When comparing Inboard M1 vs Bamboo GTX 2in1, the Slant community recommends Bamboo GTX 2in1 for most people. In the question“What are the best electric skateboards?” Bamboo GTX 2in1 is ranked 1st while Inboard M1 is ranked 5th. The most important reason people chose Bamboo GTX 2in1 is:
The board has a wide truck system and a flexible wooden deck which makes it great for carving.
Specs
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Pros
Pro You can use it as a regular skateboard
The wheels of M1 rotate freely, so you can ride it as a traditional skateboard when the battery is dead. A lot of boards, such as Boosted, have a belted drive which is much harder to push forward, making them a chore to ride without the motor.
Pro It's quiter than many other boards
Inboard has a hub motor, which means it's inside the wheel. It's quieter compared to boards with belt drives.
Pro Unique and convenient remote
The RFLX remote has a unique design that doesn’t rely on a lanyard or wristband. You can hold it and control the board with your palm open without worrying about dropping the controller.
Pro It's fairly weather-resistant
The in-wheel motor is coated and laminated, making it water-resistant. You don't have to worry much about riding during the rain. Still, it's best to avoid water as much as possible to prevent the wheel bearings from rusting.
Pro LED lights make riding safer
Headlights and taillights help with visibility on the road – not only for yourself but also for others who may not have otherwise seen you coming.
Pro Strong, flexible board
This board is made with a wood core and a composite overlay, similar to the materials used in skis and snowboards. This combination of materials allows for both strength and flexibility.
Pro It's a great option for pros
The majority of electric skateboards go as fast as 20 MPH, while the M1 can reach up to 24 MPH. It also has a rather stiff deck that greatly increases stability and makes the board easier to maneuver at higher speeds, which will appeal to pros.
Pro 1-year warranty protects your investment
A 1-year warranty is fairly long for an e-board. Warranties are especially important since most of the companies making electric skateboards are new. Also, most new companies offer only 3-month warranty, making this a great deal by comparison.
Pro Regenerative brakes that work at full charge
When the brakes are applied, the captured energy is used to provide extra charge to the battery. Applying the breaks on a downhill can refill around 30 to 40 percent of the energy required to get you back up.
It's worth noting that when the battery is at full charge, braking will cause the battery to spend energy to slow down. Once the battery is drained to about 95% of the charge, the regenerative breaking will again start working to fill up the battery.
Pro You can quickly swap batteries
You can easily replace Inboard's battery for a fresh one once it runs out of charge. This is convenient if you don't have the time or patience or a source of power to charge your board. Also, once you notice that the battery doesn't hold charge as well as it used to, you can simply replace it with a new one, instead of getting a whole new board. Not many other boards currently have the option to replace the battery pack so easily.
Pro Dual wheel drive
The motor is housed inside both of the back wheels. This gives the board much more power on inclines as well as stability while turning or shifting weight on the board.
Pro Accessories available within 2 weeks
All accessories (chargers, batteries, wheels, remotes) are ready for purchase on the Inboard website and ship out within 2 weeks.
Pro Can be controlled using your iPhone
The Inboard iOS app allows you to control your board with a smartphone, so there's no need to carry the remote around. There's an Android version as well, but it's still behind in terms of development. Currently, you can only use it for firmware updates.
Pro Battery charges quickly
A full charge takes about 90 minutes and lasts for 10 miles. This is good for those that commute less than 10 miles as they can charge quickly at work and still use the board by lunch.
Pro Comes with a travel bag
The Inboard comes with a travel bag (it is packaged inside of it for shipping). A lot of other companies offer bags that cost up to $100.
Pro You can carry it around fairly comfortably
At 14 lbs, M1 is lighter than the Boosted but heavier than the Marbel. While not the lightest board out there, it is still manageable if you need to carry it around.
Pro Maintenance-free hub motors
The hub motors mean that there are no belts to replace. Saves you money, time, and frustration in the long run. There are also no skid plates to replace.
Pro It has a good battery life
The range is up to 10 miles. Although this is not as good as Zboard 2, it is better than Boosted, which is around 7 to 8 miles. Still, it is quite a bit less than Marbel's 16-mile range. But with the option to swap in a spare battery to double your range to a full 20 miles, Inboard really stands out from the crowd.
Pro Release of new software every 4-5 month
Last software update was a 40% increase in torque. It made a huge difference and they will have more updates like that.
Pro Good for carving
The board has a wide truck system and a flexible wooden deck which makes it great for carving.
Pro One of the best options for experienced riders
This is easily one of the top performing boards in terms of power and speed on the market right now. Naturally, it takes some skill and experience to ride. It has a huge max range - 31 miles, while the vast majority of alternatives don't go farther than 14. It can go as fast as 26 MPH, which for most people is too fast to be comfortable. It beats most competitors at climbing hills as well with 25% hill grade, compared to the usual 20%.
Pro It's great for long-distance rides
On just one charge you can go anywhere from 18 to 30 miles, depending on the terrain, your weight, and other factors. A typical electric skateboard can only go around 10 miles before requiring charging. The wooden-bamboo deck makes long rides more comfortable by absorbing impact from various bumps on the road that can cause strain in your legs.
Pro You can ride it both on the city streets and off-road
The GTX Bamboo 2in1 has two sets of wheels - one for riding in the city and a larger set that can get you through rough terrain. If you don't want to pay for both, you can alternatively get either the Street or All-Terrain versions of the board.
Cons
Con Battery range less than 5 miles
If you are over 200 lbs, expect to get less then a 5-mile range, not the 10-mile range as advertised.
Con Low torque
One downside to using a hub drive motor over a belt driven board is that the hub drive offers less torque for things like going up hills and may not have enough power for very large riders.
Con Bankrupt
The company has gone bankrupt, and no longer provides suport.
Con It’s a brand new company with no track record
The company does not have much experience in this market and has already begun to experience delays due to manufacturing. As with all startups, there’s the potential that the company will not exist in a year’s time, rendering warranties useless. Much of the technology is new and unproven.
Con Rather heavy
The M1 production board ended up being heavier than expected.
Con It's very expensive
Even among premium options, this board is one of the most expensive ones. Before committing such a large sum, one should carefully consider if he truly needs such a powerful board, or would a cheaper but still a very well-performing option, such as Boosted or Inboard, do the trick.
Con The weight capacity is quite limited
This board can carry weight up to 220 lbs, while many high-end boards have a max load of 250+ lbs.
Con It takes an experienced rider to use it
The GTX 2in1 is not the best option if you're only starting to explore electric skateboards. It's not only very expensive but also powerful and fast, which means riding it can be dangerous if you're not experienced enough.
Con Its NOT waterproof
All though with street wheels its a hard to ride it wet conditions anyways, the ATs are fine.