1st Place: Boardman Road Pro Carbon
Another Boardman in the top ten, but it’s the Road Pro Carbon SLR, a new bike launched in 2016, that scoops the coveted top spot. Boardman Bikes have built up a decent reputation for well designed and good value road bikes over the years, and nowhere is this better expressed than in the excellent Road Pro Carbon SLR.
Boardman's designers have played a blinder when it comes to the handling and geometry. The head tube and seat tube angles mirror each other at 73 degrees, and with a top tube length of 55.5cm and head tube at 14cm, the riding position is long and low and pretty aggressive. The facts and figures pretty much mimic that of the Bianchi Specialissima, a pro peloton-ready speed machine, so the SLR certainly isn't going to disappoint you in the bunch. Don't go thinking it's all about out and out speed, though. The Boardman is happy to cruise for hours on end – cruise quickly mind, thanks to its minimal weight – but you don't need to be on the rivet to make it perform.
In the twisty bits, whether on the flat or descending, the Boardman remains a very easy bike to ride fast. The majority of bikes we ride these days have a tapered head tube. The larger diameter at the bottom means a larger surface area and more material, equating to increased stiffness. The SLR uses a 1 1/8in top bearing with a 1 1/2in lower. The whole bike feels great at speed. The smooth ride quality of the frame gives you the confidence to push the SLR hard into bends and back out the other side. There is a lot of feedback going on all the time; even though the frame seems to reduce a lot of the road buzz, it doesn't mute the actual feeling of what the tyres are doing on the road.
Don't go thinking it's all about out and out speed, though. The Boardman is happy to cruise for hours on end – cruise quickly mind, thanks to its minimal weight – but you don't need to be on the rivet to make it perform. Century rides are well within its remit thanks to its overall comfort levels, and you could even upgrade the 25m standard tyres to some squidgy 28s to soften the blow a little more. The SLR certainly makes a rapid sportive machine.
The £1,500 to £2,000 price mark is a very competitive one, but the Boardman manages to face stiff competition from direct sales brands with a full SRAM Force 22 groupset and Mavic Ksyrium wheels and an impressive finishing kit. In conclusion, the Boardman Road Pro Carbon SLR is a great bike. It's there to be ridden fast, whether that's eyeballs-out fast or just a rapid average speed on a longer journey. It excites, and you certainly feel rewarded for any effort you put through the pedals. With a great groupset, impressive finishing kit and that smooth-riding frame, for this money, it's very hard to find fault with the SLR.
And that’s why the Boardman Road Pro Carbon SLR winsroad.ccRoad Bike of the Year.
Why it's here:It's simply everything we look for in a road bike. Great performance, price and handling puts it head and shoulders above the rest
- David Arthur, road.cc 11/01/17