Boardman ADV 9.2 Carbon

If you can't decide whether you want a gravel bike or an allroad bike, the 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.

Not absolutely sure what an allroad bike is? Have a read of Jamie's feature from last year, What is an all-road bike? Is this new bike breed really an N+1 killer?

Boardman ADV 9.2 Carbon: Ride

I've ridden quite a few of Boardman's ADV models over the years, the last being the ADV 8.9 back in 2021, and the main reason I've been a fan is how versatile they've been. They came at the gravel genre from the road side of things, so if you were thinking about trying some off-road riding, or preferred the racier side of it, they made the transition a much easier affair.

Thankfully, with the release of its TRVL range, which covers the more rugged adventure side of drop-barred off-road riding with its wider tyres and front suspension, Boardman has been able to keep the ADV just how I like it.

The geometry is typically gravel, as in the front end is more relaxed than an endurance road bike in terms of the head angle, but with a pretty standard head tube length and stack measurement relative to size, the position I could achieve on it still felt sporty and purposeful.

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.

With the sloping top tube and small rear triangle, the frame feels compact and tight, which gives the ADV a bit of urgency about its ride style. It feels tight and nimble and it's a real blast to ride, and with plenty of stiffness throughout the frame and fork it always felt like my efforts were being rewarded.

It's no superlight machine, but its 9.24kg never holds it back on the climbs or sprinting efforts – if anything, it feels slightly lighter than it actually is. Overall, it just feels nippy, it's a really fun bike to ride!

With tyres of this width fitted – 40mm – it'd be easy for Boardman to not worry too much about ride quality, but it has, and it's done a very good job. Details like the curved seatstays and the carbon layup mean the ADV has a great ride feel and comfort throughout. Plus, that means impressive and uncluttered feedback from whatever surface you are riding on.

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.

I switched the wheels on the ADV for a set of mine shod with 38mm GravelKing slicks which made it zing along on the tarmac. Pirelli has just released a 40mm version of its P Zero Race road tyre, so with something like that fitted the ADV is an ideal choice if you only have the space or budget for a single bike. Commuter on the road during the week, and light gravel racer at the weekend.

Overall, from a riding point of view the ADV is a proper all-rounder, highlighting how versatile a quality gravel bike can be.

Boardman ADV 9.2 Carbon: Frame & fork

The ADV range is available in both aluminium and carbon frames. The carbon, as used here on this model – called C10 to be precise – is made for Boardman by Giant in the Far East and has a claimed weight of 990g, and 420g for the full-carbon fibre fork.

Each model in the range gets a different paint job, and I must say I really love this bright gold colour.

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.

I still think it looks neat and tidy, and they are positioned in such a way that they aren't going to affect the fitting of any frame bags.

Speaking of mounting things to the frame – the ADV definitely has you covered there. You get points for mounting a bag to the upper face of the top tube, and there are three positions for bottle cages.

Both the down tube and seat tube points have three bolts to allow some flexibility if you were to fit a frame bag within the main triangle.

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.

Tyre clearance is 42mm, which isn't massive these days, but it's more than enough from my point of view. I tend to use 40mm tyres for faster, hardpacked gravel stuff, with a switch to 45mm for more demanding trails. For the kind of riding I'd use the ADV for, the 40mm tyres it comes fitted with are fine.

Boardman ADV 9.2 Carbon: Sizing & geometry

The ADV is available in four sizes, which is quite a small range, with the smallest model being recommended for riders 1.7m tall, and the XL topping out at 1.95m.

I was riding the medium size, which has a top tube length of 555mm and a head tube of 140mm. The stack and reach figures are 570mm and 381mm respectively.

Angles-wise we're talking 71.5 degrees for the head tube, and 73 for the seat tube. The fork offset is 50mm, and the chainstays are 425mm.

Boardman ADV 9.2 Carbon: Groupset

This ADV 9.2 Carbon comes fitted with a SRAM Apex XPLR AXS groupset which is 1x, running a 40-tooth chainring and a 12-speed 11-44T cassette. Aaron reviewed the groupset for us a few months back, if you want the full details on it.

The AXS moniker means that it is completely wireless, so no wires to plug in anywhere, which makes it easy to set up or adjust should the need arise.

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.

For gravel riding, the ratios offer plenty of spread and you get quality shifting at the levers. The narrow-wide design of the teeth of the chainring and the clutch mechanism in the rear mech keep plenty of tension, so no fears of a dropped chain.

If I was likely to spend a lot of time riding on the road, I'd probably want a 2x setup, which is available on the other three carbon models in the range.

Boardman has specced a 160mm rotor for the front and 140mm for the rear. I like the power and feel of SRAM's latest hydraulic braking systems, and the setup here worked really well.

Boardman ADV 9.2 Carbon: Finishing kit

Up front the cockpit is a Boardman branded affair, an alloy stem and handlebar. The bar is a gravel job with a 6-degree flare, the wider stance helping control at speed when in the drops.

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.

That saddle is a Prologo Akero AGX and I liked its shape and found it comfortable.

Boardman ADV 9.2 Carbon: Wheels & tyres

The wheels are Boardman branded too. They have Asymmetric Adventure rims, which have an internal width of 22mm, and Formula RX-512 (F), RX-142 (R) hubs. They seem to be decent wheels all round and can be set up tubeless.

With 28 spokes front and rear, they are designed for plenty of abuse, and I had no issues with them in terms of trueness or reliability.

The tyres are Goodyear's Connector Ultimates. I've not ridden them before this, but I was impressed overall. Their medium-depth tread pattern rolls well on hardpacked surfaces but with enough bite for loose gravel and soft mud.

Boardman ADV 9.2 Carbon: Value

There are nine models in the ADV range, five of them with aluminium frames. Prices for these start at £850 for the ADV 8.6, which comes with a Shimano Sora 2x groupset and Tektro mechanical disc brakes, and finish with the 9.2 at £1,750.

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.

Coming in at £2,250, this ADV 9.2 Carbon is good value compared with rivals.

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 – the CGR was probably closer in design, but the carbon fibre model has been discontinued.

Orro'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. (We reviewed the Shimano 105 model back in 2022.)

The Grail is the racier of Canyon's two gravel ranges, and comes with the same tyre clearance as the Boardman. There isn't a SRAM Apex AXS model, but a Shimano GRX RX820 build will set you back £2,499 or £2,799 for the 12-speed 1x GRX RX822 option.

The Grizl is the other Canyon option, which has bigger tyre clearances of 47mm, and the model that comes with SRAM Apex AXS and DT Swiss alloy wheels, the Grizl CF SL 6, is £2,349.

Boardman ADV 9.2 Carbon: Conclusion

Provided you don't want huge tyre clearances, the ADV 9.2 Carbon is a brilliant gravel bike that's fun to ride, with loads of character, easy-to-live-with geometry, and a great spec for the money. As long as you fit the limited size options, the ADV should definitely be on your shopping list.

Verdict

Fun, capable, budget-friendly gravel machine with allroad tendencies