BOARDMAN ENDURANCE SLR 9.0
£1599.99 › Superbly cultured all-rounder from the no-nonsense master
Shimano Ultegra kit is a benchmark of flawless, seemingly perpetual motion performance
There’s seemingly a contradiction about combining SuperLightRace and Endurance in the same name but the designers at Boardman have managed to combine easy speed and epic efficiency in the same bike.
A relatively long top-tube and tall head-tube mean the Boardman sizes up larger than some if you work off seat-tube measurements, but the geometry is sporty in terms of angles. Add a 100mm stem and you’ve got a speed-friendly stretch with classic road race front wheel weighting. Slightly longer than average seatstays also improve stability at higher speeds.
The big, boxy C10 carbon main tubes make for a sure-footed and accurate road stance that remains unflustered whatever speed you go, or if you fit deeper section wheels.
The FSA Gossamer Pro brakes are communicative and adequately powerful. The Vittoria Rubino Pro tyres proved to be pretty hardy and hassle free. While we know from forum responses that they have a cult following among distance riders for their feel, speed and longevity, but they aren’t the finest when you come to rain soaked and flithy back road climbs. They’re the only part of the package we’d change at a later stage as the Boardman wheels they sit on are well balanced and a good weight for a bike of this price.
The Shimano Ultegra kit is a benchmark of flawless, seemingly perpetual motion, performance and the FSA Gossamer Pro chainset makes maximum use of the 30mm
bottom bracket bore. Boardman’s finishing kit, including a carbon seatpost and carbon stem spacers, keeps the overall weight low, and you’ll appreciate the firm but fair Prologo saddle more as the miles rack up. Cable adjusters and a chain drop stopper are helpful practical additions, but the extended chainstay head box behind the bottom bracket makes getting the rear wheel out a fight unless you totally remove the rear skewer.
Considering the big box section chainstays and BB30 bottom bracket, acceleration isn’t as explosive as you might expect in the first few metres. Still, it doesn’t squander power as it surges up to speed and its low weight means it still feels keen overall.
The tiny trade in torque urgency is repaid many times over in the premium ride quality. It’s not soft or docile and handling precision is confidence-boostingly brilliant. It skims over any road surface, at any speed, giving a clean, efficient glide that would be impressive on bikes over twice the price.
The later you brake into a turn or the sooner you inject power after the apex the more the SLR will come alive and encourage you to crack on. The longer and later into the day you go the more the efficient and enthusiastic feel will justify its Endurance tag too. Boardman has done a great job of hitting a very tricky balance of differing performance vectors and price absolutely spot on.