Maxfind has been round since 2015, based by two former highschool college students in China. They’ve a concentrate on economic system, with cheap choices marketed in each the entry-level and mid-tier ranges. The FF Avenue board is a part of their “Excessive Efficiency” sequence, accompanied by the Maxfind FF All-Terrain which sits up excessive on non-pneumatic 165mm tires. The design of the board is minimalist and exquisite, with nice floor clearance and a sporty aesthetic. Even on CloudWheels, this board sits excessive above the pavement because of the glossy design and built-in battery pack. The specs of this board look promising and the value is sweet, however does it carry out as marketed?
The Trip
The FF Avenue performs very effectively for its class, with robust acceleration made clean by the Hobbywing FOC ESC. The deck may be very versatile and does loads to enhance the using expertise. The inventory FF Avenue wheels felt good and paired with the forgiving deck my city commutes had been fairly comfy.
The graceful acceleration, comfy journey, and predictable braking make for a relaxed journey, nice for cruising round city or by means of some parks. This board is effectively suited to a wide range of city surfaces, and I discover transitioning from avenue to sidewalk may be very straightforward. I’ve a a lot stiffer board I take advantage of for lengthy commutes, and whereas it has no bother climbing a ledge, you’ll really feel it taking place. The Maxfind FF does a pleasant job balancing consolation with functionality.
The Cloudwheel Impact
Paired with a set of Cloudwheels, the FF will get even cushier. The Cloudwheels crawl over sticks and stones, absorbing vibration and spreading out impacts alongside the way in which. I personally love the look of those wheels on a board, and the pink set paired with the black FF appears to be like vicious.
That stated, I don’t know if I’d name them a needed addition to the FF. The FF struggles with vary (extra on that later) and massive knobby tires and off-roading make the state of affairs worse. The FF shines as a light-weight commuter, a grab-and-go board that may be able to journey in half-hour if want be. Whereas Cloudwheels are a product I typically suggest, I typically reserve that recommendation for boards with sufficient torque and battery capability to assist and benefit from the Cloudwheel’s capabilities.
Accelerating and Braking
The FF Avenue affords clean, regular acceleration with twin 750w motors that high out quick, and the braking is excellent. I really admire how clean the brakes are on this factor, and I’ve by no means discovered myself involved I wouldn’t make the cease in time. I can even report that the hill-climbing capabilities haven’t let me down, and I’ve been capable of high each hill in my midwestern city, verifying the marketed 30% incline capabilities.
Prime Pace
The FF Avenue advertises a high velocity of 25mph, and I reached that velocity (5’10” 175lbs). The board performs effectively at its highest speeds, and I didn’t expertise wobbles. I used to be happy to search out that quick acceleration down a hill was comparatively secure as effectively, though the board is so gentle that it begins to really feel unreasonable! My major board weighs not less than 5 lbs greater than the FF, and I discover it. The FF is fast, nimble, and enjoyable to journey.
Vary
Herein lies the issue. The FF sequence boasts in regards to the fast-swap batteries they’ve, and I do admire this perform. When executed effectively, this setup can lengthen your journey indefinitely, permitting you to hold a battery with you or preserve one charged at an everyday vacation spot. When executed effectively, a board with an already spectacular vary can carry a rider actually a whole bunch of miles if they need, however the FF doesn’t present a very good vary to begin with.
I can solely communicate to the efficiency of their most Customary Vary battery providing, however the outcomes have been a bit disappointing. However please remember the fact that the vary varies vastly relying on components like, riders weight, using type, kind of terrain, outdoors temperature, wind. As for my check circumstances: I’m 5’10” 165lbs and the vary assessments had been constant over hilly terrain with 65 levels Fahrenheit (18 levels celsius). My using type is casually aggressive, staying close to or at movie throttle and carving the place it’s secure to lean in. My testing takes place over an city terrain of paved path, roads and parking heaps with hills as much as a 30 diploma incline.
The marketed vary is 21 miles, and I’m not capable of milk 7 out of it earlier than a recharge. Once more, remember the fact that I’m a rider with some expertise with eskates and don’t spare them in my vary assessments. However nonetheless, the vary was disappointing for me. That stated, you might be studying an article that has made you conscious of this concern, so now you’ll be able to determine whether or not it’s a very good match for you, absolutely knowledgeable!
Weight & Portability
The FF is the simplest full-size board I’ve needed to carry. The nostril incorporates a deal with, and the hub motors lend themselves to being rolled and there’s loads of clearance for the tail. Whereas we don’t purchase our boards to take them for walks, the FF’s vary might depart you hoofing it every now and then. Luckily, it’s light-weight and simple to tug alongside behind you!
Construct High quality
The Maxfind FF was constructed effectively, and the {hardware} is stable. The built-in battery enclosure within the deck may be very effectively executed, and permits for a freakishly skinny board…a civilian may very well be forgiven for considering this board was handbook at first look. The facility button is sweet, the charging port is okay, and the deck may be very effectively made. The grip on the deck is rubberized, which I a lot want over the sandpaper grit type. The battery enclosure closes snugly, however I don’t see a lot effort in the direction of waterproofing. General, the {hardware} high quality and construct appear beneficiant for the value you pay for the board.
The Battery
There are three battery sizes out there for the FF, and they’re interchangeable after the actual fact. The usual dimension is a Samsung 2.2AH allegedly offering 21 miles of vary, whereas two bigger fashions present 42 and 64, respectively. As mentioned earlier, the Customary Vary battery was offering us 33% of the marketed vary in our check and therefore we predict that the opposite fashions won’t outperform. Whereas the batteries will be swapped, technically permitting for limitless vary, I’d quite have an enormous fats 35+ mile battery strapped onto the underside as an alternative of carrying round 5 smaller batteries to go the identical distance.
Vehicles and Bushings
For the needs of this board, I’ve no concern with the vehicles and bushings. New bushings are most likely all the time going to enhance the journey a bit if you begin with a inventory Chinese language board, however I feel the functions of the FF don’t necessitate it. That is actually a mid-range cruiser, the type that may roll over some tough pavement however desires again on the sleek cement as quickly as you’ll be able to handle. There may be sufficient give and management for some carving, however this board doesn’t name for any theatrics. Some boards on this value vary appear to have aspirations of being $1200 boards, so that they pair large motors with horrible {hardware}…the FF looks like it was purpose-built for the tier it sits in, and that’s good.
Wheel Choices
The Maxfind FF likes to put on many footwear, and so they all look good. I examined the inventory FF Avenue wheels in addition to the Cloudwheel providing, and they’re each nice. There are all-terrain wheels out there as effectively, and the board is reviewed carrying these right here https://e-skateboarder.com/maxfind-ff-plus/. It’s nice that hub-based boards are getting extra choices today, was once solely belters and direct-drive who received to play dress-up!
Waterproofing
There doesn’t look like any efforts to waterproof this board, and the battery enclosure on the highest of the deck almost ensures a submersion or heavy rain will kill this board. Our recommendation is to go away this one inside if there’s any likelihood of rain, this isn’t a type of boards that “is perhaps okay”.
Delivery Time
Wonderful transport time in the US, inside per week. Marketed transport occasions as of this writing are: United States: Arrives 3-5 Days, Europe: Arrives 4-7 Days, Canada: Arrives 5-7 Days, Australia: Arrives 7-15 Days. Maxfind has warehouse storage across the globe, so it’s possible there’s a board sitting on a shelf shut by ready to be shipped to you.
Buyer Service
Maxfind has a sketchy historical past with customer support. Don’t count on the sort of customer support you would possibly get from an American or European firm, Maxfind, and their friends are typically gross sales quantity alone, not particular person buyer satisfaction.
Worth and Rivals
The board is priced effectively, particularly with the fixed gross sales. Rivals embody Backfire and Meepo, each with stable choices at good costs. Backfire provides you with most likely a greater customer support. Meepo provides you with extra correct specs as effectively, however their customer support might not be significantly better than Maxfind’s.
The bottom clearance and the attractive design are good arguments for the FF, however the swappable battery is difficult to even name a plus because it’s addressing a spread downside the board shouldn’t have, even perhaps inflicting it. Is a swappable 7-mile battery a very good factor? This may necessitate the acquisition of extra batteries for a lot of, which proper now would value you $200 for 2 extra batteries simply to succeed in the marketed vary of 1. Fairly fast and we’re speaking about spending $1000.
The FF does really feel like it is going to final, and the elements can be found. If you’re an off-the-cuff rider or a newbie who doesn’t need to improve after their first season, this can be a very good match. 7 miles is approach under-advertised, however it interprets to about 45 minutes of fine using…for a lot of, that’s sufficient.
Presently Really helpful Upgrades
I might recommend not less than one additional battery, whatever the mannequin you purchase. In the event you aren’t shopping for this board not less than partly for the battery swapping, I don’t assume it’s a very good purchase. There are various options that provide a greater vary in a built-in battery in the identical value/spec vary. Apart from the battery, this board doesn’t require any upgrades that I might recommend, I feel this board is best-left inventory and loved as it’s.
Closing Ideas
The Maxfind FF is a ravishing board with a superb ride-feel, good management, and a really manageable design. It’s a pleasure to cruise on, navigating many kinds of city pavement with ease and absorbing the impacts alongside the way in which. This leaves your ft and knees out there for a for much longer journey however alas, the vary. This board paired with one additional battery will make it greater than appropriate for commuting fewer than 5 miles a method, or cruising for 90 minutes. Whereas fanatics will gawk at this, the reality is most rides for many riders final lower than an hour. This board can carry you that far and look nice doing it. You probably have been eying the Maxfind model, the FF Avenue is an effective entry. You probably have been weighing your choices and vary is one thing you can not transfer on, contemplate the brief mileage per battery and the burden of these in your bag earlier than calling the swap system a “full answer”.
Value Mentioning: The Maxfind FF Belt
The most important flaw of the FF is its battery, FF Belt comes with a much bigger one. Outfitted with twin 1500 watt motors, the FF Belt debuts as essentially the most highly effective on this line of boards. Driving up 35% inclines (+5% over FF Avenue) and topping out at an marketed 28mph (+3mph), this board appears to be like to be a contender on this value vary. The motor specs and the efficiency of the FF Avenue have me optimistic in regards to the efficiency of the Belt iteration, though the facility necessities of belt drives are regarding. In our testing, the FF Avenue struggled to hold a rider 8 miles, and this drive system might be much more taxing on the battery pack. Belt drive programs additionally add appreciable weight – at 31lbs the FF Belt is a behemoth, and a full 11 kilos heavier than the hub-driven variant. The fast-swap batteries are nonetheless in play on this mannequin, and the deck composition is similar “Tremendous Flex” mix featured on the entire FF lineup. The board is itemizing on the time of this writing for $899, a full $100 over the hub mannequin. The FF Belt has a bigger 12S3P base mannequin battery in comparison with the 10S2P within the Avenue mannequin, however it stays to be seen if the marketed vary of 25 miles will be attained in real-world using. If it comes shut, the fast-swap battery system would possibly turn out to be related, and at that value, it could be a contender within the mid-tier vary.
