Boardman AiR/9.4 Review

Boardman's Elite range separates into two type: The wind-cheating AiRs and the anorexic SLRs.
The AiR/9.4 by main glance looks like a very the traditional aero bike with aerofoil-shaped tubing,
Sitting tall and slim. A narrow front profile augmented with home cable routing enhances the traits.

Despite these traditional looks, approximately a small number of relevant details so as to may well go away ignored and warrant expand examination. With Contrast colour, the home faces of the fork legs and rear stays are flattened to allow air To flood finished them uninterrupted as it comes turbulently rancid the rotary wheels. Many of the other details syndicate to resist the flaws so as to can bother approximately aero bikes, namely a flexy, disconnected ride

Rather than going away down this route, Boardman's designers manufacture the underside bracket and chainstays as lone section, Preferring to assert the join in the down tube, anywhere the oversized tubing offers more material to combat pedalling forces. Popular a comparable vein, the chainstays are a more constant size in their boxy taper, stepping down with a defined pointed Box configuration by the rear abandon

Boardman has quickly gained a reputation in favor of exceptional specification by a certain charge item and the AiR/9.4 excels in this sphere. Other than the BB30-specific FSA SLK carbon chainset, the Boardman has the same Dura-Ace groupset as the Scott Foil R1 - which is almost twice the cost.

There are stiffer bikes, and more aero ones, but Boardman seem to assert found a compromise so as to belies the nature of the word. Whether it is the hidden home lay-up, or the stiffening nature of the conical front closing stages, steering was bang on.

There is an adequate amount pointer to feel as the front tyre is bringing up the rear grip, and an adequate amount stiffness in the frame to relocation the corresponding - slide avoidance - body schedule.

The superb ride and spec level are an adequate amount to search out it a anticyclone attain; add to so as to the aero settlement and you are on top of a winner.

(Neil Webb, cyclingweekly.co.uk)