Announced earlier this week, the new BMC URS has a few interesting features designed to add comfort and capability to gravel exploration. Here’s a quick look at some of the technology and the four different builds available…
Best recognized for their massive range of road bikes, BMC recently introduced an interesting new option into their smaller line of gravel specific bikes. The BMC URS is an endurance gravel bike with an impressive collection of features designed to help riders go farther, faster, and more comfortably. Designed with insight from Maxime Barat – a two time Transcontinental finisher and third place at the 2018 French Divide – the URS has been tested on terrain better suited for a bike with big knobby tires.
The URS features what BMC is calling Gravel+ geometry. This translates to a long front-end, long wheelbase, and a 70° head-tube angle to create a stable but aggressive platform suited for “the far reaches of modern gravel riding.” Based on the URS’s sizing (S,M,L,XL) and the geometrical progression, BMC definitely took a lot of cues from mountain bike trends. How does Gravel+ stack up to other new gravel bikes? When compared with the latest Salsa Warbird (size 57.5cm), the size large URS has a 30mm longer wheelbase, a 0.75-degree slacker head angle, a 16mm longer toptube, and a 1-degree steeper seat tube.
What’s going on with that funky looking join at the seat tube and seat stay? BMC’s Micro Travel Technology (MTT) provides 10mm of suspension to take the edge off of long rides over challenging terrain. MTT uses pivotless rear triangle and an elastomer.
Other frame features include ICS (Integrated Cockpit System) which routes cables through the lower part of the stem and headtube (see photo below-left) to keep cables and housing out of sight. The URS frame also features a pair of top tube mounts, dynamo routing in the fork, and an additional bottle mount under the downtube.
The URS is available in four different builds: URS ONE, URS TWO, URS THREE, and URS FOUR. All based around the same high quality carbon frame and fork, a press-fit bottom bracket, 42mm WTB Resolute tires, and all but the URS FOUR feature the integrated cockpit mentioned above. Here’s a quick breakdown on the different models available…
BMC URS ONE
- $9,499 USD
- Premium Carbon chassis with MTT Technology and D-Shape Carbon seatpost, ICS technology stem
- SRAM XX1 EAGLE AXS (10-50T), Electronic Shifting
- SRAM RED ETAP AXS HRD Brakes, Centerline X Rotors (180/160)
- DT SWISS GRC 1400 Wheelset, Tubeless Ready
BMC URS TWO
- $6,499 USD
- Premium Carbon chassis with MTT Technology and D-Shape Carbon seatpost, ICS technology stem
- Shimano GRX Di2 Drivetrain (11-42T), Electronic Shifting
- GRX RX810 Brakes, RT-MT800 Rotors (180/160)
- DT SWISS GR 1600 SPLINE db 25 Wheelset, Tubeless Ready
BMC URS THREE
- $4,299 USD
- Premium Carbon chassis with MTT Technology and D-Shape Carbon seatpost, ICS technology stem
- Shimano GRX Drivetrain (11-42T)
- GRX RX400 Brakes, RT64 Rotors (180/160)
- Mavic Allroad Disc Wheelset, UST Tubeless Ready
BMC URS FOUR
- $3,299 USD
- Premium Carbon chassis with MTT Technology and D-Shape Carbon seatpost
- SRAM Apex 1 Drivetrain (11-42T)
- SRAM Apex 1 HRD Brakes (180/160)
- DT SWISS C1850 SPLINE db 23 Wheelset, Tubeless Ready
For more details on each of the models, head over to BMC-Switzerland.com.
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