The Boardman TRVL 8.9 combines modern performance with a nostalgic nod to classic mountain bikes. Featuring a 6061 butted alloy frame and RockShox Rudy fork, this bike offers smooth handling and cushioning for all-day comfort. Equipped with SRAM's 1x12 Apex groupset and hydraulic disc brakes, it ensures precise shifting and reliable stopping power. The TRVL 8.9 is designed for those who love to explore routes less travelled, offering a range of mounting points and tyre clearance for ultimate versatility.

Boardman TRVL Range Review

Key Features:

•     Frame: Adventure, 6061 alloy, multiple mounting points, clearance for 50mm tyres
•     Front Fork: RockShox Rudy, 40mm travel
•     Drivetrain: SRAM Apex, 1x12-speed
•     Brakes: SRAM Apex hydraulic disc brakes, 160mm rotors
•     Wheels: Boardman TRVL alloy, tubeless ready
•     Tyres: Goodyear Connector, 700x45mm, versatile tread pattern
•     Other Standout Feature: Gravel-specific handlebars with high-tack bar tape
•     Finance Option: Available with 0% APR finance

The TRVL 8.9 might seem like a 90s MTB with drop handlebars, but it's much more than that if you take a closer look. The 8.9's 6061 butted alloy frame features a myriad of mounting points for those fully-ladened expeditions where leaving something behind is not an option. Additionally, the dropper post routing and clearance for up to 50mm tyres allow you to customise it to tackle trails that those 90s MTBs would avoid. Boasting a 70-degree head angle and a RockShox Rudy fork with 40mm of travel, its capable handling and cushioning make long gravel sportives or multi-day adventures easier on your back and hands. Ride with confidence down loose fire roads knowing your front tyre will track and grip the ground.

The Boardman TRVL 8.9 features a SRAM 1x12 Apex groupset (the group that knows how to have a good time) with an 11-44 tooth cassette for smoother, more precise, and quicker shifts between gears. The wide-range cassette allows you to tackle steeper trails with enough left in the tank to handle whatever challenges you find when you get to the top. The brakes are up-to-date hydraulic disc brakes running on 160mm rotors, so you can stop swiftly, whatever the surface or weather.

The Boardman TRVL 8.9 alloy wheelset is tubeless ready. To experience the added grip, comfort, and versatility of a tubeless setup, you only need to add sealant and valves! Goodyear's 45mm gravel-specific Connector is the TRVL 8.9's tyre of choice. Designed as a fast-rolling all-terrain tyre, its versatile tread pattern with tightly-spaced centre knobs and aggressive side knobs delivers straight-line momentum whilst retaining grip demands when the direction changes or the route gets technical. They also have tan walls for a 90's vibe!

Gravel-specific bars wrapped in a 3.5mm thick, high tack bar tape reduce vibrations, increase grip and make time on the hoods more comfortable. A 6-degree flare ensures you have better control over the bike when in the drops, whilst offering more space up front for additional luggage should you need it. The Fizik Terra Argo saddle is designed, from its rails up, as a dedicated gravel saddle. A stiff rail system supports a compliant shell designed to facilitate a degree of flex, reducing vibration and improving comfort. Fizik has opted for a slightly softer, more progressive foam than that used on their racing saddles, and when combined with the Argo's shortened nose, waved profile, and ergonomic channel, helps riders hold their position for longer in more comfort and pedal more effectively over changing terrains.

Occasionally, without notice, manufacturers change product design and/or specifications.