Area 13 "Bolton" BlackBird

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!!

THE BLACKBIRD IS MY SECOND EBIKE. WOW, THIS BIKE HAS IT ALL. I RIDE OVER 90 PERCENT OF THE TIME ON NUMBER 1. I RIDE IN AN AREA THAT IS VERY HILLY AND WITH ASSIST 1 CAN MAKE IT UP ALL THE HILLS. I AM OVER 80 YEARS OLD AND HAVING A BLAST RIDING. I RIDE ALMOST EVERY DAY, USUALLY MIN OF 10 MILES. AVERAGE RIDING TIME IS 30 TO 45 MINUTES. I WILL BE TAKING IT OUT ON SOME RIDING TRAILS IN THE NEAR FUTURE. SHOULD GET EXCELLENT BATTERY LIFE, BECAUSE THE TRAILS ARE NOT VERY HILLY. I AM GETTING 50 MILES ON APPROX HALF THE BATTERY. THE BLACKBIRD IS LOADED, UPGRADED FORKS, HEAD LIGHT, BREAK LIGHT, WORKS OFF THE BIKE BATTERY. HAS AN ADJUSTABLE STEM FOR THE HANDLEBARS, ALSO OVER SIZE BRAKES. I HAD PURCHASED AN AFTER MARKET SEAT BEFORE MY BIKE ARRIVED, AND THE BLACKBIRD CAME WITH ONE. I PURCHASED THE 24 INCH BIKE. MY INSEAM IS 32 INCHES AND IT IS PERFECT FOR ME. IF YOU ARE THINKING OF BUYING AN EBIKE, YOU SHOULD CONSIDER THE BOLTON BLACKBIRD. THERE ARE OTHER BIKES COSTING OVER $3000 THAT WILL NOT GIVE YOU THE UPGRADES COMPARED TO THE BLACKBIRD. GO FOR IT!!!!!

I waited patiently, unpatiently, patiently, unpatiently until eventually the Blackbird arrived! The box had a bang in it! But the packaging was reinforced in that area and there was zero damage to the bike. Now I am at mile 196 on the Odometer. Had to do a minor Brake Switch adjustment and now I am hitting high speeds of 35/36mph! The thing is a tank that switches between gravel, pavement, sand, washboard and stops on a dime! Very satisfied and Thankful I got one! If anything I might put a new seat on it, but I am not complaining! Now to get some sort of Solar Charging Unit for it. I am about to put some Flat-Out in the tires as I watched on a Bolton Video. But other than the wait time, this is "THE BIKE"! Thank You to the Bolton Team for enduring all my emails!

Blackbird is amazing and of very high quality. All the components are chosen and placed very logically. At first, I was like why is this here and why is this there? Then after riding the ebike for a while, I realized why this component is here and there and makes perfect sense now. At first, I wanted an ebike with the motorcycle style throttle but now realize the thumb throttle is more responsive and is better for slow maneuvers. The Blackbird was definitely worth the wait and the customer service at Bolton is outstanding and they don't try to nickel and dime you. They know there is a bunch of us willing to pay top dollar for top quality. I work in the Insurance industry and no way can I return all my emails within 48 hours. Shout out to Jeff at Bolton. I've looked at ebikes at bicycle stores and the quality and components on most are not the same caliber as the Blackbird. Another good thing about the Blackbird is the heavy battery is so easy to disconnect and reattach as you will be doing this frequently if you switch out batteries during a long ride. Some of these ebikes have the battery in the frame which is a pain to get out. I'm looking for a 1000 Watt mid motor now to buy now. Got my eye on the Warthog. People on bicycle trail flag me down to ask about the Blackbird and I tell them to google Bolton ebikes and buy one. Love passing the bicycle racers on the Blackbird.

I haven't been on a bicycle for more than 30 years. I took my new Blackbird out for a couple of short test drives just to get used to riding again and to try and understand the e-boost part of riding. Earlier this week, I needed to pick up a Jeep from a local repair shop, so it was time for a full-on test run. I was nervous. It was glorious. I got to ride the scenic bike trails all the way into town, load the bike into the back, and drive home with very little kerfluffle. I don't think it even made a dent in the battery voltage, which makes me want to explore more. And no gas wasted. This was why I wanted an e-bike in the first place, and I can't thank you enough for your help in getting me on the path (literally!) to a greener and healthier future.