I have many of those stories! One in particular is this story on how we started to carry Boardman Bikes.
Long story short, Jessica (our head bike fitter) was finishing up her F.I.S.T Down Deep Certification with Slowtwitch owner, Dan Empfield. During her class, Dan kept mentioning a particular brand unfamiliar to Jessica. The brand was Boardman. You know, Chris Boardman...Gold Medal winner. Tour de France rider. Hour record holder.
I was on my way to see Jessica in L.A as we were heading to Kona for the World Championships. During our flight, Jessica brought up the brand Boardman and asked if I had ever heard of it. "Yes, I believe I have. It sounds very familiar". Fast forward to Jess and I walking around the Ironman World Championship Expo in sunny Kona Hawaii. Low and behold, who was there show casing their beautiful and eye catching road and TT bikes? You guessed it...Boardman Bikes! I spoke to a nice gentlemen about the brand and bikes. He went on to show me the bikes on display as well as explain the differences between each. WOW!
Fast forward again to a special Garmin night we hosted here at the studio. While we were talking with our Garmin rep, he mentioned a new bike brand he is very excited to purchase and ride. What brand is that? Winner winner....Boardman Bikes! As we laughed, our rep pulled out his phone and sent a text to Fletch...our USA Boardman Bikes representative. Within 2 weeks, we had a number of email exchanges and phone calls. By January of 2014, we were one of 12 shops in the US carrying and selling Boardman Bikes. And sales have been incredible!
About three months later we received the AIR/9.4 Di2. A stellar eye catching piece of art we wanted to hang on the studio walls. Simple. Elegant. Eye popping. All great adjectives but how does it look ride, feel and handle. Especially in farm country USA.
The
Air 9.4 is an aero road bike that comes ready to race. It is equipped
with Dura-ace 7900 running gear and carbon clincher wheels. Teamed with a
Ritchey finishing kit, Fizik saddle and Vittoria Open Corsa CX tyres,
there really isn’t anything more you could want or certainly expect for
the asking price. The Air 9.4 is built around a high modulus carbon
monocoque frame. The same frame is used throughout the entire Air range
so regardless of which model you choose, your frame will be the same as
the one used by Olympic gold medal winners. The frame features a BB30
bottom bracket, a legacy of Boardman’s input into frame design. The BB30
arrangement allows for optimum stiffness to be built into the frame due
to its extra width. Its large box section chainstays meet this junction
with maximum surface area and enable the efficient transfer of power to
the rear wheel. The downside to BB30 is that Shimano still don’t make a
BB30 crank, so an FSA SLK Light crankset is used to take care of the
power transfer, which it does with great aplomb and meshes in nicely
with the remaining Shimano running gear. The frame superficially looks
quite simplistic, with predominantly straight lines and clean internal
cable routing. The large sections of the full-carbon tapered fork and
wishbone seat stays have been designed with flat internal faces and
curved external faces in an attempt to smooth out the airflow around the
wheels, especially when used with deep section wheels. - See more at:
http://bicyclingaustralia.com.au/2013/06/test-lab-boardman-air-94#sthash.2F6Eegra.dpuf
The Air 9.4 is an aero road bike that comes ready to race.
It is equipped with Shimano Ultegra 6870 Di2 and carbon clincher wheels.
Teamed with Boardman's handlebar and stem. Fizik saddle and Continental Grand Prix 4000S
tires, there really isn’t anything more you could want or certainly expect for
the asking price. The Air 9.4 is built around a high modulus carbon monocoque
frame (a structure in which the shell bears most of the stress). The frame features a BB30 bottom bracket, a legacy of
Boardman’s input into frame design. The BB30 arrangement allows for optimum
stiffness to be built into the frame due to its extra width. Its large box
section chainstays meet this junction with maximum surface area and enable the
efficient transfer of power to the rear wheel. The frame looks
quite simplistic, with predominantly straight lines and clean internal cable
routing. The large sections of the full-carbon tapered fork and wishbone seat
stays have been designed with flat internal faces and curved external faces in
an attempt to smooth out the airflow around the wheels.
The Boardman AiR/9.4 Di2 is an aggressive bike that is made to go fast. The head tube is shorter than any other road bike I've ridden but it also helped with the overall handling and steering. Heading out to Paoli I noticed how responsive it was right out the gate. Pushing down the pedals I immediately accelerated and shot forward. The second thing I noticed was the Di2. Yes, I know that may sound funny. However it did take me a while to understand the Di2 shifting and what gears were being shifted while gently pressing the levers. Speaking of which, if you have a difficult time knowing how to shift properly, get Di2. It works and works incredible! Pushing down the pedals as I started to climb I also noticed how quick the 9.4 climbed. It shot me up over the climb with ease. For an "Aero" road bike, the 9.4 has some skills climbing as well. Flying down the other side of the hill, I quickly got down in my drops. Again, a bit more aggressive than my Look 585 but for a 6'2'' guy, flexibility has never been an issue. Gliding in the turns as I sped down the hill to quickly leveling out on the flats and cruising at a moderate pace it rode phenomenal. Passing a person on their TT bike, I looked over and realized I was just as aero as he was, without compromising my position.
The AiR/9.4 is a very sleek looking machine. The front brakes are in a traditional spot, just in front of the head tube/frame. Internal routing as I mentioned before makes it look futuristic and clean. The best part?...The creme de le creme? The rear brakes. Why? Well for starters, the brakes are hidden beneath the bottom of the frame. Just beneath the BB shell. I know what you are thinking..."Yea, my XYZ bike also has brakes there. Makes my bike so much more aero". Well, does your XYZ bike come equipped with Shimano Ultegra brakes under the frame? I am guessing not. Pure genius from the Professor himself, Chris Boardman. Simply genius! From a mechanics stand point, it was very easy to install and easy to work with. The brake caliper just snaps back after squeezing the brake lever. Love it!! Also, I really like the internal battery in the seat tube. You simply plug your USB charger into the junction box and that's it. No more taking the battery off your frame, sliding it on a charger then possibly forgetting the battery as you drive an hour to meet your friends for a group ride.
In short, I am very pleased and happy with my Boardman Air/9.4 Di2 road bike. It certainly catches peoples eye because it is quite different than what you may see in these parts. It handles smooth and precise while saving weight on the hills. Especially for being marked as an Aero Bike. My recommendation is for the flexible ones out there looking to get down deep and aero. If you can't bend over and touch your toes with ease, then I would suggest any of the other Boardman bikes we carry.
We fit you to your style of riding.
The Boardman AiR/9.4 Di2 is an aggressive bike that is made to go fast. The head tube is shorter than any other road bike I've ridden but it also helped with the overall handling and steering. Heading out to Paoli I noticed how responsive it was right out the gate. Pushing down the pedals I immediately accelerated and shot forward. The second thing I noticed was the Di2. Yes, I know that may sound funny. However it did take me a while to understand the Di2 shifting and what gears were being shifted while gently pressing the levers. Speaking of which, if you have a difficult time knowing how to shift properly, get Di2. It works and works incredible! Pushing down the pedals as I started to climb I also noticed how quick the 9.4 climbed. It shot me up over the climb with ease. For an "Aero" road bike, the 9.4 has some skills climbing as well. Flying down the other side of the hill, I quickly got down in my drops. Again, a bit more aggressive than my Look 585 but for a 6'2'' guy, flexibility has never been an issue. Gliding in the turns as I sped down the hill to quickly leveling out on the flats and cruising at a moderate pace it rode phenomenal. Passing a person on their TT bike, I looked over and realized I was just as aero as he was, without compromising my position.
The AiR/9.4 is a very sleek looking machine. The front brakes are in a traditional spot, just in front of the head tube/frame. Internal routing as I mentioned before makes it look futuristic and clean. The best part?...The creme de le creme? The rear brakes. Why? Well for starters, the brakes are hidden beneath the bottom of the frame. Just beneath the BB shell. I know what you are thinking..."Yea, my XYZ bike also has brakes there. Makes my bike so much more aero". Well, does your XYZ bike come equipped with Shimano Ultegra brakes under the frame? I am guessing not. Pure genius from the Professor himself, Chris Boardman. Simply genius! From a mechanics stand point, it was very easy to install and easy to work with. The brake caliper just snaps back after squeezing the brake lever. Love it!! Also, I really like the internal battery in the seat tube. You simply plug your USB charger into the junction box and that's it. No more taking the battery off your frame, sliding it on a charger then possibly forgetting the battery as you drive an hour to meet your friends for a group ride.
In short, I am very pleased and happy with my Boardman Air/9.4 Di2 road bike. It certainly catches peoples eye because it is quite different than what you may see in these parts. It handles smooth and precise while saving weight on the hills. Especially for being marked as an Aero Bike. My recommendation is for the flexible ones out there looking to get down deep and aero. If you can't bend over and touch your toes with ease, then I would suggest any of the other Boardman bikes we carry.
We fit you to your style of riding.
The
Air 9.4 is an aero road bike that comes ready to race. It is equipped
with Dura-ace 7900 running gear and carbon clincher wheels. Teamed with a
Ritchey finishing kit, Fizik saddle and Vittoria Open Corsa CX tyres,
there really isn’t anything more you could want or certainly expect for
the asking price. The Air 9.4 is built around a high modulus carbon
monocoque frame. The same frame is used throughout the entire Air range
so regardless of which model you choose, your frame will be the same as
the one used by Olympic gold medal winners. The frame features a BB30
bottom bracket, a legacy of Boardman’s input into frame design. The BB30
arrangement allows for optimum stiffness to be built into the frame due
to its extra width. Its large box section chainstays meet this junction
with maximum surface area and enable the efficient transfer of power to
the rear wheel. The downside to BB30 is that Shimano still don’t make a
BB30 crank, so an FSA SLK Light crankset is used to take care of the
power transfer, which it does with great aplomb and meshes in nicely
with the remaining Shimano running gear. The frame superficially looks
quite simplistic, with predominantly straight lines and clean internal
cable routing. The large sections of the full-carbon tapered fork and
wishbone seat stays have been designed with flat internal faces and
curved external faces in an attempt to smooth out the airflow around the
wheels, especially when used with deep section wheels. - See more at:
http://bicyclingaustralia.com.au/2013/06/test-lab-boardman-air-94#sthash.2F6Eegra.dpuf
The Air 9.4 is an aero road bike that comes ready to race.
It is equipped with Dura-ace 7900 running gear and carbon clincher wheels.
Teamed with a Ritchey finishing kit, Fizik saddle and Vittoria Open Corsa CX
tyres, there really isn’t anything more you could want or certainly expect for
the asking price. The Air 9.4 is built around a high modulus carbon monocoque
frame. The same frame is used throughout the entire Air range so regardless of
which model you choose, your frame will be the same as the one used by Olympic
gold medal winners. The frame features a BB30 bottom bracket, a legacy of
Boardman’s input into frame design. The BB30 arrangement allows for optimum
stiffness to be built into the frame due to its extra width. Its large box
section chainstays meet this junction with maximum surface area and enable the
efficient transfer of power to the rear wheel. The downside to BB30 is that
Shimano still don’t make a BB30 crank, so an FSA SLK Light crankset is used to
take care of the power transfer, which it does with great aplomb and meshes in
nicely with the remaining Shimano running gear. The frame superficially looks
quite simplistic, with predominantly straight lines and clean internal cable
routing. The large sections of the full-carbon tapered fork and wishbone seat
stays have been designed with flat internal faces and curved external faces in
an attempt to smooth out the airflow around the wheels, especially when used with
deep section wheels. - See more at:
http://bicyclingaustralia.com.au/2013/06/test-lab-boardman-air-94#sthash.2F6Eegra.dpuf
The
Air 9.4 is an aero road bike that comes ready to race. It is equipped
with Dura-ace 7900 running gear and carbon clincher wheels. Teamed with a
Ritchey finishing kit, Fizik saddle and Vittoria Open Corsa CX tyres,
there really isn’t anything more you could want or certainly expect for
the asking price. The Air 9.4 is built around a high modulus carbon
monocoque frame. The same frame is used throughout the entire Air range
so regardless of which model you choose, your frame will be the same as
the one used by Olympic gold medal winners. The frame features a BB30
bottom bracket, a legacy of Boardman’s input into frame design. The BB30
arrangement allows for optimum stiffness to be built into the frame due
to its extra width. Its large box section chainstays meet this junction
with maximum surface area and enable the efficient transfer of power to
the rear wheel. The downside to BB30 is that Shimano still don’t make a
BB30 crank, so an FSA SLK Light crankset is used to take care of the
power transfer, which it does with great aplomb and meshes in nicely
with the remaining Shimano running gear. The frame superficially looks
quite simplistic, with predominantly straight lines and clean internal
cable routing. The large sections of the full-carbon tapered fork and
wishbone seat stays have been designed with flat internal faces and
curved external faces in an attempt to smooth out the airflow around the
wheels, especially when used with deep section wheels. - See more at:
http://bicyclingaustralia.com.au/2013/06/test-lab-boardman-air-94#sthash.2F6Eegra.dpuf
The
Air 9.4 is an aero road bike that comes ready to race. It is equipped
with Dura-ace 7900 running gear and carbon clincher wheels. Teamed with a
Ritchey finishing kit, Fizik saddle and Vittoria Open Corsa CX tyres,
there really isn’t anything more you could want or certainly expect for
the asking price. The Air 9.4 is built around a high modulus carbon
monocoque frame. The same frame is used throughout the entire Air range
so regardless of which model you choose, your frame will be the same as
the one used by Olympic gold medal winners. The frame features a BB30
bottom bracket, a legacy of Boardman’s input into frame design. The BB30
arrangement allows for optimum stiffness to be built into the frame due
to its extra width. Its large box section chainstays meet this junction
with maximum surface area and enable the efficient transfer of power to
the rear wheel. The downside to BB30 is that Shimano still don’t make a
BB30 crank, so an FSA SLK Light crankset is used to take care of the
power transfer, which it does with great aplomb and meshes in nicely
with the remaining Shimano running gear. The frame superficially looks
quite simplistic, with predominantly straight lines and clean internal
cable routing. The large sections of the full-carbon tapered fork and
wishbone seat stays have been designed with flat internal faces and
curved external faces in an attempt to smooth out the airflow around the
wheels, especially when used with deep section wheels. - See more at:
http://bicyclingaustralia.com.au/2013/06/test-lab-boardman-air-94#sthash.2F6Eegra.dpuf
The
Air 9.4 is an aero road bike that comes ready to race. It is equipped
with Dura-ace 7900 running gear and carbon clincher wheels. Teamed with a
Ritchey finishing kit, Fizik saddle and Vittoria Open Corsa CX tyres,
there really isn’t anything more you could want or certainly expect for
the asking price. The Air 9.4 is built around a high modulus carbon
monocoque frame. The same frame is used throughout the entire Air range
so regardless of which model you choose, your frame will be the same as
the one used by Olympic gold medal winners. The frame features a BB30
bottom bracket, a legacy of Boardman’s input into frame design. The BB30
arrangement allows for optimum stiffness to be built into the frame due
to its extra width. Its large box section chainstays meet this junction
with maximum surface area and enable the efficient transfer of power to
the rear wheel. The downside to BB30 is that Shimano still don’t make a
BB30 crank, so an FSA SLK Light crankset is used to take care of the
power transfer, which it does with great aplomb and meshes in nicely
with the remaining Shimano running gear. The frame superficially looks
quite simplistic, with predominantly straight lines and clean internal
cable routing. The large sections of the full-carbon tapered fork and
wishbone seat stays have been designed with flat internal faces and
curved external faces in an attempt to smooth out the airflow around the
wheels, especially when used with deep section wheels. - See more at:
http://bicyclingaustralia.com.au/2013/06/test-lab-boardman-air-94#sthash.2F6Eegra.dpuf
What size frame would be best for me i'm 180cm tall (5foot 10.5 inches) with 31 leg?
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