Boardman Bikes have only been on the road for four years but, in that short time, they’ve established a reputation for high-quality machines at excellent prices, providing plenty of bang for your buck.
With that in mind, it’s important to note that the Boardman Team Carbon has seen its price bumped up by £300 to £1,299.99 for 2011, taking the British brand’s entry-level carbon fibre machine comfortably above the £1,000 ceiling in place for the Cycle to Work scheme.
Comparing the 2010 and 2011 models, what do you get for the extra cash? The Ritchey Pro rims have been replaced by a Mavic Aksium wheelset, wrapped in Continental Ultra Sport tyres, and the Boardman saddle makes way for a Fizik Arione perch. The frame now boasts internal cable routing and there’s an FSA Gossamer Pro compact chainset with FSA BB30.
So Boardman have worked hard to improve the Team Carbon’s spec, justify the price-hike, and produce a remarkably well-specced bike for the cash. It’s just not a grand anymore. Also, the SRAM Rival groupset on the 2010 model, which also had Tektro brakes, has been standardised to Shimano 105 for this year, with the FSA chainset to boot.
Back to the basics. The fork, which features a carbon steerer, and frame are manufactured using full carbon fibre monocoque construction, meaning each is moulded in one piece.
Aerodynamic tube profiles features across much of the Boardman range, which tops out with the £6,999.99 AiR 9.8, and the Team Carbon is no different, with a super-aero bladed downtube dominating the frame. Stated weight is 18.2lbs (8.25kg), which is good going for a bike at this price.
Boardman say the oversize box section chainstays improve power transfer, while the curved wishbone seatstays look to enhance ride comfort. The bike’s finished with a matt black paint job, in contrast to the Boardman yellow which splashes a dose of colour to the inside of both the chainstays and fork. We like it – now let’s see how it rides.
Boardman Bikes are available in the UK exclusively through Halfords.
