Boardman Bikes are set to launch a new frame – dubbed Super Light Sportive – in November.
The British brand’s operations director, Andy Smallwood, told RoadCyclingUK the chassis has been in development for two years under Boardman’s B56 prototype initiative. The video below shows the frame being put through its paces in various carbon layups during a five-day test session in Kitzbühel, Austria.
The frame, Smallwood says, has been designed to be “incredibly light”, with stiffness comparable to Boardman’s impressive, race-ready SLR frame, reviewed on RCUK last year, but with a “slightly less aggressive, comfort-orientated” geometry.
“We have spent the past two years developing the SLS frame platform from conception, through prototype and production testing, with a view to launching in November,” said Smallwood, who said the final frame weight is still to be confirmed.
“The design philosophy behind the new frame was to build a platform that would enable the sportive rider to ride comfortably all day without compromising any of the core performance attributes you would expect from a Boardman.”
Named after brand chief Chris Boardman’s 1996 hour record, when the three-time Tour de France stage winner clocked an average speed of 56.375km, the B56 Special Projects Program is the company’s research and development initiative.
Boardman, one of only six Briton’s to have worn the yellow jersey, has carved a reputation as one of the sharpest minds in bicycle design since retiring and only last year stepped back from his role as part of British Cycling’s Secret Squirrel Club, which designed the UK Sport time trial bike ridden by Bradley Wiggins to Olympic gold.
“This is an exciting development from our R&D department,” Boardman, who remains director of R&D for the brand which bears his name, said of the SLS project.
“Two years in development and testing, the fine-tuned result is designed to cater for the rider who spends a lot of time in the saddle – either training, racing or purely for the love of cycling.”
We will bring you news of full specs and build options for the SLS when it becomes available later this year.
Website: Boardman Bikes
