The BMC GranFondo RBX debuted at Paris-Roubaix - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Greg Van Avermaet took third at Paris-Roubiax on the BMC GranFondo RBX - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Tire clearance went from 1mm to well over 1cm on the new RBX, thanks to a new fork, new caliper position and long-reach calipers - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Rear clearance is also greatly improved - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
The RBX's predecessor, the GF01, can barely fit a 28mm tire - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
BMC employs non-seires direct-mount brakes to get the job done - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Side clearance is spacious - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
And clearance over the top of the tire is ample, too - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
The RBX has plugs for unused ports (BMC uses DI2) - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
Van Avermaet ran a single bar-top brake lever, plus a Di2 climbing switch - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
The RBX has a swept-forward fork, which you can find on the stock GranFondo models, but not many of the team's GF01 race bikes - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
The RBX has endurance geometry (Read: tall head tubes) - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
The GF01 is the RBX's predecessor. Note the straight forks on the team bikes - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
You can still find a few original forks in the team's GF01 fleet - Ben Delaney / Immediate Media
BMC’s Greg Van Avermaet took third at Paris-Roubaix Sunday aboard a new made-in-Switzerland BMC machine, the GranFondo RBX. The bike is basically the GranFondo GF01, but with increased clearance at the fork, stays and brake calipers for the wider tires required for riding cobblestones.
Greg van avermaet took third at paris-roubiax on the bmc granfondo rbx:
Greg Van Avermaet took third at Paris-Roubiax on the BMC GranFondo RBX
Last year, the team rode the GF01, and barely had room to fit 28mm. “We had perhaps 1mm of clearance,” said BMC CEO David Zurcher “Now the RBX can fit a 30mm no problem.”
Tire clearance went from 1mm to well over 1cm on the new rbx, thanks to a new fork, new caliper position and long-reach calipers:
Tire clearance went from 1mm to well over 1cm on the new RBX, thanks to a new fork, new caliper position and long-reach calipers
BMC moved the brake caliper mount up a little on the frameset, and used a non-series, long-reach caliper for plenty of clearance all around.
The geometry and the lay-up is otherwise identical to the GF01 endurance bike, with a longer wheelbase and taller head tube than BMC’s TeamMachine race bike.
The GranFondo RBX bikes were manufactured in Switzerland and, in compliance with UCI regulations, will be available for sale in “very, very limited” quantities, Zurcher said. “You will be able to buy a replica that is very close to the team bike, with the same paint job, but with clinchers instead of tubulars,” Zurcher said.
Paris-Roubaix was the first race outing for the RBX, but BMC riders had been training on the bikes at home in the weeks before.
Ben Delaney is a journalist with more than two decades of experience writing for and editing some of the biggest publications in cycling. Having studied journalism at the University of New Mexico, Ben has worked for Bicycle Retailer & Industry News, VeloNews and BikeRadar. He has also previously worked as Global Brand Communications Manager for Specialized. Ben covers all things road and gravel, and can be found logging big miles in the Rocky Mountains that nestle alongside his home in Boulder, Colorado. He has covered the most important bike races in the sport, from the Tour de France and Tour of Flanders, to the Unbound gravel race, and specialises in tech content, showcasing what the pros are riding and putting everyday equipment through its paces.
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