100km Ride on the Boardman SLR 8.9 - Time for a New Bike?
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- Опубліковано 16 жов 2024
- Back out on the road back after a couple of months off. I fancied trying an 'easy' Audax distance but also one with plenty of hills, so headed off towards Bronte country and deeper into the Pennines. Let's just say I've done easier rides than this one!
I've been riding the Boardman SLR 8.9 for two and a half years now and so wondering out loud in the video whether it's time to replace it.
Happy cycling folks!
That right there is why I bloody love cycling… 😊👍 great video, keep it up, really enjoyable watch.
Thanks, Nick! Happy cycling!
I bought a new bike in the new years sales, all reviews we're good expect for the OM wheels, did a few rides and was very happy, then saw some DT Swiss wheels in another sale and took the plunge, Wow ! how right those reviews were.
Really great video well done, i like your down to earth honesty its very refreshing to hear, thank you for posting.
Thanks, John. Appreciate you checking out the video. Happy cycling!
Great video. I think the bike you have, did you proud 👏 well done.
I think you're right, Matt. It's been a great bike so far. Thanks for the comment and happy cycling!
Another cracking video and an impressive and challenging ride with brilliant views. Half expected Heathcliffe to make an appearance given those glowering skies.. Really enjoy your channel and the varied content. Just as an aside I think you were very brave flouting the local laws when eating that cake. I saw loads of signs as you were passing laybys saying Strictly No Parkin.
All the best Martin.
That's just made me laugh out loud! Thanks, David! :)
Good video great cycling keep that bike it's is as good as the new ones my bike is 10 year old hybrid giant and i have been all over Ireland on it love it.
Thanks, Sean. Yep, can't ask more from a bike really than it takes you all over the country and just 'works'. Can't wait to explore Ireland on the bike (at some indeterminate point in the future ... but deffo on the to-do list!). 🙂
If getting on a train messed with your derailleur, something with discs would probably have been needing new rotors.
Awesome vid as always mate, thank you.
Delicate bike components and UK train travel don't really mix well! Appreciate you checking out the video as always, thanks! 🙂
Smashing ride in much-loved country. Everytime I do Trawden - Worsthorne - Holme Chapel/Causeway I seem to find a 'new route' by mistake. There's nowhere to hide from the wind up there, but we love that scale of landscape.
I wouldn't change anything major on the Boardman now it's running well again.
You've said previously how you feel confident with the Marathon+ so if you're going to change tyres for a little more speed then I wouldn't jump to a racing cover. Something from the Durano family (sounds like they're from a Scorsese movie) could be a good compromise. I did a few thousand rough winter miles on Durano DD without any trouble.
Thanks for the tyres info, Gordon. Yes, I'm a massive Schwalbe fan and frankly terrified of the slicker/racing road tyres many people use ... but I suppose a little better rolling - for the same or less energy expenditure - does add up and make a difference over the longer distances. So easy to end up new-routing on those Lancashire lanes! 🙂
@@onemorecyclist I have 1.5" Marathon+ on the do-it-all hybrid/errand bike. I hit some very rough sections on my two rounds of the Wakefield Wheel and they were unflappable, but I think you'll gain at least 0.5 mph average going to Durano DD and another 0.5 mph from there to racers such as GP5000 or Schwalbe One.
Great video, I enjoy your channel very much. I'm also riding an 8.9 but I've upgraded the wheels to Hunt deep section ones, and also fitted a 32t cog on the back wheel. I've also put a Brooks B17 narrow saddle on it as well. It may not measure up to everyone's aesthetic standards but it's sure as hell comfortable!
I'm still riding my Boardman 2012 Team Aluminium (carbon forks) as well which I've fitted with the Marathon Plus tyres along with a 32t cog at the back. Although I've ridden many other bikes, I've developed a fondness for Boardman bikes. I've ridden four over the last 14 years and they have served me well. I've got a TT Bike (BMC) and a Trek Emonda carbon but I can honestly say I enjoy riding my Boardman Bikes more, along with my Cooper Sebring Reynolds steel, single-speed bike, which is also fantastic to ride (also fitted with a Brooks saddle).
Carry on the great work and continue to keep us all entertained on your 8.9! Thank you very much for your content!
Thanks so much for the lovey feedback and really interesting to read those comments about your different bikes. Sounds like you've got a great setup on the 8.9 there. I didn't mention in the video but I'm also really impressed with how smooth and quiet the bike it - after 2.5 years and a lot of use on pretty unforgiving roads still no creaks from the frame or BB at all. Have you found your Brooks saddle negates the need for using padded shorts?
@@onemorecyclist To be honest with you I've never ridden on the Brooks without padded shorts but I'm sure that this wouldn't be a problem after the 'breaking-in' period, which isn't long. The saddle is 'bone-hard' which puts some people off but the advantage is that the seat moulds into your individual specific shape and thereafter provides luxurious comfort. In my humble opinion, It's the best saddle in the world, especially for long-distance touring and riding like you're doing. The Brooks is well worth investing in but like everything else, it pays to do some research and maybe ask someone you know about the pros and cons of buying one.
The price of bikes and components has spiralled out of control. Good luck to all that can afford 'luxury' bikes, I don't blame them at all, but I can still enjoy the beautiful scenery of north Wales just as much on my Boardman and Brooks saddle. Pardon the trope but I don't live for cycling, I cycle to live and for pleasure!
Thanks for your kind reply, you're a fantastic advocate for cycling!
I would be inclined to keep the Boardman and buy a new bike as well. You can never have too many bikes!
That's very true ... although I've completely run out of space with my 5 bikes (and the last one was a folder!). Happy cycling :)
Rim brakes - if not already I would suggest keeping an eye on the rim wear. Some wheels have tiny dot punch holes in the rims that act as wear indicators. I didn't and smashed through a rear wheel rim whilst out on the bike. It initially felt like having a puncture but further inspection revealed the horror. Luckily it was one side that collapsed and the other got me tentatively back home (approx. 8 mile). Had to disable the rear brake to prevent its use though😬
Yikes, Ian. Glad it didn't throw you off the bike when that rim gave out! Good advice to check this. I've not seen a rim give out but a couple of tyres pop on other riders and some narrow escapes. I'm quite paranoid about checking brakes, wheels, tyres etc., especially with these Pennine hills and the kind of speeds you can reach descending round this way. Thanks as always for the comment and happy cycling! 🙂
100k a wonderful effort amongst that beautiful scenery, and gives you that hooked feeling of freedom and being alive. You can't beat afterwards a nice hot shower, a meal and drink, relax and off to bed and enjoy a great sleep. Good luck in making a decision to have another bike or not, but 2.5 years old on your present stead is nothing, my touring bike is 40 years old next year and I still love it ! But I might have another bike next year maybe ? Great video and thanks for sharing Martin 👌🏻 👏👋
Thanks, Philip. Wow, a 40 year old tourer, nice! One of my plans is to build up from scratch a dedicated touring bike ... hope it'll be as long-lasting as yours! It was always a bit of a tradition when I was a lad to finish the 3 peaks with a massive mug of tea in the Pen-y-ghent cafe and to this day any long trip outdoors isn't complete without the obligatory cuppa at the end! 🙂
Yes build your own touring backpacking bike that will be a wonderful achievement Martin, all the best and take care 👏 👋
Well done, great effort. In answer to whether you should upgrade -
I bought a new all carbon road bike with Di2 105 Shimano group set. My older bike became my winter bike. Recently I just completed Wild Wales Challenge (24th August 2024), 88 miles, 11500ft climb across the hills of North Wales, starting and finishing in Bala. Due to the forecast of strong winds and heavy rain. I decided to turn to my older bike as I felt it would be more suited, given it has wider tyre clearance with Schwalbe marathon 35c tyres, space for full mudguards and a more relaxed geometry. Point I guess I’m making is if you was to upgrade, your Boardman will always have a place for certain rides/conditions and it’s comforting to know it still has a use if you was to upgrade.
Kudos on that Wild Wales ride Paul, sounds like a true epic! You're right, with an upgrade and retaining the old bike you're most likely getting more options for more conditions/seasons. It's a luxury of course but it's also pretty cool to just wake up one day and think, 'I feel like riding this bike today!' Happy cycling!
I’ve only got the two bikes myself, was thinking of buying an upgraded wheelset for my full carbon Orbea bike. Use the existing wheelset as a changeable wheelset for my winter bike. In a way it would be like having 3 bikes in two. Don’t really have a great deal of spare cash sloshing about, it’s something I have to think about, plan before I square it with my wife 🙄😁. Trying to explain why you need a new set of wheels to a non cyclist is a difficult one.
@@paulcross3942 that makes perfect sense to me, but to a non cyclist ... yep, difficult one. And to be fair, sometimes they kinda have a point (but don't tell anyone I said that) 😉
Changing your bike starts with the questions Why? & What is it about the Boardman that you really like, what switches you off and what you don’t notice? Those two should help define the next bike. Fancying a change is fair enough. My other advice, based on a deep regret, is to keep the Boardman in case you don’t find the replacement of your dream. If you find the new bike, the Boardman can be sold otherwise the new bike goes. A really deep overhaul of an old favourite, every bearing, cable, brake pad, chain, rings, bb etc can also be as good as a new bike. Otherwise, stick with a trusted bike and upgrade as things wear out. Don’t get caught up in the weight weenie vortex.
Brilliant advice and comment, thanks! You're so right about a deep overhaul of a bike making it feel like new again. I also think once you've done that on a bike it's nearly impossible to part with it - at least that's how I feel was about a couple of my other bikes where I've done this! Thanks again for the comment and happy cycling!
Must admit I have been tempted to go for the Boardman on a number of occasions, particularly when Halfords drop the price to circa £800 every now and then. Problem is the roads round here are awful, riddled with pot holes and uneven surfaces. My wife and I usually ride on our Ribbles with 32mm tyres and I still find it uncomfortable. Looking to change to 40mm and I think the next bike purchase will have to be something suited for the local terrain. Great vid btw 👍🏽
Thanks, Sheetal. Yeah that makes sense. I run 37mm on the Triban these days and they're so much more comfortable over the pitted/broken bits of road. And of course you can potter along the towpaths too and do a bit of off-road on 40mm.
Cracking descent at 3.5 minutes and it looked a decent road surface. I wished it was me.
Roughly, what was the highest point on the ride?
The 'lure' of the sofa is very strong the older you get the worse it gets. Many days I can think of reasons not to ride but know if I get on the bike my mood lifts.
Thanks for the lovely ride.
ps. Keep the bike!
Thanks, Colin. Yes, I can't honestly remember ever regretting getting out on the bike, even if it's just a 20 minute spin round the block. Just getting out the door though can be the challenge. The two highest points on the ride were I think just under 1,400ft. Round these parts that tens to open up some amazing 360 views.
I've still got my 8.9 it's still hauling me about i have to say though the wheels are 100% worth upgrading that and some fast tyres makes a massive difference. I'm not going to change it until it breaks beyond repair still a decent solid bike.
Funnily enough I just changed the wheels on my Triban, after 6+ years and 30K miles. Pretty much a like for like but the new set has made a noticeable difference to the ride. I'm with you I think, until it breaks beyond repair - but maybe some new wheels if I get the urge to tinker with it. Thanks for the comment and happy cycling!
I love this
Thanks, Max! Happy cycling!
Changed tyres on mine to GP5000s & really noticed a positive difference, even compared to Vitoria Corsas. So, a lot faster than the Marathons (which are very puncture resistant from my own experience). So, maybe try a tyre change even before trying a wheel change.
Thanks for the comment, Mike. That's a really good call to think about swapping tyres before wheels. Tyres and pressure make such a huge difference to the whole feel of a bike, don't they?
I’ve a similarly specced road bike(currently set up on my Kickr Core) but a couple of years ago I bought myself a gravel bike because most of my rides are quite mixed with bits of canal towpaths, bridle ways and a fair bit of tarmac and the one thing I’d miss if I jumped back onto my road bike would be the disc brakes, I’ve been used to them on my mtb’s for years now and have got used to the power.
I think (or at least like to think) you sort of ride to the capabilities of the bike, braking included. I never notice a lack of stopping power when using the Boardman and rim brakes, but you're right it doesn't come close to the stopping power you get from hydraulic discs on something like an MTB or decent gravel bike. Well adjusted/maintained rim brakes are certainly more than capable in the Pennines though. Thanks for the comment and happy cycling!
The problem with a new bike that I’ve seen, having a Contend SL1 similar budget, is that to get a bike noticeably different is circa 3500k and that may save me 10mins, but I ride on my own, so what? I did buy some 5000’s which were a noticeable ‘improvement’ from the GP4 seasons.
I have to say, I like having disc brakes but I’m not as experienced a rider as you.
Looking at wheels as maybe a next upgrade but DT swiss 1400’s are more tempting than the Carbons, price / quality, but don’t look as cool.
Thanks for the comment, Andrew. I know what you mean re the big extra spend for a noticeable difference and small time saving. I quite like the Prime wheels and find myself looking at them every now and again, but haven't managed to convince myself that i actually need a set ... yet! 🙂 Happy cycling!
My 10p worth, is that rim brakes remain the easiest to monitor and maintain and the most budget friendly. In the dry conditions and in most user requirements - they perform reliably and satisfactorily (when set up correctly). However, in like for like, disc brakes out perform in the same conditions and excel in extreme conditions - notably in the wet and emergency stopping. I cannot speak for cable disc brakes, but hydraulic brakes are reliable and almost maintenance free. Pads, however, are expensive and AliExp is the best solution. As the frame of my old favourite did not allow disc brakes, I sadly gave it up. Surprisingly, I recognise the benefit and any regrets were short lived.
Thanks for the comment and sharing your own direct experience. I haven't ridden a road bike with full hydraulic disk brakes. I find the cable actuated hydraulic disks on my Triban a bit more powerful than well set up rim brakes (pretty marginal though) but yes, nothing compares to the stopping power (in my case on my MTB) with full hydraulics. Happy cycling!
@@onemorecyclist just to help “in dry conditions” you may not be familiar with that term from Lancashire, it’s the opposite of wet.
@@andrew30m 😂
If you need a reason, and can be bothered to do it, I reccomend building a bike from the frame up. After buying a complete bike in 2021, i got into bike building and will likely never buy a bike off the shelf :) It's a joy to build a personalized ride
I'd love to do this ... hopefully in the next year or two! I've done a complete restoration and like you say it was a joy! Happy cycling!
I'm looking to get started in road cycling, I already have a mountain bike (which I haven't used in years), the only issue I have is my weight, coming from a powerlifting/strongman background i'm pretty heavy (currently 138kg), I've been looking for bikes that can take my weight, and the only thing I found online about the boardman SLR 8.9, is that is can take a combined total weight of 160kg, is this actually realistic?
Thanks for the comment, Frank. With the usual caveats not to take advice from a (non-qualified) stranger on the Internet ... the 160 kg as published in the user manual is probably realistic, yes, although you do wonder under what conditions this is tested and if it's anything like the terrain you would be riding on and subsequent forces you'd be putting through the bike. I'm pretty heavy these days (92kg) and don't notice any give in the Boardman frame whatsoever. You might not be interested in these bikes but perhaps a road style touring bike would be stronger and give more assurance ... I might be looking for example at stronger wheels, with 32 or 36 spokes (the Boardman has 28), which you might find more commonly on the touring type bikes. Hope that provides a bit of food for thought and someone else might chip in with some better notes here! 🙂
@@onemorecyclist I did look at the ribble endurance 725, but that states a maximum weight of 120kg, I might just have to stick to the mountain bike until I lose some more weight, but will keep looking at the options, including the touring bikes you suggested.
Noisy rear hubs on the newer bikes are almost reason enough not to replace the bike. Sound terrible!!
One UA-cam channel I watch the person has a new Pinarello, I can barely hear them when they are freewheeling for the free hub noise!!
Epic route by the way, I regularly do that distance but we have nothing like those hills where I live, we do get a lot of block headwind though!!
Thanks, Brian. I'll take hills over headwinds I think. Yeah some of the hubs are incredibly noisy, aren't they. I'm not really sure if there's any practical utility to them (better for people/animals to hear you coming, perhaps), or it's to do with the components used on higher end wheels (thicker pawls?), or it's just a vanity thing ... like swapping the exhaust on your motorbike for a noisier can and more decibels ... because you want to be a bit more rowdy and cool! Happy cycling!
@@onemorecyclist I know when you get cycling clubs going through villages the locals hate the noise and it puts them in with the noisy exhaust brigade which as a cyclist you don't want.
So that's where I parked my jeep.
Hahaha, thought I'd better get that in the video for you, Frank. It was a very unusual sight up there in Bronte country. We must get it shipped back over to you! 🙂
N+1. If you've got the cash, get it spent. You can't take it with you 😏
Very true. I'm on 5 now though and run out of room :)
Latest high price bikes look great but on our rubbish roads they aren't the most comfortable and not that much quicker.
I'm sure that's half the appeal (or more) of gravel bikes ... they're just loads more comfortable on the roads or when commuting to work etc. Thanks for the comment and happy cycling!
Life's too short not to buy another bike.
A truth one simply cannot avoid ... although I am trying somewhat at the moment! 😂