BMC has launched its updated URS gravel bike, with a greater focus on adventure riding compared to the previous generation.
I was invited out to the Swiss Jura mountain region to get hands-on with the new platform, and put the new models to an early test.
The URS is split into four iterations – the standard rigid URS, the range-topping URS 01, the URS 01 LT, and the URS AMP LT ebike.
In the interest of offering a snapshot into the capabilities of the new bikes (ahead of full reviews), I’m giving my impressions of the three options I tried.
I found the URS platform to be incredibly capable on the rougher terrain it’s designed for, but I’m unsure if BMC hasn’t made the range unnecessarily complicated for the typical gravel adventurer.
BMC URS highlights
- Mountain bike-inspired geometry
- Four URS platforms
- Ride-smoothing MicroTravel Technology (MTT) in URS 01, URS 01 LT and URS AMP LT
- MTT stem features RedShift ShockStop suspension tech
- MTT seat stay design refined with re-oriented compression cylinders
- MTT fork provides 20mm of travel, but can’t be paired with the stem
- Cheapest URS Three costs $3,799 / €3,799
- Top-tier URS 01 One costs $11,999 / €11,999
The BMC URS range – is it overcomplicated?
It doesn’t matter which BMC URS you happen to be looking at: it’s tough to tell them apart at a glance.
The geometry of the frames is practically identical across the whole range, which BMC claims it wanted to preserve to keep the handling characteristics consistent.
The short stems and long frame reach give the bikes a somewhat burly appearance, while the 44mm-wide WTB Raddler tyres fitted across the whole range have a prominent tread pattern for grip on rough and rocky terrain – no slick centres here.
A more detailed look at each reveals nuances.
The rigid-framed URS lacks the MTT suspension tech of the rest of the bikes.
That said, with the 44mm-wide tyres running at around 30 PSI / 2 BAR (I weigh 82kg), this is likely to have the greatest influence on compliance and grip.
The URS 01 includes the MTT suspension stem and seat stays. Finally, the URS 01 LT swaps the stem for a suspension fork.
Both systems offer 20mm of travel.
Etienne Goy, the engineer responsible for the latest URS, revealed the stem is primarily designed to offer increased control. Increased comfort is a secondary (albeit important) benefit, in BMC’s eyes.
Meanwhile, the URS 01 LT’s suspension fork is said to promote comfort above all else, but in doing so it improves ride control and confidence.
You can’t have the stem and suspension fork together, though. This is because the fork has a 1-¼-inch steerer, while the stem can only accommodate the rigid fork’s 1-⅛-inch steerer.
It feels a shame to me that this is the case – given many aftermarket gravel suspension forks provide around 40mm of travel, combining the two could have been BMC’s ticket to delivering an ultra-plush front end, while still offering the setup flexibility of both systems.
The open question, then, is: “If I can’t have both, which is best?”
Sadly, I can’t offer a definitive answer to that specific question here – not in the space of 100km of riding split across three of the bikes, on unfamiliar and often-technical terrain which – at times – frightened the life out of me.
BMC URS range first ride impressions
BMC URS Two
Riding the rigid URS Two first, it was clear the URS gravel bike platform is incredibly capable when the terrain gets tough.
The geometry, which has a noticeably slack head tube and long front centre (the distance between the bottom bracket and front wheel axle), results in a very stable ride quality.
I was unperturbed by loose shingle roads and potholed farm tracks. I felt like the bike would track easily in the direction I chose.
The excellent tyres offered a great deal of comfort, grip and control, and appear to be a good match for the bike’s gnarlier intentions – that BMC sticks with the same tyre across the entire range, speaks volumes here.
I opted to use slightly lower tyre pressures than on the suspended bikes, but while a little spongier-feeling, this paid dividends when I wanted grip on climbs and over rocks.
On washboard rocky surfaces ridden at speed, I felt an understandable level of vibration through the bike, but never felt overly jarred or out of control.
The relatively undamped sensations through the bar meant the bike was a little faster (and easier) to handle when I needed to react to what was coming ahead of me on the trails, but I felt a little more fatigue come the ride’s end.
BMC URS 01 One & BMC URS AMP LT
The URS 01 One and URS AMP LT enabled me to sample both styles of front-end suspension BMC offers, in addition to the MTT seat stay design.
There are subtle but perceptible differences, but I wonder if someone would ever know the difference if they weren’t extensively testing them back-to-back.
With the MTT stem-fitted URS 01 One, the handlebar moves in a slight arc through its 20mm travel. I rode it in BMC’s stock medium setting.
This gave me the impression that the handlebar would move independently of the bike. This is compared to the AMP LT’s fork, which offers a more conventional telescopic range of movement.
The stem makes the handlebar feel a little disconnected from the rest of the bike – although I can see how someone with even more off-road riding confidence than myself might view this isolating sensation as a positive.
I personally preferred the ride quality of the fork, which helped the cockpit feel more stable, but still delivered welcome comfort when encountering bigger hits.
The ability to lock it out via the top cap dial was also a bonus, especially on the few tarmac sections I encountered.
Both systems smooth the ride over the bumpiest terrain, reducing fatigue.
Both bikes also feature the MTT seat stay design, which smoothed seated riding.
The added suspension systems make the bike less taxing to ride, although I suspect it saps some pedalling efficiency.
I occasionally bobbed a little on the saddle as I scaled steep gravelly inclines – a sensation I didn’t feel when riding the rigid frame.
However, I was using the medium-density elastomer, which comes as standard on a size large frame. A firmer unit may be more to my liking, but I’d have to buy it at further expense.
BMC URS range bottom line
The BMC URS is a confidence-inspiring gravel bike geared towards the adventure end of the gravel scale.
The handling is agile enough to respond to the demands of the trail when ridden quickly, but it feels stable when leisurely passing through the terrain – I suspect the latter is what most URS riders will tend to do.
At this early juncture, I wonder if BMC has missed a trick in not making the MTT stem and fork mutually compatible. In doing so, it could have made a gravel bike one stop shy of a mountain bike, with all the comfort benefits therein.
I’m also unsure if BMC hasn’t overcomplicated the range for many buyers. There are too many subtle differences between the URS 01 and URS 01 LT’s ride characteristics, but both are very capable of doing largely the same thing.
Naturally, testing will reveal more, but there’s plenty of promise here.
