The Boardman wheelset is actually WTB. Kinda similar to brands using Alex or Weinmann, with the bike brand decaled to the rim. Beautiful rig. And the price with component specs is unbeatable.
The wire on mine is under the lever, but it’s like equal length to the level so it’s not noticeable. I’ll touch on the bike in way more detail on Wednesdays video!
hey james , thanks for the post . i bought 2 of the 2021 8.8s friday for me and my wife and had the 1st ride on them yesterday. im really impressed with this bike ! theres nothing much not to like at that price , i paid £1200 each . such a well balanced bike spec wise , im 6ft 1 and went for xl size which i thought was perfect , my wife is 5 ft 9 and went for a mens medium ( as identical to a womens specific m/l .) so impressed with the ride / groupset /wheels , if i had 1 gripe it would be the cabling !! cables are 2 long and have been added like an afterthought !! that could of been better but thats it. thanks again your review really helped : )
I'm so glad to have helped mate. I would have gone for the XL but at the time the large was the only option and I just decided to go for it. Plus I like a slightly smaller bike for jumping. I get your issue with the cables I have the same issue, they're just really long haha, it's not bothered me too much but if it does I will cut them down. If you find your dropper post gets slow, then purchase some silicone shine from your local halfords and just spray all on the dropper post and it speeds it right back up.
I hate how people are saying it’s crap because it can be sold at Halfords like seriously for this price point you can’t get anything better IMO 150mm all round mint tires dropper 1x good brakes and 29er this is really really good geometry seems quite good too overall a very well made and balanced bike all because it’s sold at Halfords doesn’t mean it’s bad it how they build there bikes up which is bad but overall bikes there are very good for price point and also Boardman is a totally separate brand and not owned by Halfords I think they also sold in different shops such as tredz Edit and what also is good is you know where these are made and they are mad in Britain and also I bet this performs just as good or better than 2k+ bikes But overall a very good bikes and good quality parts and items on this I would easily get this over a bossnut but higher end bikes like seriously this is on par or even better like Norris for example £1600 for a full sus without rockshox says a lot tbh
You’re correct mate! Boardman is a stand alone company that makes bikes separately of halfords. However, Halfords does own tredz, and Boardman, but that doesn’t mean halfords makes them, it’s still Boardman and made by Boardman, halfords don’t actually make it, they just sell them! It’s a great bike for the money can’t be beaten I don’t think. Cheers for the comment.
@@JamesTake2 only competitors to Boardman in this price range is Marin really with the Bobcat Trail, San Quentin and Rift Zone. I’d buy from either anyday. Maybe Vitus too
I mean I would call it crap compared to older Boardman bikes like the Team FS or Pro FS. The spec is terrible on these bikes compared to the old ones except for the inclusion of a dropper post and maybe the wheels.
I bought this bike 2 weeks ago and can't wait to get out on it. Been away on holiday this week, but looking forward to comparing notes. One thing I will say is I don't like the supplied as standard Wellgo pedals and will be changing them asap :)
I have ridden it up to my mates to store in his garage while I was on my hols. About 8 miles on the road and it was great. Not as quick as my ADV, but that's to be expected :)
For sure we can compare experiences. I love the 29ers over 27.5s, but I took it the trails today and I'm having to get used to the bigger wheels - they carry speed so well and roll over everything! The stock pedals are a bummer, but a lot of MTBs from bike shops or online bike retailers don't even come with pedals, so I guess they're good to just get you home lol. What I like about these bikes is they're not much more than a normal bike, and they're so much more comfortable on the roads, more versatile as you can take off-road short cuts, and its also a great trail machine, for someone who doesn't want to fork out 3k on a bike, these are perfect.
Good vid man! Must say boardman have stepped it up now, decent specs, geometry etc and really are great for the price! I’m looking at the 8.9 but stock issues shock! How hard was it for you to get this? Looking forward to a riding vid/review!
Thanks! I agree they’ve rly stepped it up for 2021, it’s a very strong contender for the money. The 8.9 is a beautiful bike and yes, stock is a pain! I managed to get the last one of this in stock, but I work at halfords so I guess it’s a bit easier for me to find them in stock. Having said that, after I bought this it came back in stock a few days later, but only lasted a few days before going out again. You will find the 8.9 coming back into stock regularly as it’s a 2021 bike, and it’s just been released. Your best bet is to go into ur local halfords, and they can look on their computers to see where we have stock, or potentially what local stores have one, and they can help u try get one. But don’t worry, I think stock comes back every few weeks on these bikes if not quicker so u won’t have to wait long my friend, keep my posted on if you find one, and I will be making an update video Wednesday on the bike!
JamesTake2 ahh sweet, look forward to the vid! You’ve got a new sub now :) that’s good to know, yeah might go into the local one. Went in last week and no joke there was 3 bikes in and one was a kids 😂 just a carerra and voodo hard tail which I was actually shocked was still there. But yeah man I’ve setup notifications now so should get my emails come through! I’ll keep you posted!
LOL our halfords is the same, at one point we literally had zero men’s display bikes. All we had were display ebikes and a few kids ones. And those little balance bikes. Although, my halfords is getting traction again. We have a full rack of men’s display bikes, but most are returns / warranty bikes with faults, but atleast people can see them in the flesh and sit on them etc. Thanks for turning on notifications! I’ve received a lot of great feedback which has inspired me to make more videos on the bike. Wednesdays video will be good as I would have had the bike a week, taken it to two different trails, and share some of the mods I’ve done.
We only have such low stock because it’s literally out of our control, the bike companies can’t keep up with the rate we are selling them at the moment hahaha!
@@JamesTake2 Hi Jordan M. Set up an email alert mate. I got an alert the day the 8.8 became availiable and jumped on it straight away. One week later I was collecting my lovely new bike. Good luck. It's worth the wait.
Nah mate takes 2 seconds, literally just sit on it see where the sag sits, there’s markings in the shock, should be around 20-30%, if you’re going below that put a quick bit of air in and bam ur done
@jamestake2 I'm trying to decide between an 8.8 and 8.9, I'm not a serious MTBer so don't need banging spec as I'm just looking at routes which my Boardman gravel bike isn't quite up to. Will I really notice much difference between an 8.8 and 8.9? Thanks
No you ain’t notice any difference, sorry for the slow reply. The 8.9 has better gearing and front forks but it solves a problem that wasn’t ever w problem.
@@JamesTake2 OK and how about the fact the 8.8 has a rear QR and not a thru axle? Matter much? I can spend the extra £300 but if it's not going to be noticeable I'm wondering if it's worthwhile but at the same time in 6 months time I don't want to regret not going 8.9 if you see what I mean.
So the thru axle is good in terms of upgradability. I’ve had an ebike after this was a thru axile and I think it was a little more stable, the wheels on the 8.8 were definitely a cutback anyway, they’re arnt great. It’s important to regularly check the spokes r tight. So you’ll notice a little frame flex with the 8.8 when you’re hammering it down hills but for the avg trail riding I don’t think it’ll make a difference, wheel certainly won’t fall out😂
just ordered one yesterday went for a large frame at 5ft 10 because i had a 8.6 from 2018 and i always said it needed to be a little bigger rather go one size up i think at 5 10 you can get away with it as its that stupid height where your in the crossover spectrum from M to L
@@JamesTake2 got the bike the other day not going to lie i was shocked how well it took the trails it just flew over everything i sent it down im happy the travel is not more than 150 anymore it would be boring its that smooth !!
On the boardman website it says the rear is 12x148 but halfords say its boost qr and looks like yours is qr, I was hoping this was a mistake on halfords part as I really like this bike for my son.
Wow that’s really cool! I’ve only taken it to the trails once because we have just had rain rain rain! I will be taking it to Surrey hills on Wednesday, sorta some downhill type trails!
@@JamesTake2 yea the weather was terrible!!! nice .. do a little vid let us know what you think ?! i must say it handles the bigger jumps well and for a 29er its pretty agile can ride it hard.
Yeah I’ll do an update video on Wednesday so stay tuned! I agree with you there, whilst I’m yet to jump it, it does feel really agile and like I’ll be able to push hard, but the only time I’ve ridden it it’s been so wet on the trails I was more bothered about slipping lol.
Lovely mate can’t fault it, for the money it’s brilliant, but even money aside, I wouldn’t spend more on a bike because this is capable enough doesn’t hold me back at all!
No mate forgot to mention I put the pedals on sorry about that. I didn’t get any chips on mine but an occasional chip or mark is common with any new bikes, I wouldn’t worry to much. But if it’s covered in marks you should be able to take it back and complain, when u spend £1300 on a bike you don’t wanna be dissatisfied.
I had a couple of minor chips on mine on the forks. I touched them up and then covered parts of the frame with matte clear protection tape from eBay. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/323680973418
I actually had a few chips on the bottom of the forks by the wheel, but it was so little it’s not worth sorting because that’s wear that happens so quickly anyway! I can’t complain for the money.
The silver one is the model below this. Still a great bike just without the dropper and it has a rly good suntor fork instead of rockshox, but still has the rockshox rear shock. Still has hydraulic brakes, shimano gears, 29er wheels and the same geometry.
I was going to ask this same question, I know these are old comments and stuff but if you was in my shoes and could get the same bike or the £1000 silver 8.8 bike. Which would you get? Thanks
@@rhysootf the silver one is a 8.6 isn't it? I'm waiting for the 8 8 to be in stock at my local halfords too, heard it could do with slightly wider tyres but for the price is a big contender
I’m 6’1 but I have rly long legs. I have a large. A x-large would fit my legs a bit better probs, but the reach would be way to long for my upper body, and the 29ers already make the bike bigger. I’d say medium is capped at 5’10 and large is up to 6’2 ish. X-large for anyone bigger. And yes, the front fork has lockout, it’s compression adjustment, so u can turn compression to max, which locks It out, or 5 or 6 clicks in (I can’t remember of the top of my head how many clicks of adjustment there is) which fully opens it. So on the roads I have it in the middle, on the trails I have it fully open, I rarely lock it out fully, but if you do it turns into a rocket.
Honestly, I think it’s Geometry is really ugly. The bike is in almost every way a downgrade compared to the old Pro FS, except maybe the shifting range and the wheels. I guess it comes with a dropper post but they clearly cheaped out on it and it’s cost it ruined the spec anyway
They changed all this back in 2016 mate. This bike has had this geometry since then, I think it’s decent for the money and it must be liked because they haven’t gone back in 4 years 🤷🏻♂️
The Boardman wheelset is actually WTB. Kinda similar to brands using Alex or Weinmann, with the bike brand decaled to the rim. Beautiful rig. And the price with component specs is unbeatable.
It's a sick bike I got mine last week Monday its really good
Stay tuned for Wednesday, I will be posting an updated in-depth review video about my experiences with the bike after a week of trail riding!
I noticed your dropper post lever is the same as mine.....in the fact that the wire is visible. Should it tuck in under the lever? What do you think?
The wire on mine is under the lever, but it’s like equal length to the level so it’s not noticeable. I’ll touch on the bike in way more detail on Wednesdays video!
@@JamesTake2 Look forward to your update. Keep up the good work. I'm going to put a vid together about my 8.8. Once I start riding it regularly :)
hey james , thanks for the post . i bought 2 of the 2021 8.8s friday for me and my wife and had the 1st ride on them yesterday. im really impressed with this bike ! theres nothing much not to like at that price , i paid £1200 each . such a well balanced bike spec wise , im 6ft 1 and went for xl size which i thought was perfect , my wife is 5 ft 9 and went for a mens medium ( as identical to a womens specific m/l .) so impressed with the ride / groupset /wheels , if i had 1 gripe it would be the cabling !! cables are 2 long and have been added like an afterthought !! that could of been better but thats it. thanks again your review really helped : )
I'm so glad to have helped mate. I would have gone for the XL but at the time the large was the only option and I just decided to go for it. Plus I like a slightly smaller bike for jumping. I get your issue with the cables I have the same issue, they're just really long haha, it's not bothered me too much but if it does I will cut them down. If you find your dropper post gets slow, then purchase some silicone shine from your local halfords and just spray all on the dropper post and it speeds it right back up.
Really really nice!
say that one more time for me please
I hate how people are saying it’s crap because it can be sold at Halfords like seriously for this price point you can’t get anything better IMO 150mm all round mint tires dropper 1x good brakes and 29er this is really really good geometry seems quite good too overall a very well made and balanced bike all because it’s sold at Halfords doesn’t mean it’s bad it how they build there bikes up which is bad but overall bikes there are very good for price point and also Boardman is a totally separate brand and not owned by Halfords I think they also sold in different shops such as tredz
Edit and what also is good is you know where these are made and they are mad in Britain and also I bet this performs just as good or better than 2k+ bikes
But overall a very good bikes and good quality parts and items on this I would easily get this over a bossnut but higher end bikes like seriously this is on par or even better like Norris for example £1600 for a full sus without rockshox says a lot tbh
You’re correct mate! Boardman is a stand alone company that makes bikes separately of halfords. However, Halfords does own tredz, and Boardman, but that doesn’t mean halfords makes them, it’s still Boardman and made by Boardman, halfords don’t actually make it, they just sell them! It’s a great bike for the money can’t be beaten I don’t think. Cheers for the comment.
@@JamesTake2 no bother mate but god I never knew Halfords owns tredz
@@JamesTake2 only competitors to Boardman in this price range is Marin really with the Bobcat Trail, San Quentin and Rift Zone. I’d buy from either anyday. Maybe Vitus too
I mean I would call it crap compared to older Boardman bikes like the Team FS or Pro FS. The spec is terrible on these bikes compared to the old ones except for the inclusion of a dropper post and maybe the wheels.
@@af252 maybe but gotta think bikes are just getting more expensive and for this day I would say this is the best value for money at this price point
I bought this bike 2 weeks ago and can't wait to get out on it. Been away on holiday this week, but looking forward to comparing notes. One thing I will say is I don't like the supplied as standard Wellgo pedals and will be changing them asap :)
I have ridden it up to my mates to store in his garage while I was on my hols. About 8 miles on the road and it was great. Not as quick as my ADV, but that's to be expected :)
For sure we can compare experiences. I love the 29ers over 27.5s, but I took it the trails today and I'm having to get used to the bigger wheels - they carry speed so well and roll over everything! The stock pedals are a bummer, but a lot of MTBs from bike shops or online bike retailers don't even come with pedals, so I guess they're good to just get you home lol. What I like about these bikes is they're not much more than a normal bike, and they're so much more comfortable on the roads, more versatile as you can take off-road short cuts, and its also a great trail machine, for someone who doesn't want to fork out 3k on a bike, these are perfect.
Very nice bike and very good review, no waffle just straight to the point and explained clearly. 👍
Cheers mate. Updated in depth review coming Wednesday where I’ll talk about my experiences riding it and what I’ve done to it✅
@@JamesTake2 Looking forward to what you think of it 🙂
Really really nice review 👌🏻
Really really 😌😂
Really is a really god review 😂
So, is it really really nice?
Good vid man! Must say boardman have stepped it up now, decent specs, geometry etc and really are great for the price! I’m looking at the 8.9 but stock issues shock! How hard was it for you to get this? Looking forward to a riding vid/review!
Thanks! I agree they’ve rly stepped it up for 2021, it’s a very strong contender for the money. The 8.9 is a beautiful bike and yes, stock is a pain! I managed to get the last one of this in stock, but I work at halfords so I guess it’s a bit easier for me to find them in stock. Having said that, after I bought this it came back in stock a few days later, but only lasted a few days before going out again. You will find the 8.9 coming back into stock regularly as it’s a 2021 bike, and it’s just been released. Your best bet is to go into ur local halfords, and they can look on their computers to see where we have stock, or potentially what local stores have one, and they can help u try get one. But don’t worry, I think stock comes back every few weeks on these bikes if not quicker so u won’t have to wait long my friend, keep my posted on if you find one, and I will be making an update video Wednesday on the bike!
JamesTake2 ahh sweet, look forward to the vid! You’ve got a new sub now :) that’s good to know, yeah might go into the local one. Went in last week and no joke there was 3 bikes in and one was a kids 😂 just a carerra and voodo hard tail which I was actually shocked was still there. But yeah man I’ve setup notifications now so should get my emails come through! I’ll keep you posted!
LOL our halfords is the same, at one point we literally had zero men’s display bikes. All we had were display ebikes and a few kids ones. And those little balance bikes. Although, my halfords is getting traction again. We have a full rack of men’s display bikes, but most are returns / warranty bikes with faults, but atleast people can see them in the flesh and sit on them etc. Thanks for turning on notifications! I’ve received a lot of great feedback which has inspired me to make more videos on the bike. Wednesdays video will be good as I would have had the bike a week, taken it to two different trails, and share some of the mods I’ve done.
We only have such low stock because it’s literally out of our control, the bike companies can’t keep up with the rate we are selling them at the moment hahaha!
@@JamesTake2 Hi Jordan M. Set up an email alert mate. I got an alert the day the 8.8 became availiable and jumped on it straight away. One week later I was collecting my lovely new bike. Good luck. It's worth the wait.
Hi mate, was the Sag tricky to set up? Thinking of getting one of these for myself, and not really looking forwards to setting up the suspension. 😆
Nah mate takes 2 seconds, literally just sit on it see where the sag sits, there’s markings in the shock, should be around 20-30%, if you’re going below that put a quick bit of air in and bam ur done
@@JamesTake2 Cheers! 👍🏼
@jamestake2 I'm trying to decide between an 8.8 and 8.9, I'm not a serious MTBer so don't need banging spec as I'm just looking at routes which my Boardman gravel bike isn't quite up to. Will I really notice much difference between an 8.8 and 8.9? Thanks
No you ain’t notice any difference, sorry for the slow reply. The 8.9 has better gearing and front forks but it solves a problem that wasn’t ever w problem.
@@JamesTake2 OK and how about the fact the 8.8 has a rear QR and not a thru axle? Matter much? I can spend the extra £300 but if it's not going to be noticeable I'm wondering if it's worthwhile but at the same time in 6 months time I don't want to regret not going 8.9 if you see what I mean.
So the thru axle is good in terms of upgradability. I’ve had an ebike after this was a thru axile and I think it was a little more stable, the wheels on the 8.8 were definitely a cutback anyway, they’re arnt great. It’s important to regularly check the spokes r tight. So you’ll notice a little frame flex with the 8.8 when you’re hammering it down hills but for the avg trail riding I don’t think it’ll make a difference, wheel certainly won’t fall out😂
just ordered one yesterday went for a large frame at 5ft 10 because i had a 8.6 from 2018 and i always said it needed to be a little bigger rather go one size up i think at 5 10 you can get away with it as its that stupid height where your in the crossover spectrum from M to L
5’10 I would say a size large for sure,have fun 🤙
@@JamesTake2 got the bike the other day not going to lie i was shocked how well it took the trails it just flew over everything i sent it down im happy the travel is not more than 150 anymore it would be boring its that smooth !!
5ft 8 go for size medium?
Does the rear suspension lock out
Yes
Really Really nice mate 👍
Haha cheers
drinking game, drink every time he says 'really really nice'
On the boardman website it says the rear is 12x148 but halfords say its boost qr and looks like yours is qr, I was hoping this was a mistake on halfords part as I really like this bike for my son.
It’s a boost quick release 12x148 is the dimensions I believe.
@@JamesTake2 no this 1 has boost 141x9 the higher end models have 148x12
This 1 has 141x9 the higher spec models are 148x12
got mine a few weeks back, awsome bike to be fair. Handles trails and jumps really well! - you managed to get out on it much yet?
Wow that’s really cool! I’ve only taken it to the trails once because we have just had rain rain rain! I will be taking it to Surrey hills on Wednesday, sorta some downhill type trails!
@@JamesTake2 yea the weather was terrible!!! nice .. do a little vid let us know what you think ?! i must say it handles the bigger jumps well and for a 29er its pretty agile can ride it hard.
Yeah I’ll do an update video on Wednesday so stay tuned! I agree with you there, whilst I’m yet to jump it, it does feel really agile and like I’ll be able to push hard, but the only time I’ve ridden it it’s been so wet on the trails I was more bothered about slipping lol.
@@JamesTake2 sweet i look forward too it! yea it has supprised me tbh - it feels really good!
Is this the same bike as the women’s equivalent?
When u say under 1500 that title will go to the calibre triple b, but best under 1300 then yeah
After the voodoo canzo ofc
@Aidan Saunders snap I thought this was the 8.6 but it's about 200 pounds difference
@Aidan Saunders how bad is it? Does it actually hurt or affect performance or is it just an inconvenience
@Aidan Saunders yes, then it's fine for me as long as it's not snapping on me when I get on the bike
@Aidan Saunders I think that's under warranty
How is it mate? Im thinking of buying one budget wise..
Lovely mate can’t fault it, for the money it’s brilliant, but even money aside, I wouldn’t spend more on a bike because this is capable enough doesn’t hold me back at all!
Would you say an XL would be fine for someone who's 6ft 4, 193cm. Im thinking of buying 1
Yeah go for XL, large will be to small 👍
@@JamesTake2 thanks mate. Take care
Great video! If anyone could tell me the weight of one of these bikes that would be a big help please🙏
14kg
@@JamesTake2 thanks!
It looks awesome, how much does it weigh, cheers
14kg👍
I can't wait to here how it rides, I'm thinking of getting one
Did you get boardman peddals with yours because i didn't also lost of chip in pint work.
No mate forgot to mention I put the pedals on sorry about that. I didn’t get any chips on mine but an occasional chip or mark is common with any new bikes, I wouldn’t worry to much. But if it’s covered in marks you should be able to take it back and complain, when u spend £1300 on a bike you don’t wanna be dissatisfied.
I had a couple of minor chips on mine on the forks. I touched them up and then covered parts of the frame with matte clear protection tape from eBay.
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/323680973418
I actually had a few chips on the bottom of the forks by the wheel, but it was so little it’s not worth sorting because that’s wear that happens so quickly anyway! I can’t complain for the money.
I got 100 pound from halfords so not to bad
My local Halfords are out of stock, but have the silver £1000 model. Any idea of that's worth it or try to find this one.
The silver one is the model below this. Still a great bike just without the dropper and it has a rly good suntor fork instead of rockshox, but still has the rockshox rear shock. Still has hydraulic brakes, shimano gears, 29er wheels and the same geometry.
That’s the best bike you’ll find for a £1000
I was going to ask this same question, I know these are old comments and stuff but if you was in my shoes and could get the same bike or the £1000 silver 8.8 bike. Which would you get? Thanks
@@rhysootf the silver one is a 8.6 isn't it? I'm waiting for the 8 8 to be in stock at my local halfords too, heard it could do with slightly wider tyres but for the price is a big contender
@@yamman5482 yeah it is, my bad.
What size is the frame. How tall are you. What colour ways are they. Cheers
This is a large. I’m 6’1, and green is the only option.
@@JamesTake2 you can get the womens one which is blue and has the same componunts but different geometry
I don’t have a gud hub sound on the same bike 😂
I think ur cappin man
Is this a trail bike?
Enduro bike
you sound like olly wilkins haha good thing btw . good vid might buy the bike
Haha nice man glad you liked it
How much does she weigh
16kg
Not just really, but really really.
😂😂😂
What size frame is it
This is a large.
I have a medium. I'm 5ft 10 and it's perfect for me
@@JamesTake2 What height are you james? and is the front shock lockable?
I’m 6’1 but I have rly long legs. I have a large. A x-large would fit my legs a bit better probs, but the reach would be way to long for my upper body, and the 29ers already make the bike bigger. I’d say medium is capped at 5’10 and large is up to 6’2 ish. X-large for anyone bigger. And yes, the front fork has lockout, it’s compression adjustment, so u can turn compression to max, which locks It out, or 5 or 6 clicks in (I can’t remember of the top of my head how many clicks of adjustment there is) which fully opens it. So on the roads I have it in the middle, on the trails I have it fully open, I rarely lock it out fully, but if you do it turns into a rocket.
Sounds about right, glad it’s perfect!
Honestly, I think it’s Geometry is really ugly. The bike is in almost every way a downgrade compared to the old Pro FS, except maybe the shifting range and the wheels. I guess it comes with a dropper post but they clearly cheaped out on it and it’s cost it ruined the spec anyway
They changed all this back in 2016 mate. This bike has had this geometry since then, I think it’s decent for the money and it must be liked because they haven’t gone back in 4 years 🤷🏻♂️
@@JamesTake2 no this is 2018 onwards geometry. FS PRO was available 2016-2018
The new geometry is better 455 reach and 66 head angle is better on the new 1 the older ones were wanna be trail bikes with xc geo
@@adrianszabelski8105 yeah only downside of the old ones tbh, thinking about getting an offset linkage to increase slackness