Boardman ADV 8.9 E
- Thread starter TyrannosaurusTreks
- Start date
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A potential harsh ride is what I meant by my question about touring (long days in the saddle on successive days). 50 psi sounds quite low; prone to pinch (snake-bite) puntures?
Punctures off any sort is an issue, but Marathon+ tyres are just fantastic on an eBike, the extra weight of the tyres just isn't noticeable
.The frame really isn't harsh at all, there is hardly any road 'buzz' and pot holes/uneven surfaces handled much better than my Trek road bike. You really do need the battery support though, even on the lowest level it makes a noticeable difference. The weather was too nice today for me not to take the long way home from work.......
fasteasyfree
Active Member
Purchased the ADV 8.9e nearly four weeks ago, so thought I'd register to share my thoughts as this is pretty much the only forum I can find discussing the model.
Anyway, initially things are pretty positive. There's essentially no drag from the motor when going above the cutoff, so it's pretty easy to maintain speed. Very handy for commuting and not building up too much of a sweat.
Range varies massively, but I see the motor as there to flatten hills, not do all the work for me. So to that end I keep it to minimal assist and only use the higher modes when the gradient warrants. The other day I managed 53K and 900 metres of climbing and still had 39% left by the time I got home. I weigh 15 stone, so I was pretty happy with that.
I've made a few changes, such as swapping the seat (which is honestly haemorrhoid inducing), inverting the stem for comfort and replacing the tyres with something tougher than the tereno zero pair it came with. I've also converted to tubeless, though after ordering a new set of valves from DT Swiss because only they seem to sell ones specifically for asymmetric wheels that the Boardman is supplied with.
At some point I also plan on changing up the drive train somewhat. I'm going to change down to a 38t chainring and also try a 11-46 cassette which I'm pretty certain will fit. A new 650b wheelset with 47mm tyres is also on the cards which means I'll have a bike that can be geared and specced for flatter and faster as well as steep and rough.
As for downsides:
One of the seatstay mounts for a rack was crossthreaded from the factory so I had to use pliers to get the bolt out after rounding off the hex head.
The lock is a bit finicky sometimes and requires an uncomfortable amount of force to turn on occasion.
The torx bolts on the gearbox weren't tightened correctly so I had creaking from the 'bottom bracket' after a few miles.
There also appears to be a missing cover plate on the back of the gearbox so you can see exposed wires. It's this normal?
The brake levers weren't lined up properly so out of the box they were pointing in completely different directions.
I wish the downtube unit sat more flush.
Fazua specifically, I can't figure out for the life of me why it only connects about one time in ten to my Garmin head unit to display battery and power etc.
Overall I'm happy. Wish the discounted Vitus e-substance was on sale at the time I bought it, mind, as that's more suited to the type of riding I do, but that's just one of those things!
Anyway, initially things are pretty positive. There's essentially no drag from the motor when going above the cutoff, so it's pretty easy to maintain speed. Very handy for commuting and not building up too much of a sweat.
Range varies massively, but I see the motor as there to flatten hills, not do all the work for me. So to that end I keep it to minimal assist and only use the higher modes when the gradient warrants. The other day I managed 53K and 900 metres of climbing and still had 39% left by the time I got home. I weigh 15 stone, so I was pretty happy with that.
I've made a few changes, such as swapping the seat (which is honestly haemorrhoid inducing), inverting the stem for comfort and replacing the tyres with something tougher than the tereno zero pair it came with. I've also converted to tubeless, though after ordering a new set of valves from DT Swiss because only they seem to sell ones specifically for asymmetric wheels that the Boardman is supplied with.
At some point I also plan on changing up the drive train somewhat. I'm going to change down to a 38t chainring and also try a 11-46 cassette which I'm pretty certain will fit. A new 650b wheelset with 47mm tyres is also on the cards which means I'll have a bike that can be geared and specced for flatter and faster as well as steep and rough.
As for downsides:
One of the seatstay mounts for a rack was crossthreaded from the factory so I had to use pliers to get the bolt out after rounding off the hex head.
The lock is a bit finicky sometimes and requires an uncomfortable amount of force to turn on occasion.
The torx bolts on the gearbox weren't tightened correctly so I had creaking from the 'bottom bracket' after a few miles.
There also appears to be a missing cover plate on the back of the gearbox so you can see exposed wires. It's this normal?
The brake levers weren't lined up properly so out of the box they were pointing in completely different directions.
I wish the downtube unit sat more flush.
Fazua specifically, I can't figure out for the life of me why it only connects about one time in ten to my Garmin head unit to display battery and power etc.
Overall I'm happy. Wish the discounted Vitus e-substance was on sale at the time I bought it, mind, as that's more suited to the type of riding I do, but that's just one of those things!
vornstar
Member
The exposed wires is normal. You can buy or 3d print a cover but it does seem like a strange omission. The cross threaded bolt does not surprise me. My bottle cage bottle was the same. I've read lots of stories about the loose torx bolts. Mine haven't started creaking yet but I'm ready for it.
What Garmin unit are you using? I didn't realise they could connect to the Fazua unit. What wheels are you looking at?
fasteasyfree
Active Member
It's a 530. You download the dashboard from the Garmin 'app store' and sync it to the unit. It's literally worked twice. I've also heard that you can add the bike as a power or speed/cadence meter, but haven't figured it out yet.
I'll probably go with Hunt wheels. Pretty lightweight, high spoke count. Come tubeless ready and supplied with the valves. For the price they're fantastic value.
I've tightened those bolts up on the trail so far, but keep forgetting to break out the torque wrench and threadloc so should really get around to that!
I'll probably go with Hunt wheels. Pretty lightweight, high spoke count. Come tubeless ready and supplied with the valves. For the price they're fantastic value.
I've tightened those bolts up on the trail so far, but keep forgetting to break out the torque wrench and threadloc so should really get around to that!
Is the both the latest blue tooth and battery pack software up-to-date? The latest software is very reliable at connecting versus older versions. The Fazua website had details on how to update.
fasteasyfree
Active Member
Yep, as far as I can tell. Checked via the app as well as Windows tool by plugging in via USB. If I can get the power meter working over BLE then that won't be an issue.
Going back to the wheel discussion, some fortuitous timing sees road.cc publishing a review of the ones I was referring to: https://road.cc/content/review/mason-x-hunt-650b-adventure-sport-disc-wheelset-291953
Both standard niggles.
Fazua sell a cover for 15€ but won't sell online to the UK - yet another Brucey Brexit Bonus™. I'm pretty sure someone said they're now available via UK dealers.
Spent 2hrs on the bike today, and actually used the bike for 'fun' rather than commuting. Used only 25% over 25 miles, mixture of unpaved paths and segregated cycle/walking paths.
Really enjoyed it, for what really is a 'budget' eBike from Halfords compared to the £5k+ machines, the Boardman really is punching way above its price tag. Love it
.
Really enjoyed it, for what really is a 'budget' eBike from Halfords compared to the £5k+ machines, the Boardman really is punching way above its price tag. Love it
.Last bit of commuting kit fitted, pannier rack. So in little over 2 years I've gone from buying a saddle that saved 20grams on my road bike (The new saddle managed to get it below 8kg). To now adding 500g+ of metal to the bike, total weight of the bike unladen (but with D-lock) just under 20kg....Thank goodness for the Fazua motor
vornstar
Member
I've been using mine for a few weeks now for my commute to work at least two days a week. I've changed the saddle, added a suspension seatpost and stem, pannier rack, and changed the tyres (a sharp stone punctured the original one and ruined the tyre). I have bought an additional charger to leave at work (best price is through Halfords I've found). I'm enjoying my 16.5 mile commute. Issues I've had: paint job is naff (chips off easily), those torx bolts creaking and tyres made of play dough. I need to change the bar tape at some point to something more comfortable. Things I don't like: damn, it's heavy, and the gears are really clunky.
Saw your post from 2019. I've been looking to get this bike, but now it's at the silly price of £2,299. Where do I get these Halfords discount codes people speak about? Why on earth does a bike from 2019 continue to increase in price? I wish I could have got it for £1,782.
If you know a British Cycling member, or better still join that organisation (which promotes cycling in general) from just £26, you can get 10% off e-bikes for the month of May; there are other benefits of joining BC of course.
Not only that, many employers operate schemes where you can buy store vouchers at discounted prices. Our local council, KCC, has such a scheme for school and other public or quasi-public organisations (Natural England, for instance). You can buy Halfords vouchers with a 10% discount this way. When this is paired with the BC discount, it means you can get 19% off the list price (price paid = list price x 0.9 x 0.9).
And, for the record, I do not work for British Cycling, Halfords or Boardman Bikes!
Not only that, many employers operate schemes where you can buy store vouchers at discounted prices. Our local council, KCC, has such a scheme for school and other public or quasi-public organisations (Natural England, for instance). You can buy Halfords vouchers with a 10% discount this way. When this is paired with the BC discount, it means you can get 19% off the list price (price paid = list price x 0.9 x 0.9).
And, for the record, I do not work for British Cycling, Halfords or Boardman Bikes!