2021 Boardman Bikes come with killer specs and geo at bargain prices!

£2000 for a full suspension bike with proper geo and a Pike Select fork! And impressive hardtails for under £1k this is the 2021 Boardman Bikes MTB range.

We might all enjoy looking at £10k superbikes, but in reality, a lot of riders are on more modest budgets. That’s no longer a problem though as manufacturers continue to surprise us with sub £2k bikes that blow us away, not to mention those sub £1k beauties out there.

One such brand that was synonymous with affordable performance is Boardman Bikes. For years they offered quality full-suspension and hardtail designs that didn’t break the bank. Boardman has been a little quiet over the past year or so, but for 2021 they’re back with a new range of budget bikes that are sure to impress while costing less.

2021 Boardman MTR 9.0

• Price: £2000

Let’s kick off with the most expensive Boardman on the bill. At £2000 it’s still a chunk of change but cast your gaze of the specs and geo and you’ll see that Boardman has really done an impressive job.

First of all the fork is the fantastic RockShox Pike Select boasting 150mm of travel and 42mm offset. The rear shock is a Deluxe Select + with rebound control and lockout and there’s even a 150mm dropper included, though we’ve not used this particular Satori Pro dropper model.

Shimano’s latest 1 x 12 SLX drivetrain handles the gearing including a matching 51t cassette. Brakes are impressive 4 piston SLX brakes. Even the wheels and tyres look great with WTB handling hoops and Maxxis DHF and DHR EXO TR rubber front en rear.

All of this quality gear hangs from the updated Boardman X9 alloy frame with polished welds and 145mm of rear-wheel travel. Not only does the X9 frame look the part but the geo is spot on too with a size large frame sporting a reach of 475mm and 66-degree head angle!

2021 Boardman MTR 9.0 Geometry

2021 Boardman MTR 9.0 Specifications

• Frame – 6066 X9 Aluminium with hidden welds – 145mm travel
• Fork – RockShox Pike Select, 150mm travel, 42mm offset
• Shock – RockShox Deluxe Select+ with lockout and rebound adjust. 230x60mm
• Drivetrain – Shimano SLX 1X12 – 10-51 cassette with 32 tooth chainring
• Brakes – Shimano SLX 4 Piston with 203/180mm RT-70 rotors
• Wheels – WTB ST-i30 rims on Shimano MT510/MT400 110×15 front, 148×12 rear
• Tyres – Maxxis Minion DHF 2.5” EXO TR Front, DHR II 2.4” EXO TR rear – tan sidewall
• Seatpost – Satori Sorata Pro dropper, 150mm on L / XL, 125 on M
• Saddle – Fizik Taiga

2021 Boardman MTR 8.9

• Price: £1600

If you like the idea of the 145mm travel MTR 9.0 but want to save £400 you can get the same geometry with the MTR 8.9 and the X7 frameset. The X7 frame features the same trail geo as the 9.0 but has a slightly different triple-butted front triangle.

On top of the slight frame difference, there are a few specification changes to bring the cost down. Instead of the Pike Select the MTR 8.9 has a RockShox 35 Gold 150mm travel fork, the drivetrain is an SRAM NX Eagle 12-speed set-up with 500% range and brakes are also from the SRAM stable, 4 piston Guide T stopper to be exact.

The same 150mm dropper post comes as standard, 125mm on the size M frame, and you get the same Maxxis rubber only on Boardman’s own MTR wheelset with 30mm wide rims.

2021 Boardman MTR 8.9 Specifications

• Frame – 6061 X7 Aluminium – 145mm Travel
• Fork – RockShox 35 Gold, 150mm Travel, 42mm offset
• Shock – RockShox Deluxe Select+ with lockout and rebound adjust
• Drive-train – SRAM NX Eagle 1X12 – 11-50 cassette with 32 tooth chainring
• Brakes – SRAM Guide T 4 Piston with 180mm rotors
• Wheels – Boardman MTR Wheelset – 30mm rim, 110×15 Front, 148×12 Rear
• Tyres – Maxxis Minion DHF 2.3” EXO TR Front, DHR II 2.3” EXO TR Rear
• Seatpost – Satori Sorata Pro dropper, 150mm on L / XL, 125 on S / M
• Saddle – Boardman MTR

2021 Boardman MTR 8.8 and 8.8 Women’s

• Price: £1300

Boardman uses the same 6061 X7 alloy frameset and geo on the MTR 8.8 bikes. Both versions of the bike come fitted with a RockShox Recon Silver RL fork, 11-speed Deore groupset, Shimano brakes and Boardman’s own wheels all for just £1300!

2021 Boardman MTR 8.8 and 8.8 Women’s specs

• Frame – 6061 X7 Aluminium – 145mm Travel
• Fork – RockShox Recon Silver RL 150mm Travel
• Shock – RockShox Deluxe Select+ with lockout and rebound adjust
• Drivetrain – Shimano Deore 1×11 – 11-51 with 32 tooth chainring
• Brakes – Shimano MT200 Hydraulic with 180 rotors
• Wheels – Boardman MTR Wheelset – 30mm rim, 110×15 Front, 141 QR Rear
• Tyres – Maxxis Minion DHF 2.3” EXO TR Front, DHR II 2.3” EXO TR Rear
• Seatpost – Satori Sorata Pro dropper, 150mm on L / XL, 125 on S / M
• Saddle – Boardman MTR

2021 Boardman MTR 8.6

• Price: £1000

Last but not least is the MTR 8.6, same X7 frameset as the 8.9 and 8.8, and same 145mm of travel, but again with a few choice specification tweaks here and there to bring the price down to just £1000!

2021 Boardman MTR 8.6 Specifications

• Frame – 6061 X7 Aluminium – 145mm Travel
• Fork – Suntour XCR34 LO-R DS Air 140mm Travel
• Shock – RockShox Deluxe Select with rebound adjust
• Drivetrain – Shimano Deore 1×10 – 11-46 with 32 tooth chainring
• Brakes – Tektro HD-M285 Hydraulic with 180 rotors
• Wheels – Boardman MTR Wheelset – 30mm rim, 110×15 Front, 141 QR Rear
• Tyres – Maxxis Minion DHF 2.3” EXO TR Front, DHR II 2.3” EXO TR Rear
• Seatpost – Boardman Alloy
• Saddle – Boardman MTR

Boardman MHT 8.9

• Price: £1000

If nothing in the Boardman full-bounce range takes your fancy then have a look at the new Boardman MHT 8.9. This is Boardman’s top of the line hardtail for 2021 with 29in wheels and a lightweight 6061 alloy frame.

The 8.9 runs an SRAM SX Eagle 12-speed groupset, SRAM Level T brakes, RockShox Reba 120mm travel fork and even comes with a pair of Vittoria Barzo TLR Graphene tyres.

Boardman MHT 8.9 Specifications

• Lightweight 6061 aluminium frame with Boost spacing and 12mm thru-axle
• SRAM SX Eagle 12 speed drivetrain with a wide range 11-50 cassette
• SRAM Level T hydraulic disc brakes
• RockShox Reba RL 120mm Boost thru-axle fork
• Vittoria Barzo TLR Graphene 2.0 tubeless-ready tyres

Boardman MHT 8.8 and Women’s 8.8

• Price: £850

Following the same formula as the full-suspension range, the MHT 8.8 has the same frame as the 8.9 and even runs the same SRAM SX Eagle 12-speed drivetrain. Changes are made to the fork, a Judy Silver unit, and brakes, Shimano MT400.

Boardman MHT 8.8 Specifications

• Lightweight 6061 aluminium frame with 141mm Boost QR spacing
• SRAM SX Eagle 12 speed drivetrain with a wide range 11-50 cassette
• Shimano MT400 hydraulic disc brakes
• RockShox Judy Silver 120mm Boost thru-axle fork
• Vittoria Barzo TNT Graphene 2.0 tubeless-ready tyres

Boardman MHT 8.6 and Women’s 8.6

• Price: £650

The most affordable bike in the 2021 Boardman range, again with an alloy frame and 120mm fork. This time around it has a Shimano 1 x 10 drivetrain and the fork is a Suntour Raidon XC unit.

Boardman MHT 8.6 and Women’s 8.6 Specifications

• Shimano Deore M4100 1×10 gearing with an 11-46 Tooth cassette
• Lightweight alloy frame with trail geometry and dropper post routing
• Suntour Raidon XC Air Fork with 120mm of travel
• Tektro M286 hydraulic disc brakes 
• Boardman Tubeless-ready wheelset with grippy Vittoria Barzo tyres 

The complete 2021 range of Boardman Bikes can be found over on the Boardman website, and bikes can be purchased from Halfords. We have a feeling we’re going to see a few of these on the trails over the next few months.