Boardman has always been a brand focused on producing high-performance bikes without a high-performance price tag, and the brand new Boardman ADV 9.0 adventure bike continues that trend.

The ADV line is not entirely new to the brand's product line; the 2018 ADV 9.0 was a "single-track brawler" with an aluminum frame on 650b wheels and 50mm tires. Unfortunately, it faced the problem that many similarly rugged gravel bikes have: hardtail mountain bikes are better suited to the terrain than drop-bar bikes with small wheels and fat tires.

"I loved blasting through the woods and MTB trail centers on my original ADV 9.0, but honestly, when the off-road gets rough, the MHT hardtail is a better option for most people. So for 2021, we're going back to the drawing board to take what we learned from the old 9.0 and recalibrate the new version for versatility and real-world multi-use fun," says Boardman Bikes Product Manager Matt Dowler.

The new ADV 9.0 rolls on 700c wheels with 38mm Panaracer Gravel King SK tires, and the updated frame is made from the same C10 carbon as the SLR performance road bike. According to Boardman, the ADV 9.0 frame weighs 990 grams in size M and the fork weighs 420 grams.

The switch from aluminum to carbon allowed designers to further tweak the ADV's frame characteristics, with the most striking new design element being the flat filing of the heavily warped seatstays. This, combined with the new D-shaped seatpost, provides a slight flex between the rear axle and the saddle to soften the impact of a big hit.

For rough gravel riding, a degree or two of vertical flex between the saddle and rear end is desirable, but not at the expense of pedaling efficiency. According to Boardman, the bottom bracket shell is increased in size to prevent unwanted deflection and to ensure that all the watts generated by the cranks are transferred to the rear wheel rotation.

With a 71.5-degree seat angle, 570mm stack, 381mm reach, 73mm bottom bracket drop, and 425mm chainstays (size MD), the ADV 9.0's geometry is thoroughly modern, with Boardman oriented toward a long top tube and short stem, and size MD uses a 555mm TT and a 90mm stem. All of this together should result in a bike that balances stability and control on loose surfaces without sacrificing speed and efficiency when it comes to smoothing, according to the brand.

Boardman opted for a 2x11 Shimano GRX setup with a mix of RX600 and RX8100 parts to keep costs down. 11-32T cassette in the back and 46-30T chainring in the front. When dropping anchor, 160mm rotors and hydraulic calipers keep up the speed.

The wheels are made in-house, with 28-hole hubs on alloy rims with 20 mm inner widths, center-lock brake mounts, and through-axles front and rear. According to Boardman, they are factory taped for tubeless tires and valves are included in the box.

Mated to the shorter stem mentioned above is a 6-degree flared drop bar, with frame widths starting at 400mm in the small size and going up to 440mm in the XL. The saddle is a Prologo Akero AGX for gravel and CX.

The Boardman ADV 9.0 is priced at £1,700 and is available in four sizes (SM-XL) on the brand's website and in select retail stores.