Fun, capable, budget-friendly gravel machine with allroad tendencies
Boardman ADV 9.2 Carbon allows you to blur the lines between the two. It's capable and nimble off road but works just as well when pressed into winter trainer or commuter duties on the road. Wherever you ride it, though, you'll find it nippy, comfortable and a lot of fun. It's a lot of bike for the cash too.
My bodyweight and centre of gravity felt well balanced, too, which added to my confidence when hammering along on loose trails as the ADV feels really planted even at high speed when descending. The ADV's characteristics mean it also works well on the road too. It's not as quick handling as a pure road bike, but its composed nature means it works really well for those rides through the back lanes, especially in poor weather.
With this new model Boardman has resisted the urge to run all the hoses and cables internally via the head tube, instead running the rear brake hose via an entry port in the top of the down tube, and the front hose via the fork leg. You also get mounting points for full mudguards, adding to that commuter/winter trainer versatility, plus there is a mounting plate should you want to switch this model from a 1x to a 2x and fit a front mech.
The rear mech battery lasts for a very long time, and when it does run out of juice it charges in no time at all. The seatpost is also alloy and it does its job well, though let's be honest, its job description isn't massive. It doesn't slip in the frame, and it's easy to adjust the saddle.Boardman ADV 9.2 Carbon: Wheels & tyres
The carbon models start at £1,750 for the 8.9 Carbon, with the top 9.6 Carbon model costing £3,800 and coming with Zipp 303 wheels and a Shimano GRX Di2 groupset.Ribble's carbon Gravel SL Sport has a very similar build to the ADV and costs £2,399, though it does have larger tyre clearance – theOrro's Terra C is a 'roadie-esque' styled gravel bike similar to the Boardman, but it is much pricier at £2,799.99 with a SRAM Apex AXS groupset and Token G23AR wheels.
A wide-ranging cassette gives plenty of gears at both ends of the range, and the shifting and braking are top notch.Tell us some more about the wheels.Did they work well in the conditions you encountered? Would you change the wheels? If so what for?Tell us some more about the tyres. Did they work well in the conditions you encountered? Would you change the tyres? If so what for?Tell us some more about the controls.
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