Area 13 "Bolton" BlackBird

I unpacked and assembled my new Blackbird a month ago. Weather around the Puget Sound area has been a problem, but I have been able to test ride the Blackbird several times. I am very impressed with the quality. It is really an impressive machine. And it looks fantastic. I am still learning some of the nuances of riding an ebike. The YouTube videos from Kyle have been super helpful, and I really appreciated the one he shared on assembling the Blackbird and setting up the electronic controls. The one, minor issue I ran into was that the two brackets for the front fender were spaced too far apart to be screwed into the fork. It was manufacturing problem that I was able to overcome. I am giving the Blackbird a five star rating because it is a solid, well built ebike that fulfills all the expectations I had. A friend of mine with a Rad Rover fat tire bike let me test drive his bike before I purchased the Blackbird. And the "upgrade" that the Blackbird represents is evident, and the price is very reasonable. Thanks Kyle and Blackbird!

still wishing other colors were available on the blackbird like the liquid blue

I received my Blackbird several weeks ago and have enjoyed riding it a number of times since. The weather here has not been cooperative recently or I would have been out more. I live in a very hilly city and am older (77) and have not ridden much in the past number of years. I wanted to use my bike to get myself and my golf clubs to the golf course 2 miles away in addition to going to the grocery store near us. Unboxing and putting together the bike was relatively easy, especially after watching the assembly video by Kyle. I also purchased a trailer for the clubs and groceries, and attaching that was also relatively easy and proved to be no problem. I just rode my bike to the course yesterday for the first time and it created quite a stir amongst my golfing associates. I played 18 holes of golf and then rode home. I was very tired after golfing but riding home was easy using only pedal assist levels 1 or 2, even though there are a number of hills along the way. So the bike has a lot of power, is easy to ride and seems to be very well made. I didn't receive the front fender with the bike and that has given me an opportunity to experience Bolton Bike's customer service. I must say I was impressed, as was my wife. Fast, friendly and helpful. What more could you want. Summing up, I must say that I am really impressed with the bike and the service. All are first rate and exactly as advertised. Kudos to all involved with Bolton Bikes. Thank you all.

This bike is something to behold. I ordered this after watching Kyle on YouTube speaking about various aspects of ebikes and ebike buying. I trusted his opinion and eventually ordered one of his bikes, the Blackbird. Although it took a lot longer than expected for the bike to arrive, I was shocked at how well built and absolutely beautiful the bike was. Unfortunately, the battery case broke in half during the shipping of the bike. Kyle responded by sending a replacement part and battery (also damaged) within a couple of days. Although I was pretty anxious about receiving a huge bike damaged, Kyle took care of the problem without complaint. All I can say is how happy I am with the bike. It is a prize for sure. I would not hesitate in recommending this company for an ebike purchase. And by the way, this is the first ebike review I have ever offered and will probably never due one again. Thanks Kyle and the People at your Company. Again, beautiful bike I will own for years to come. Dr. Don Whitworth

Great bike Kyle and the Bolton Team. Limited Load delivery probably getting done reconsideration at Bolton. Box was through a war but bike was intact inside. Couple minor items and Kyle followed up. This bike will make waves thus year. It’s as good as you can get for the price and doubt anything else come close to the Blackbird package of components. I’m glad I waited though the Covid delays.

This bike rocks! My 24” Blackbird takes me places I used to play, run, ride in my younger years. Even though I’m pretty fit these are places I thought I’d not get to again though only a few rugged miles from my home by dirt path. I’m one happy renewed 65 yo back in canyon country. Two months and Rick’s 500 miles no issues. Thanks Kyle!

When I was deciding whether to buy a Blackbird I had some misgivings about what kind of support I could received from a company located in California. I live near Seattle where Rad is located, and as a option I was considering a Rad Rover with possible Bolton upgrades. An advantage, perhaps, of the Rad was that it has a heavy Seattle presence. Well, I did have a few issues with my new Blackbird. One was due to my own ignorance about how to change a fat tire. Believe me, it is not easy to remove the time from the rim. However, I even received help with that from Bolton, which I appreciate. The major issue I had to deal with had to do with a battery that turned itself off. Kyle was able to diagnose the problem perfectly, and ultimately Bolton sent me a replacement battery. I mention all of this just to give others considering a Bolton ebike about the fine quality and attention to customer service I received. I would not hesitate to buy another ebike from Bolton in the future. Plus, of course, the quality and performance of the ebike itself, in my case the Blackbird, is great.

THE GOOD: 1) Plenty of power, gets you up hills with ease; 2) Battery life experience...100% flat terrain (canal along Delaware River) made it 50 miles on assist level 1 before dying, moderate hilly terrain...made it 30 miles using assist level 2 thru 5 with indicator saying 50% remaining (see the bad below), 3) hydraulic brakes...no problems yet; 4) Lights...front light very bright, can see travel path clearly in the dark, rear lights highly visible from directly behind, off to either side lens deffracts the brightness somewhat, but still highly visible THE BAD: 1) Annoying clicking sound from head tube after 300 miles...resolved by slightly loosening the spacers, this must have relieved pressure on top adjuster or top cone (sorry not sure of correct name), 2) Battery life indicator drops like a rock after 50% (so you really don't have what it says, so watch your distance/return mileage, 3) Lost the screws that hold rear fender in place, became a vibration rattle trap, must have worked lose over time due to vibration, hard to see and get to as their heads are on inside of rear fender and have to remove rear wheel to get to the heads to tighten them up (which is a fun exercise to do first time around, Kyle video please on best practice of removing rear wheel), resolved by totally removing fenders, who needs them anyway, so much quieter when riding now (yes, could have found replacement screws and used Loctite, but removed fenders never a problem again...

It took some time for the Blackbird to arrive but wow it was worth the wait. Love the power and ease of handling. I live in a hilly area and they are no trouble for this beast. Yes, I did get the 26 inch version. Only drawback is that it does not fit well for travel on or behind my car. But for around town, to and from my office and weekend playtime it is fantastic!!