Boardman Bikes‘ SLS ‘endurance race’ frame has received the disc brake treatment, with the British brand using the London Bike Show to unveil a four-strong collection of disc-equipped machines.
Boardman launched the SLS (or SuperLight Sportive) platform, part of the top-tier Elite range sold through independent bike shops, in November 2013 and the frame, designed to bridge the gap between performance and comfort, was an obvious candidate for disc brakes.
The SLS Disc range is based around a 950g frame, approximately 100g heavier than the 850g SLS but still certainly light, and a 400g fork. Interestingly, Boardman have opted to used thru-axles at the front and rear.
The range, due to be available from mid-March, is made up of four bikes, starting with the £2,299.99 SLS 9.0 Disc with Shimano 105 and rising to the Shimano Dura-Ace Di2-equipped SLS 9.8 Disc for £4,999.99. All four bikes have hydraulic disc brakes.
We stopped by the Boardman stand at the London Bike Show to take a closer look.
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Thru-axle
With disc brakes still an emerging trend, there's plenty of debate among bike manufacturers as to whether the speed and convenience of standard quick release skewers or the extra stability and stiffness of thru-axles are best suited to the demands of disc-equipped road machines. Some manufacturers have stuck with QRs, some have gone thru-axle at the front and QR at the rear, and some, including Boardman, have opted for thru-axles at both ends (though the rear can be converted to QR). The SLS frame uses a 15mm front axle with a 142x12mm rear axle.
Flagship
The Boardman SLS 9.8 Disc is the flagship model in the four-strong range, with a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset and Shimano R785 hydraulic disc brakes for £4,999.99. Boardman have developed their own range of disc-specific wheels and CB Elite SLD/R carbon clinchers on the 9.8 have a 38mm-deep rim, wrapped in Continental Grand Sport Race tyres. All-up claimed weight is 7.6kg.
'Endurance race'
The SLS is Boardman's 'endurance race' platform, so while the geometry isn't as aggressive as the SLR, it's no sit-up-and-beg machine, with a medium frame having a 555mm toptube, 160mm headtube, and 73 degree headtube and seattube angles. Boardman say the seatstays have been profiled to improve comfort, while the SLS Disc frame has clearance for 28mm tyres.
Boardman 9.4 SLS Disc
Sitting below the top-of-the-range 9.8 SLS Disc is this, the 9.4 SLS Disc. It has a Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset, Shimano BR785 hydraulic disc brakes, CB Elite SLD/S wheels and Continental Grand Sport Race tyres for £3,299.99.
Boardman 9.2 SLS Disc
Next in line is the 9.2 SLS Disc, which is the only machine in the range in a SRAM build. It gets a SRAM Force 22 groupset, again with hydraulic disc brakes, CB Elite SLD/S wheels and Continental Ultra Sport 2 tyres for £2,899.99.
No half-measures
Boardman have used hydraulic disc brakes across the range, with no mechanical options. Cable-operated disc brakes may be more affordable but Boardman told us they want customers who upgrade to the SLS Disc platform to reap the extra control and modulation offered by hydraulic stoppers.
Neat and tidy
Boardman have had to tweak the original SLS frame to make it suitable for discs. There's a new thru-axle fork, which weight approximately 400g, and the rear-end of the frame has been beefed up a little to cope with the extra braking force of discs. That bumps the frame weight up from 850g to 950g. The brake hoses and gear cables (or wires, the frame is compatible with mechanical and electronic groupsets) are routed internally, which makes for a tidy finish.
Boardman SLS 9.0 Disc
The SLS 9.0 Disc is the most affordable bike in the range and for £2,299.99 you get a mechanical Shimano 105 groupset paired with Shimano R685 hydraulic disc brakes.
Elite Series
The full Boardman range is split into two halves: Performance Series bikes are sold through Halfords, while the premium Elite Series bikes are sold through Boardman's network of independent bike shops.
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