Boardman Bikes

Elite AiR TT 9.8E Ultegra Di2 Complete Bike - 2014

Though its electronic drivetrain is impressive, the real story of the Boardman Bikes Elite AiR TT 9.8E Ultegra Di2 Complete Bike is the frameset at its heart. That's because, compared to the Kona-winning 2012 AiR TT, the latest Elite AiR TT 9.8E enjoys 7% gains in aerodynamics in actual race conditions (read: yaw angles ranging from zero to 30 degrees). When frictional losses between tires and tarmac are considered, Boardman estimates that these savings translate to 144 seconds over 25 miles at 25mph and 648 seconds over 112 miles — that's almost 11 minutes.

When it set out in search of those aerodynamic gains, Boardman was equipped with the standard quiver of virtual aids: CAD, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Finite Element Analysis, et al. As with many other venerable industry names, the British company also made extensive use of wind tunnel testing in order to validate those designs. What sets the Elite AiR TT 9.8E frameset apart from its competition is what Boardman refers to as Holistic Optimisation.

Holistic Optimisation involves pushing the design of the frame beyond the virtual hydrodynamics of CFD software and the actual aerodynamics of wind tunnels to the real-world interaction at the nexus between wind, bike, spinning wheels, and the athlete themselves. When these items are all considered in a vacuum, it's easy to build a handlebar or frame that reduces drag; however, when Boardman combined all of the elements together, it discovered unlooked for issues in the overall aerodynamic footprint.

For example, the initial handlebar prototype showed huge aerodynamic improvements over its predecessor. When they put a rider on it, though, Boardman's engineers found that the interface between bars and rider actually created aerodynamic losses. Using Holisitic Optimisation, they were able to address these losses, re-engineer the aerobar unit, and produce a faster overall bike/rider system.

The proximal faces of the fork arms and seatstays also get some targeted shaping to shepherd wind across the wheels and help it reattach to the frame (the fork) and detach in an orderly fashion (the stays). The system-wide gains in aerodynamics are paired with the stiff efficiency of a monocoque, high-modulus carbon build that centers on the stiff, wide BB386 bottom bracket standard and sends power to the road through built-up chainstays.

The bike's TTE cockpit system is adjustable and integrated for aerodynamic benefits that let you dial the geometry to match the parameters of your latest professional fitting session, and the seatpost features four positions of adjustment that span 81 degrees for time trials to 78 degrees for a dedicated triathlon setup. Say goodbye to piecing together Frankenstein tri machines with a road geometry at the back and a triathlon geometry up front. The frameset is finished with the details you'd expect from a top-end model: a tapered head tube for increased stiffness and control on convoluted courses, internal cable routing, and integrated TRP brake calipers — the rear of which is tucked under the bottom bracket.

As for the drivetrain, we love everything about Shimano's Ultegra Di2 . In fact, we might go so far as to christen it the best function for the dollar race kit on the market today. This is especially true for triathlon and TT builds, as the aerobar shifters' simple button interface is a vast improvement over the usual indexed levers. The frame's Di2 compatibility also keeps things tidy, eliminating any flapping cables.