Boardman Bikes

SLR Endurance 9.2 Dura Ace Complete Road Bike - 2016

The SLR Endurance 9.2 Dura-Ace Complete Road Bike's Dura-Ace shifting and carbon fiber FSA crankset should tell you all you need to know about the top-end mechanical entry in Boardman's so-called "endurance" line. Specifically, it's a race bike, not (just) a comfort rig. By relocating the endurance bike from the SLS's gran fondo neighborhood to the SLR's racing borough, Boardman has removed any doubts about the SLR Endurance's true intentions: behind the façade of a more upright geometry lurks the stiff, low-weight aggression of a long-distance killer.

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. Despite the shakeup of naming conventions, Boardman sticks with the same materials that it uses in the standard SLR race frames. Each SLR Endurance chassis comprises a targeted layup of T1000 and T800 Carbon, which balances considerations of stiffness, price, and the ability to erase road noise, chip-seal chatter, pavé, and even feedback from gravel roads for a ride that's not just limited to well-groomed roads.

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 boosts 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 races that last longer than 50 minutes spent circling a city block.

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 ride, still many others are as interested in a frame's looks, and Boardman's re-worked the paint schemes of its entire line to appeal to the aesthetically minded cyclist. While other frames in the new SLR Endurance line showcase a level of colorful flamboyancy that we don't typically associate with Boardman Bikes, the 9.2 Dura-Ace build eschews look-at-me flair in favor of a style that's understated, classic, and timeless — the cycling equivalent of enjoying a gin martini in a black, notch-lapel tuxedo.