British bike brand Boardman has made the jump to 11-speed with a new version of its AiR 9.0 – the entry level machine in the company's aero road range.
The new AiR 9.0 11-speed costs £1,799 (US and Australian pricing TBC) and features Shimano's new 11-speed 105 groupset, with the exception of the crankset, which is a compact Shimano RS500 slotted through a broad PF30 bottom bracket via an adaptor, rather than the striking four-bolt crankset Shimano are now providing for the full group.
The 11-speed model, which has a claimed weight of 8.3kg, also gets a new lick of paint – metallic black rather than red – making it the glossy little brother of the top-end AiR 9.8. In fact, one of the best things about the bike is that, as opposed to varying carbon quality like most brands do, you get exactly the same frame as the pro-level machine – only the integrated-brake fork is different.
This makes the prospect of the pro-tested frame with a solid spec including Mavic Aksium wheels all the more appealing for £1,799. The 10-speed version is still available for £1,499.
The bike itself is Boardman's second generation aero road bike (check out our review of the first generation model here), which was designed using CFD and tested in the wind tunnel. The tweaks between the generations were informed by the development of the brand's top-end AiR TTE time trial bike.
Here's the full spec for the new AiR 9.0 11-speed.
- Size: XS, SM, MD, LG, XL
- Frame: AiR ultralight full carbon monocoque, tapered head tube, PF30, internal cable routing
- Fork: AiR ultralight full carbon, tapered steerer
- Shifters: Shimano 105
- Front derailleur: Shimano 105 2-speed
- Rear derailleur: Shimano 105 11-speed
- Brakes: Shimano 105
- Chainset: Shimano RS500 50x34t
- Cassette: Shimano 5800 12-25
- Chain: Shimano HG-600 11-speed
- Bottom bracket: PF30 with Shimano adaptor
- Wheelset: Mavic Aksium
- Tyres: Continental Ultra Race
- Handlebars: Boardman Elite alloy
- Stem: Boardman Elite alloy
- Headset: FSA Integrated
- Seatpost: Boardman AiR Carbon with four-position clamp
- Saddle: Fizik Ardea