The best of both worlds
Welcome the the ElectricBoarder review of the Evolve Bamboo GTX!
You might be asking yourself why Evolve came out with a board as the GTX... Well, it really was a community cry. By far the best board out there on the basis of handling, comfort and feel, was the Evolve Bamboo GT. However, this board didn't have the big battery the Carbon GT had, meaning it could only take you about half the range.
So their 'best' board wasn't getting the specs it deserved and people not liking the the way the Carbon board rode switched over to other brands.
Enter the Evolve Bamboo GTX.
Evolve Bamboo GTX Street
Pros
- Improved range to 31 miles
- Deck is comfortable and has an awesome flex
- New, bigger wheels
- All other Bamboo GT benefits apply
- It is pretty silent compared to other belt driven boards on the market
Cons
- Same motors as the GT line, with a history of issues
- Same Carbon GT battery with a history of issues
- Heavy to carry around
- Expensive
The Evolve Bamboo GTX made it to the list of the Best Electric Skateboards for 2018! Check it out!
Evolve Bamboo GTX Specifications
This is where all the magic happens. This GTX was specifically made too boost the Bamboo GT's specs and offer a more complete electric skateboard with the same riding characteristics. Let's take a look at the major specs this new Evolve board it putting out:
Motors | Dual Belt driven (Optionally Gold Plated) motor setup (3000 W combined) |
---|---|
Top Speed | 26 mph |
Battery | 36 Volt 10AH Lithium Ion Battery |
Range | 18.5 - 31 miles, depending on rider weight and setup |
Weight | 19.4 - 21.6 lbs |
Deck Length | 38" |
Wheels | Custom Evolve GT 97mm 76A Stone ground |
'New ' Motors & Speed
The motors haven't been improved upon. The GTX has the same motors as the older GT line. Which is kind of sad, this could have been a deal breaker for the GTX. Now it's just more of the same.
Nevertheless a powerful motor setup putting out 3000 watts of power, capable of reaching top speeds of 26 mph in Street mode. Which is still incredibly fast and high up there with the fastest boards on the market.
A lot of Evolve fans are disappointed in the choice for the same motors. Many users had motor quality issues needing them to send their board back to Evolve on many occasions. Let's hope they at least fixed these issues for this new board.
A little note on the gold plating... We like the gold logo emblem on the trucks, but the gold plated motors look a bit tacky to us. Thank god that you have the option to choose for the black motors as wel.
The Game Changer: 'New' Battery And Range
This is what it's all about. A Bamboo board with Carbon range. And this is achieved due to the new and bigger battery.
The Bamboo AT setup was by far one of the best commuting setups on the market. Flexible deck for comfort, awesome carving abilities and big wheels which took you over every crack with no difficulties. The only downside was that the AT setup didn't get you very far. (12.5 miles)
The GTX solves this 'issue' and offers all the above benefits together with a whopping 18.5 miles range in the AT setup.
Slap on the 97 mm street wheels and you're good to go for 31 miles... Pretty darn good we would say!
Bamboo Deck, New Wheels, Same Same
On the hardware front no big changes. You get the same Bamboo deck everyone loved on the GT and the same super carve trucks which together offer the perfect ride.
Evolve did come out with a new set of wheels for this board. The Evolve 97 mm stone ground wheels. These bigger wheels mean more torque and a higher top speed.
All Terain Mode
The fact that the previous Evolve GT boards can be easily changed to an all terrain setup might just be the reason for it's popularity.
The Evolve GTX is no different.
Actually the GTX is the perfect board for the AT setup. It offers all the benefits of the Bamboo GT together with the new and improved range. Making this board the perfect commute board.
Swapping the setup takes about 15 minutes as is shown in this nice instructional video from Evolve:
The GTX Remote Controller
Another aspect that stayed the same is remote.
It's the only remote on the market with an LCD screen, which kind of makes up for the fact that Evolve doesn't have a decent smartphone application. Which it actually should have being a premium brand.
It gives you all the data you would want to know such as riding speed, battery level, which riding mode you are in and the distance you have traveled.
Some GT users mentioned their remote having connectivity issues, so let's hope they've got that figured out.
How does it stack up against the Competition?
Enertion Raptor 2
- Top Speed: 27 mph
- Range: 25 mile
- Weight: 19.8 lbs
- Price: $1,466.48 USD*
Evolve Bamboo GTX
- Top Speed: 26 mph
- Range: 18.5 - 31 miles
- Weight: 20 lbs
- Price: 1729 - 1929 $*
Boosted Dual+ V2
- Top Speed: 22 mph
- Range: 12 miles
- Weight: 15.5 lbs
- Price: 1199 $*
*Prices apply at time of writing (12/12/2017)
Conclusion
The Evolve Bamboo GTX fills in the gap in the Evolve GT line. A flexible board with the battery and motor capacity to be the perfect commuting electric skateboard. Slap on the AT setup and you can rock any terrain you want.
However, many users thought this new and hyped up release would be a bit more revolutionary than just a bigger battery and gold motors. (It's of course more than that). And also, a lot of the technical difficulties the previous GT line had, haven't been fully addressed. They have been solved, but in a way they are still there.
So, do we recommend to purchase this board?
When money isn't a problem
Well then it depends on whether you prefer a stiffer deck (Carbon GT) over a flexible one. We prefer a flexible deck so for us the decision is clear: Evolve Bamboo GTX all the way. (Plus it's 200$ cheaper...)
If you are on a budget
1800 $ for an electric skateboard is a lot of money. In fact, the reality is that the difference between the Bamboo GT and the Bamboo GTX is not that big. If you don't need that extra range you could save yourself some money and just go for the Bamboo GT.
If you think this board is too heavy to carry around
20 pounds is a lot of weight to drag around! This can be deal breaker for you if you have to pick up and carry your board a lot. There just might be lighter boards on the market for you!
One Comment on “Evolve Bamboo GTX Review”
Performance
6.9
Design
0
Quality
0
Value
0
Service
0
Here is what I went through with these horrible people. My email to them: “Hello, I do have a question, Why did the battery swell? Is that because of something I did? The motor mount broke already and I repaired that. Now the motor shaft is cracked? I am 58 years old and don’t do tricks or stunts. I just commute. I dought I could sell it for the $600 repair bill. The wheels fell apart “chunked”, what would you do in my situation? By the way, the board was already sent in for repair from Hawaii before. Reading the Evolve forums, the wheels are known to fall apart, the motor mounts are known to snap and I would imagine the batteries swell with other people. It seems I paid $1000 for a year of riding and now I have nothing. I am at a loss of what to do”.
Their answer, We will dispose of your items Have a nice day.
DO NOT BUY AN EVOLVE SKATEBOARD!