Boardman Bikes Elite SLR Endurance 9.8 Road Frameset - 2016 Gloss Black & Platinum, XL
For 2016, Boardman's SLR Endurance line breaks free from its former SLS gran fondo neighborhood and heads over to the SLR's sleek racing high-rise. While lightweight carbon construction means the Elite SLR Endurance 9. 8 Road Frameset is bred to race, its more upright geometry gives the bike versatility to cover a wide range of courses, so gone are the days of having to choose between long-mile comfort and race-worthy efficiency. We're happy that Boardman is finally broadcasting the SLR Endurance frame's capabilities rather than tucking it away in the SLS line where it tended to be unnecessarily -- and unfairly -- relegated to sportive duties. The SLR Endurance chassis consists of a targeted lay-up of Boardman's C10 carbon fiber, balancing considerations of stiffness, price, and the ability to erase road noise, chip-seal chatter, cobbles, and gravel road feedback for a ride that's not just limited to well-groomed tarmac. The SLR Endurance's post-tarmac pedigree also owes a debt to the frame's geometry, which mirrors the outgoing SLS. Compared to the standard SLR, the endurance model has a shorter head tube and longer chainstays (by about 20 and 5mm, respectively) for a longer, more centered wheelbase that increases stability across less than ideal surfaces. It's also got a higher stack and shorter reach, dimensions that benefit the recreational cyclist or the racer who recognizes the value of a comfortable ride position in events that last longer than 50 minutes spent circling a business park. These variations are also good news for those of us whose height means that there's always a gap between sleeves and gloves, tights and booties. The SLR Endurance's geometry means tall cyclists don't have to add a comical expanse of spacers up front in order to accommodate a higher saddle, so fittings are no longer a question of an uncomfortably slammed, track-inspired cockpit or an unsightly spacer stack. Finally, while many cyclists would rather just get on with the rid...