Boardman ADV 8.9 E

[Beachbuggy]

I know there has been more updates pushed out by Fazua recently. Try joining the Facebook group.

It only takes a few seconds for the motor to update with new settings on my bike. The software is probably coming on 8 months old so I would have thought a new bike today will already have the latest firmware.

Has anyone an idea why my Fazua drive suddenly cuts out when I'm climbing a steep incline, even though I am in Rocket mode and I have a reasonably high cadence?

 

[Beachbuggy]

^Have you checked the magnet position? When you loss power do you see a yellow error display on the remote?

It wouldn't be overheating, the way I use mine the motor is running at 200watts+ constantly till the battery pretty much drains. If you don't see a remote error, it'll be the gearbox/BB, which cannot be fixed and will need a replacement unit from Fazua. I had to have a new gearbox/BB fitted when I first got the bike as it was simply not measuring torque properly so the motor just stayed off 50% of the time.

^Have you checked the magnet position? When you loss power do you see a yellow error display on the remote?

It wouldn't be overheating, the way I use mine the motor is running at 200watts+ constantly till the battery pretty much drains. If you don't see a remote error, it'll be the gearbox/BB, which cannot be fixed and will need a replacement unit from Fazua. I had to have a new gearbox/BB fitted when I first got the bike as it was simply not measuring torque properly so the motor just stayed off 50% of the time.

Thanks gzoom. The magnet position seems OK and there is no yellow error display.
The gearbox/BB seems to be running smoothly now I tighten up the bolts regularly.
I'm not sure my Halfords branch is capable of checking and replacing the BB.
Perhaps the model jut wasn't designed for hard club rides of 40-50 miles over the South Downs??

 

[gzoom]

I'm not sure my Halfords branch is capable of checking and replacing the BB.
Perhaps the model jut wasn't designed for hard club rides of 40-50 miles over the South Downs??

I would just keep on Halfords, or go direct to Fazua. They have a support page on their website, and you can than go back to Halfords with what Fazua says.

The motor+battery is more than up to the job of sustained power delivery.

 

[Beachbuggy]

Thanks gzoom. I'm still waiting for a reply from Fazua - they are a bit understaffed.

 

[Beachbuggy]

Thanks gzoom. I'm still waiting for a reply from Fazua - they are a bit understaffed.

After a couple of emails to Fazua, they asked me to send them a Diagnostic Check, and within a day they had replied and quoted a reference number for Halfords to use to order me a replacement BB/Drive under guarantee. the DC showed that several faults had developed. What a great service! Unfortunately I don't think I will receive the Fazua Ride 50 BB upgrade, but perhaps I can might order that later.

 

[DeeGee]

Thanks to all the posters on this thread, lots of great information.

I have an Adv 8.9e on order which I should get on Tuesday.

Really looking forward to getting out and about on it

 

[Mo1959]

My old neighbour is picking one of these up next week. He is 80 now and starting to struggle so I am looking forward to hearing how he gets on with it. The state of my legs with sciatic nerve damage means I might be looking for one long before 80 methinks.

 

[theboxers]

My old neighbour is picking one of these up next week. He is 80 now and starting to struggle so I am looking forward to hearing how he gets on with it. The state of my legs with sciatic nerve damage means I might be looking for one long before 80 methinks.

Where restriction exists, be it medical, physical or whatever they can be a great help.

I set out to use mine for weight loss and fitness improvement. Being able to get out and about around where I live, not very flat, at 120 Odd kilos the assist was invaluable. I can ride up 6 to 7% slopes but any steeper and I'm in trouble.

So I set out to use the assistance only where I absolutely had to. It has worked. I got down to 112kg and had the highest FTP I'd ever achieved outside of 230 odd watts over 2w/kg for the first time.

It just depends on how you use them. As an easier way to ride around you'll not see many gains. As a way to assist you to improve if you stick with it like I have and you'll see the gains fairly quickly. That will encourage you to keep trying to get better.

My rides with my brothers are done on normal bikes, they don't like me using my Cube ebike road bike with them .

 

[Beachbuggy]

After a couple of emails to Fazua, they asked me to send them a Diagnostic Check, and within a day they had replied and quoted a reference number for Halfords to use to order me a replacement BB/Drive under guarantee. the DC showed that several faults had developed. What a great service! Unfortunately I don't think I will receive the Fazua Ride 50 BB upgrade, but perhaps I can might order that later.

I finally got Halfords to return my Bottom Bracket to Fazua in Germany, and they fixed it and returned it to Halfords within a few days. Another week for Halfords to install it, but now it works perfectly - in fact better than when I first bought it. Top marks to Fazua. Just keep persevering with Halfords to get what you want.

 

[vornstar]

Hi, new here. I'm looking at getting one these through the C2W scheme. Is this the best sub £3k ebike for a 16 mile commute (with a big hill)?

 

[richtea]

Hi, new here. I'm looking at getting one these through the C2W scheme. Is this the best sub £3k ebike for a 16 mile commute (with a big hill)?

Define 'big'! What's the distance, gradient, surface? Give us a Google Maps link.
And how fit are you, if it's not a rude question?

However, as a lightweight ebike they're pretty good IMHO. The Fazua system is well designed with a fair bit of thought gone into it.
They aren't the most powerful, but then again, they're close to the lightest, along with ebikemotion-based bikes (Orbea Gain, etc), which means they feel quite close to a normal bike.

(General rule of thumb for my own rides: If it's more than 1-in-8 for more than a few hundred metres, then it will be tough, but probably doable. Whereas without a motor, it's a guaranteed walk for me.)

 

[gzoom]

Hi, new here. I'm looking at getting one these through the C2W scheme. Is this the best sub £3k ebike for a 16 mile commute (with a big hill)?

I do roughly speaking a 15 mile round trip commute daily on the Boardman, and after 2 years and roughly 3500 miles I can honestly say I love the bike. Hills are not am issue, this is what an extra 250watts of power does to the steepest hill in Leicestershire - essentially nearly 50% faster than my best time on my sub 8kg carbon road bike!!

Over the last 2 years I have learnt there are some 'must buys' though to make the commute easier.

1. Decent mudguards - Mine was fitted by Halfords on delivery and have been great.
2. Get some Marathon Plus tiers ASAP, they really are worth their price interms of puncture protection.
3. Decent lights in winter - I run x2 front lights and x3 rear lights in winter.
   
4. An extra battery or charger at work - Really does make life easier as you just don't need to worry about charge status.

The final 'essential' item I would say is very controversial. Let's just say I manage to average nearly 20mph on my commute at times. That's with wearing my work cloth and hardly sweating......to achieve that may or may not require you to fit something on the bike to over come the legal 15.5mph max support limit.

Overall the Boardman is a great commuter tool, 2 years in and it feels like the bike is now fully settled into its role. I'm looking fowards to many more years of happy commuting ahead .

 

[vornstar]

Thanks for the replies. The hill is 3.1 miles long. I have ridden it on my road bike a couple of times in the past but my fitness has declined somewhat since then. This is the hill.

I've ordered the bike anyway as I can't see anything better for the money that fits my needs. I like that I'll be able to change the wheels if I want to. I need to try it without trying to get past the 15.5mph restriction before I start messing with that. I was hoping that would just be a software update rather than a physical mod.

 

[gzoom]

There is software options to overided the 15mph limit, the Facebook group have all the details, it costs the same as the other options- I may or may not have something clipped to the magnet sensor .

Hope you enjoy the bike, cannot see that hill been an issue. Do make sure you put the latest software update on the bike though, and set the support level to 300watts and max support from basically zero user input, this can now be done on the App.

 

[richtea]

Thanks for the replies. The hill is 3.1 miles long. I have ridden it on my road bike a couple of times in the past but my fitness has declined somewhat since then. This is the hill. View attachment 637067
I've ordered the bike anyway as I can't see anything better for the money that fits my needs. I like that I'll be able to change the wheels if I want to. I need to try it without trying to get past the 15.5mph restriction before I start messing with that. I was hoping that would just be a software update rather than a physical mod.

3.1 miles is 16,368 feet, so overall the gradient is 446/16368 = 2.7%.
However, I can see the first half mile (1/6th) of that 3.1 miles is steep - 223/(16368/6) = 8% or 1-in-12.

From my experience ("...more than 1-in-8 for more than a few hundred metres, then it will be tough") I think you'll be OK, even though half a mile is quite a long way at 1-in-12. The other 2.5 miles will be sweet, since you won't have completely burned out on the first part.