for $2300 + fitting of $130. So for the frame and group I paid approx $4300. This leaves a lot of change for wheels and finishing kit. Maybe add $1000 for some quality wheels (handbuilts or factory) plus another $500-600 for high end finishing kit (post, saddle, bars/stem) = $5800-5900. That is landed/installed value and is hard to beat. The advantage of buying+installing the gruppo at a LBS is an ongoing relationship with those guys. This is a pro level bike for much less than the big name competition. It looks pretty hot too.
Charboy

Photo of my Boardman SLR 9.8 now attached.