Sunday 28 October 2012

Whoooooosh! Boardman AiR TT 9.4 has arrived!!!

After a stunning drive down to Peebles yesterday I picked up not one, but 2 Boardman AiR TT bikes from B Spoke Cycles.

The guys there have been brilliant to deal with and I wouldn't hesitate recommending them to anyone looking to buy a new set of wheels. The fact that they have been chosen as the only Boardman Elite dealer in Scotland is no surprise, they've been friendly and professional from start to finish and I'll be happy to take the bikes back there for servicing / upgrades in the future.

So, here is my new toy… I've added Speedplay Zero pedals and changed the saddle to an ISM Adamo Prologue which is meant to alleviate any 'discomfort' over the 112 mile stretch...





The bike is incredibly light for a TT bike - probably around 8kg, although I haven't got around to measuring it yet.

What's it like to ride?  No idea… that's why I'm about to put on some training wheels (i.e. take off the incredibly light carbon tubular wheels) and pedal away on the turbo trainer for an hour or so… I'll report back with my verdict soon ;-)

Right! Completed my first hour on the turbo trainer and have to say that this is one remarkably smooth piece of kit. Still a few adjustments required - the time trial (TT) position is pretty aggressive and will take some (read A LOT) of getting used to and the new ISM Adamo saddle is very different too, so I suspect there will be a fair amount of tweaking and fettling over the next few days and weeks until it feels comfortable. Not in a comfy old sofa in front of the TV with a beer in hand kind of way. More like I'll be able to get off the bike in one piece and still run 26.2 miles kind of way!!!

Definitely the right idea to get this now and build up time in the saddle to get used to the aero position - more time spent on this now, hopefully the less time it will take me to pedal round the 112 miles on 30th June!

4 comments:

Unknown said...

What size did you buy, and how tall are you if you don't mind me asking?

Dr Gall said...

Hi Thomas,
I'm 1.88m (6'2" in old money). I bought a Medium AiR TT 9.4. I'd thoroughly recommend getting a bike fit prior to purchase - that way you'll ensure the bike fits you, rather than you trying to fit your bike! I felt the Large was just a bit too long and I could feel a bit of a stretch in the lower back… not a good idea over the distance. After the bike arrived I got a full RETUL fit (see later post); seat post was flipped around and seat moved up and all the way forward together with spacer pads to lift the aero bars. The bike is now considerably more comfortable!

Anonymous said...

hi, just got a size xs frame, my height is 5'11''.. looking into the boardman bike geometry, their ST for small and xs are the same @ 50cm. the TT on the other hand is 51 on xs and 53 on the small one.. havent got the chance to do a bike fit though.

Dr Gall said...

Good luck with the fit. My wife's bike is an extra small frame and I know this would be too small for me (the Medium was too small for me at 1.88m / 6'2"), however, it really comes down to your own body shape, flexibility and riding style. They're great bikes, unfortunately mine just wasn't the right size for me and has now since been sold...

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