The Boardman range has always offered a lot of bike for relatively little outlay. But even by this brand’s standards the FS Team 650b looks like a steal.
A 2x10 SRAM transmission, 130mm (5.1in) of RockShox powered, airsprung travel at each end and a price tag that looks like a misprint make a powerful argument in favour of this budget full-susser. We know from experience though that great spec doesn’t necessarily translate into a great ride. So, how does it fare out on the trail?
- Highs: Tidy-handling 130mm trail full-susser at a total bargain price, good spec for the money
- Lows: A few minor niggles, including the tall gearing and weight
There’s little point trying to reinvent the wheel when you’re setting out to build a usable full-susser at a sensible price. Sure enough, Boardman’s design team have sensibly opted for a tried-and-tested four-bar, Horst Link suspension setup. The chainstay pivot – named after its inventor, Horst Leitner – helps isolate pedal and brake forces from the rear suspension, while a top tube-mounted shock is driven via a linkage anchored to the end of the chunky, bridgeless seatstays.
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There’s little to choose in function between the ‘big S’ component makers, but Shimano’s low-budget kit lasts better than SRAM’s in our experience
Thanks to the bridgeless design, mud clearance up top is epic – always a plus for UK riding. The front end joins triple-butted main tubes with smoothed, welded joints that ape the appearance of the carbon zeitgeist (though with none of the weight saving attributes, obviously). Cables run externally in full-length housings. This makes maintenance easy at the expense of a slightly cluttered appearance, though we’re going to give Boardman full credit for including top tube routing for a cable-operated dropper post, should you want to upgrade later down the line.
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