BMC Roadmachine AMP One first ride review

BMC’s new electric road bike, the Roadmachine AMP, is a motorised endurance bike that feels very familiar due to its similarities to the non-assisted BMC Roadmachine X One I reviewed for our 2022 Bike of the Year test.

The new electric bike is modelled on the long-standing – and very popular – Roadmachine endurance bike, and, in many respects, that is reflected in the ride.

Head to my news story on the BMC Roadmachine AMP launch for all the tech details. Here, I'm going to focus on my first impressions from a ride on the mountainous roads of the Tour de Suisse stage three.

BMC Roadmachine AMP geometry

The bike’s handling is superbly balanced, with its slightly relaxed head angle of 71 degrees bringing a stability to the steering, especially with the 63mm trail on the fork.

The trail figure is derived from a combination of the head tube angle and the fork offset. A small measure of trail makes for a fast-handling bike; more trail slows down the steering response. The new bike's 63mm is very much at the relaxed end of things, even for an endurance bike. It’s a figure I’d usually expect to find on a gravel bike.

However, it’s paired with a steep 74.2-degree seat angle, which puts you square over the cranks, helping to get your power driving you forward with efficiency.

This all adds up to a bike that’s great to climb on and carves through steep, twisting road descents with consummate ease.

BMC Roadmachine AMP ride impressions

I tested the new Roadmachine AMP, featuring Mahle’s new lighter, more compact X20 motor system, riding the toughest parts of this year’s Tour de Suisse third stage.

The stage included a trio of climbs that helped get to the heart of the Roadmachine’s ride feel and performance.

I was surprised by how much the AMP felt like a non-assisted bike. On paper, the weight of more than 11kg seems heavy, but it doesn’t feel it on the road and, with the weight of the ebike components sitting low down, the AMP is supremely balanced.

Mahle has certainly improved the motor control over the older X35 hub, and despite its more compact dimensions, the X20 feels somewhat punchier in every setting.

The way in which the power feeds in better matches your inputs, thanks to the clever combination of cadence and power measurement from the new bottom bracket.

The inclusion of Bluetooth in the Mahle system meant I could connect it to my Garmin Edge 1030 head unit easily, using the touchscreen to control the motor and select power modes.

It's certainly preferable to the simple top-tube mounted control, where you need to scroll through the modes.

What's really impressive is just how smoothly the system is integrated into the Roadmachine silhouette.

The diameter of the down tube is barely discernibly bigger than the non-assisted bike. The controller integrated into the top tube is a new, more subtle design than the previous iWoc button.

Where things have improved massively is with the motor itself. The dimensions are markedly smaller, meaning it was almost hidden behind the 160mm disc rotor and 10-36 cassette of my Force-AXS equipped bike.

Range-wise, the AMP certainly impressed. After 58.26miles / 93.76km with 6,657ft / 2,029m of elevation, the bike had just over 40 per cent left in its 350Wh battery.

That’s an impressive distance and I’m keen to find out just how much further the Roadmachine AMP’s range can be pushed when I eventually get a bike for a full test.

The AMP comes with a slick build, and the SRAM Force AXS groupset performed its shifting and braking duties with precision.

The braking is excellent and full of feel – perfect for keeping momentum on long descents and scrubbing just enough speed to hit the perfect line on every corner.

The contact points are excellent too, and I like the BMC handlebar’s shape. The combination of the high-quality carbon seatpost, Fizik saddle and the Roadmachine’s smooth-riding frame and fork is endurance-bike gold.

The Vittoria tyres roll well enough and grip superbly through fast corners. However, the Rubino Pro isn’t the Italian tyre brand's top offering and on a bike that retails at £7,600 I would expect nothing less than a top-line pair of the best road bike tyres.

BMC Roadmachine AMP bottom line

I’m hugely impressed with the Roadmachine AMP. It isn’t that much heavier than the headline-grabbing lightweight electric road offerings over the last couple of years, but it has a significantly larger battery, which should make for a far greater range.

The ride is very good and the bike feels so natural that you’ll only ever need the assistance when the going gets steep and long.

Plus, once you’ve crested a climb, the AMP has the handling chops and ride quality to make it the highlight of your ride.