Post cycling Chris helped set up and lead the R&D wing of the Great Britain Olympic Cycling team.
Over the next few years, the squad dominated the international scene, becoming the most successful British sporting team of all time.
The small R&D group, that came to be known as The Secret Squirrel Club, played a significant part in creating this unprecedented sporting prosperity.
Chris Boardman – Entrepreneur
During this same period, along with Sarah Mooney and Alan Ingarfield, Chris co-founded Boardman Bikes. The focus on high quality at affordable prices helped the brand become the most respected and fastest-growing British Bike Brand in decades.
It now has an entire range of bikes covering all aspects of cycling interests including road, off-road and commuting, available via retailers and their own website.
Innovation
During 2018 the decision was made to offer real step change to the cycling fraternity with the development of the 18,000 sqft, Boardman Performance Centre.
Aerodynamics is one of cycling’s biggest talking points. So the central feature to this is the centres’ custom-built cycling-specific wind tunnel to give cyclists of all levels the chance to test and improve their aerodynamic performance.
This is particularly relevant to the racer competing against the clock, but also any rider looking to reduce the energy cost for a given speed, whether riding on the flat, up or downhill, alone or in a group.
As part of the process, they assess the rider’s body position, clothing, and equipment (frame, wheels, handlebars etc.). Then adjustments are made to reduce the frontal area presented to the air, or modify the shape or surface characteristics of the structures, to improve the flow of air, ultimately decreasing drag and delivering some real-world performance gains.
Below Chris Boardman talks about the reasoning behind the Boardman Performance Centre…
Chris Boardman in Broadcast and Media
Chris is a regular TV commentator and pundit covering major cycling events for the BBC and has stood alongside Gary Imlach covering the Tour de France for ITV.
Chris Boardman – Getting the Nation cycling
For nearly 20 years, Chris has been involved in Cycling Advocacy, largely through his role as Policy Advisor to British Cycling.
This culminated in agreeing to take up the post of Cycling and Walking Commissioner for Greater Manchester.
Chris is now busy leading a 1.5 billion pound, a ten-year program that will ensure the people who live, work and play in the City Region, have a viable and attractive alternative to using cars.
The hope is to demonstrate just how effectively the bicycle can be used to solve some of the worlds biggest problems and in doing so, create an example that is unignorable at a national level.
Chris Boardman Motivational Speaking
As you might expect Chris has had the privilege of meeting many unique and inspirational people over the years. They have shaped the way he sees the world and provided invaluable tools that have changed the way he works with others.
Chris’s busy schedule means that it’s only possible to take on a limited number of speaking engagements each year, so when he does he makes them fun by sharing insights and stories from his life to provide real take away benefits to the audience.
Chris Boardman Speaking Topics
CHRIS BOARDMAN SPEAKING TOPIC – INNOVATION CULTURE
Innovation is an activity often desired by executives but it’s not well understood and seldom achieved. Creating an environment where innovation is normal, requires a special set of circumstances and team members with particular character traits.
Whilst working with British Cycling, Chris was lucky enough to help create a team that literally changed the culture of a sport and produced astounding productivity. What allowed that to happen, might surprise you…
CHRIS BOARDMAN SPEAKING TOPIC – HIGH-PERFORMANCE TEAMS
Everyone wants their business to lead the way but few are really aware of what that actually takes.
Being first means doing things first and that means being able to manage the inherent risks involved with pioneering.
In the last 20 years, Chris has worked with and helped create some of the highest performing teams in the world. This talk incorporates stories about the individuals that made up those groups and examines how they flourished in high-pressure environments to conquer the world…
CHRIS BOARDMAN SPEAKING TOPIC – PERSONAL EXCELLENCE
Personal excellence is something of a cliche; easy to say but hard to achieve. It requires us to be able to look in the mirror, see ourselves as we truly are and know how to improve in a sustainable way.
Chris was fortunate enough to bump into amazing people in his formative years, who provided some very simple tools that allowed an unemployed carpenter to become an Olympic Champion…
