WINNER Boardman SLR Endurance 9.0 › You won’t be bored, man
The idea of this test was to see if shopping around the web or national bike megastores rather than restricting yourself to local shop choice could get you all the bike you need - whatever your road riding preferences - for around £1500. The simple answer is yes.
If you’re into speed you’ve got three options. Fuji’s Transonic has aero profiling and long distance comfort for flatlanders, but it’s a bit soft under power and drags extra weight up climbs. Planet X’s Galibier is stiff, light, precise and aggressive with great upgrade options, but it’s a hard ride for hard riders. If you want a disc brake bike then our two options are surprisingly diverse. The Vitus Venon is an eager and efficient performance machine but lacks big tyre clearance, and it’s a fixed package. The Ribble Gran Fondo Disc is a more relaxed, comfort-notcombat ride but will take fat rubber and can be customised.
Among these competent and characterful bargains two consistently stood out. The most dramatic is the responsive, quick and very affordable BTwin Ultra 900. It’s not forgiving in terms of comfort or handling but the quality of frame and components you’re getting is remarkable if you’re into the racier side of riding.
However, the Boardman rose to the top because it isn’t just a great value bike, it’s a great bike compared to any other ride you want to line it up alongside. In the grand scheme of actual measurable performance differences we doubt you could even plot it, but the way it combines easy efficiency, confident handling and a highly upgradeable lightweight frame is just right for all sorts of riding, from challenging to contemplative. It’s even good enough to forgive its hydrophobic tyres, although we’d definitely change them when funds allow.