Boardman slr9.2

I recently put a post about getting a new bike it was a trek emonda alr5 £1779 it was going to be an upgrade from my cube attain gtc I know alloy vs carbon but I’ve just discovered the slr9.2 in cycling plus magazine and it seems a bargain at £2200. For the spec. Only down side is I’m a bike snob and the word boardman reminds me of Halfords and Carrera bikes 😩 has anyone got one and what’s there thoughts

Comments

  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    edited December 2020
    Boardmans are mega, Halfords are fine and if you honestly think the above get yourself down the local bike retailer and buy something lesser but more expensive so you can bore clubbies about it.

    My holiday house bike is one, I’ve worked on loads, they are used by loads of people who are far better than you (I think the Brownlees used them amongst others) and they rock.

    But seriously dude, grab yourself a Trek. as Tony the Tiger said, they’re grrrreeeaaat. Hold your head up high on the Sunday Club run on a Trek you can.

    #harshbuttrue
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • Ok dude wasn’t meaning to sound like a snob I’m far from it working class lad me are you a bike mechanic forhalfords
  • slowmart
    slowmart Posts: 4,516
    I’ve got mates who ride their boardmans whilst leaving their Tarmacs in the shed.

    Forget what people you don’t know think of the brand and even people who you know as they are simply wrong.

    Get yourself a test ride and see for yourself.

    Forget the marketing blurb, I bought a new SL5, £4500 in 2015, now the same model is £7000 and it’s a made out of the same carbon. Madness as the price difference doesn’t equate to performance improvements.

    So for a more objective view the performance differences between your model of choice and a Tarmac would be not worth a conversation but the cash outlay means the question should have trouble crystallising in your thought process as to which one you should buy.

    So buy a decent bike and upgrade over time as bikes aren’t going to come down in price anytime soon and until there is a sea change in performance it negates the need to upgrade from a carbon frame to another carbon frame. IMHO.

    If the idea of buying second hand floats your boat, strip the frame, get it resprayed and put some love into your bike whilst building your home mechanic knowledge and capability . It’s also a great excuse to buy cool tools and carry stock for consumables.

    It’s a nice feeling reaching for some bearings or disc pads from a drawer in your garage or swapping cassettes depending on the amount of climbing you have.






    “Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime. Teach a man to cycle and he will realize fishing is stupid and boring”

    Desmond Tutu
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    There’s a nice fancy looking bike shop in Surrey by box hill that sells boardman’s if the Halfords vibe puts you off.

    They do nice coffee too.
  • I bought a new Boardman Air 9.6 a couple of years ago for a touch over £3000.
    It came with Ultegra Di2 and 50mm Night Composite wheels.

    The snobs soon realise what a good bike it is.
  • MattFalle
    MattFalle Posts: 11,644
    edited December 2020

    Ok dude wasn’t meaning to sound like a snob I’m far from it working class lad me are you a bike mechanic forhalfords

    No, i’m not and never have been. Far far far from it, but I mechanic’d in the trade before for a small independent and do quite a lot of private work.
    .
    The camera down the willy isn't anything like as bad as it sounds.
  • joe_totale-2
    joe_totale-2 Posts: 1,333
    edited December 2020
    oxoman said:

    Nothing inherently wrong with halfords or some of the bikes they sell. The issue has been some of the bike mechanics leave a lot to be desired and whilst they may get away with it on a little kids bike it's not happening on a decent bike. Carerra, Boardman, Voodoo are all good bikes with the higher tiered / specified models the best. The snob side does come into it, my youngest has a Boardman mtb and its brilliant and a mate has the CX which he swears by. Compared with some other stuff out there it's not bad bike at all. Only issue with any bikes at the minute is supply and demand, not alot available for a bit.

    As with most places, it depends on the staff members you get. Mrs Totale just recently got an ADV 8.9 and the mechanic in our local Halfords happily rebled the brakes there and then and set it up as well as any mechanic would do in a shop selling a more fancy brand of bike.

    Boardman's are fantastic value and there's no downside to them aside from a name on the downtube that some people may sneer at. They are often designed with Britain conditions in mind, for example most of their bikes can have mudguards fitted.
  • elbowloh
    elbowloh Posts: 7,078
    The bike mag reviewers have generally always been very positive about Boardman's and how you very almost always get the best bang for your buck with them, offering better specs for the same money (or less) than other brands.

    People that know bikes know that and you shouldn't care what other people think
    Felt F1 2014
    Felt Z6 2012
    Red Arthur Caygill steel frame
    Tall....
    www.seewildlife.co.uk
  • Looks an excellent bike, even got hidden mudguard mounts!
  • 50x11
    50x11 Posts: 408
    Almost bought the same bike, test rode and it was lovely, but ended uo getting an amazing deal on a Ridley.

    I fell in love with cycling because of a Carrera.
  • Going of the subject now I’ve seen a cannondake super six evo 105 rim brake for around same price as boardman bare in mind this will be my summer bike only used in dry weather any thoughts