2025 Boardman

MTR 8.9

The Boardman MTR is a short travel trail bike which offers a range of functional specs at an accessible price. The 8.9 proves to be an engaging and rewarding ride on the smooth-flowing trails, yet thanks to some competent suspension, it can equally handle the rougher stuff. A higher-rise bar and longer dropper post would help with confidence on the steeper descents however, it’s a solid performer for the price tag.

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Boardman’s MTR range has been one of our top bargain trail bike recommendations for years. The older model had 150/140mm travel but this latest version drops that to 130mm both ends with an all new, lighter frame. And the 8.9 model here looks like the sweet spot of a 4 model range, with a 12 speed Shimano drivetrain and RockShox Psylo fork. How does it stack up against the the best mountain bikes under £2,000? It’s up against some pretty fierce competition now Calibre has released the latest Bossnut. Here’s my take… – Short of time? Click here to skip to the verdict – Boardman MTR 8.9 need to know Affordable 29er wheeled all rounder trail bike 130mm RockShox suspension, including the new Psylo Full Shimano Deore 12 speed transmission Lighter frame with totally up to date trail geometry Maxxis tyres, and dropper post as standard UDH dropout and internal cable routing Frame and geometry The frame mounts its shock on the top tube, there’s a single bottle mount on the downtube and internal cable routing that all carries over from previous MTRs. The asymmetric chainstay rear end also looks similar but comes with future proof, repair simplifying UDH dropouts. Straighter, lighter main tubes and a new single piece forged rocker link make the frame over 300g lighter. Geometry is made a shade radder too with a slacker 65.5° head angle and a properly steep 77.5° effective seat angle at either end of the slightly longer 480mm reach of my size large test bike. The upper bracing pipe makes for a tall 460mm seat tube that limits potential seat post stroke. Components There are four models in the MTR range starting with the 8.6 at £1,300, but the 8.9 looks like the sweet spot. The dropper post (complete with Shimano remote lever) is the obvious gain over the £1,600 8.8 but you also get the new RockShox Psylo RC fork with Isolator RC damper. The Deluxe Select+ rear shock also adds a lockout lever to increase pedalling efficiency. Shimano’s Deore transmission is 12 speed with no hidden downgrades like cranks or bottom bracket, and it uses the latest MicroSpline cassette mount so upgrading wheels will be simpler too. Not that there’s anything obviously wrong with the supplied wheels as they’re tubeless ready if you add tape and valves. The Maxxis Dissector EXO front tyre and Rekon EXO rear suit the bike’s fast but not frightened trail remit well. Low rise 780mm bars and a 45mm stem suit the handling, and the knurled grips and Boardman branded saddle are fine. Production bikes will come with four piston Shimano BR420 brakes not the two piston BR410 of my test bike. How it rides It wasn’t long ago that my bike reviews – particularly on more affordable machines – were dominated by dimensions and geometry. They’re still obviously important, but the great news is that very few new bikes are a bad shape now. The Boardman is certainly bang on trend for all …Continue reading »

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The Boardman MTR 8.9 has an awful lot going for it.The cover of this book may look 2013, but it reads just in 2023.

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