We picked up BMC (Bicycle Manufacturing Company) because we had to have a balance between mountain and road. We were excited to offer Yeti cycles as they are extremely progressive, but we realized we were lacking the ability to offer the ultimate gravel and road experience. BMC is a Swiss company which should tell you they make quality products. With a strong road heritage, BMC excels in not only perfect geometry but also beautiful frame designs. Even those who might not be obsessed with frame design can appreciate how the BMC bikes look. Whether you love spending time on the road or want to get into bike packing, BMC has the perfect frame for you.
While ultimately the athlete dictates how enjoyable a bike feels, a well-designed frame can make a difference for a rider of any level. Riding bicycles can be very mechanical as the human body conforms to the fit position of the bike. Because of this, it is really important that the bicycle has good geometry for all the riders to properly manipulate the bike for its intended purpose. Just like how riding a downhill bike on cross country trails feels awkward and inefficient, riding an improper road bike has the same effect. BMC has done an excellent job of creating bikes that excel in their respective categories.
The URS (UnReStricted) is a great adventure gravel bike. The URS has a strong mountain bike heritage as it is the child of the TeamElite01, one of the best riding hard-tails ever made. With a built-in elastomer that gives the bike 10 millimeters of rear travel, the URS is a very playful and fast bicycle. The elastomer allows the rider to load their weight on the rear wheel and then push forward making a “J hop style” bunny hop much easier. The elastomer makes the URS faster as the rear wheel gets caught up on bumps and after getting out of the way of trail obstructions actually work to push the bike forward. This feature might seem gimmicky but actually works really well. I personally rode a BMC TeamElite01 (that has the same technology as the URS) at Leadville and came in 16th place. I found the elastomer really improves the ride quality on the washboard gravel and other generally unpleasant terrains.
For those who are not interested in adventure style gravel riding and want a more traditional gravel bike, the RoadMachine is a great option. The RoadMachine offers great gravel geometry aimed at those interested in gravel racing and Fondo style events. With a frame designed to absorb bumps and other chatter, a rider will have great power transfer without having to sacrifice comfort. While we don’t have all the information on the carbon layup of the TeamMachine, you can easily see how the RoadMachine frame has been designed to absorb the chunky gravel road sections. The RoadMachine can take tires that measure up to 34 millimeters.
For those that love road riding the TeamMachine will provide all, you have ever wanted. The pure road bike style geometry will position you perfectly for racing or just fast riding. While some people try to use their gravel or cross bike as a road bike, those who know the feeling of a pure road bike can understand the importance of a TeamMachine.
BMC makes a handful of other bicycles that seem to keep pushing the limits of cycling. Recently one of the BMC mountain bikes won a world championship cross country race.