BOARDMAN SLR 8.9

Boardman’s longstanding carbon fibre favourite still hits the heights

A carbon fibre frameset, aero features and a distance-friendly ride is a winning combination

There were no poor bikes among our quartet though in the case of three of the four, value has slipped over the last year. Our least expensive bike, however, proved to be a revelation and great value.

If you’re looking for a commuter bike on a budget, Planet X’s £799.99 London Road hits the spot nicely – and its wide touring tyres mean it’s not just restricted to short urban endeavours. Unless you can spin the cranks like a cartoon figure its slightly restricted top gear does limit its training bike credentials in this 1x setup, but that’s about the London Road’s only limiting factor. It’s practical, versatile, has good gears and brakes and balances performance and comfort.

I liked Orbea’s Avant H60-D a lot but 2021’s economic realities have pushed the spec down for the price, and this has the lowest-level groupset of the three Shimano-equipped bikes. This Orbea makes a lovely long-distance cruiser that was comfortable over poor roads, unsurfaced park routes and towpaths, and with even wider tyres you could tackle more gnarly surfaces.

For a bike with the Endurance name the steel Ribble proved surprisingly racy. It’s comfortable and handles excellently but was let down by so-so disc brakes. I reckon the rim-braked Ribble would be a better buy.

But my favourite is Boardman’s carbon fibre SLR 8.9. The upgrade to 11-speed Shimano 105 more than justifies the £100 price increase. Its combination of a carbon fibre frameset with aero features and a distance-friendly ride is a winning one. Throw in tubeless-ready wheels, mudguard compatibility and wider-ranging gears and you have a great package that will appeal to commuters, fitness riders and even wannabe racers.