BMC URS ONE APEX
The BMC URS One wowed us with its brilliant blend of off-road enjoyment and capability while being efficient enough to undertake long-distance adventures. A slacker head angle and a stubbier stem are both borrowed from BMC's mountain bike lineup. These statistics are a long way off from what you'd find on a new MTB, but for gravel, they're actually fairly advanced. This, paired with the short 425mm chainstays, results in a bike that can be sped around bends while being stable on descents.
Despite this, this isn't a monster-cross, but rather an MTB with drop bars. It finished the South Downs Way, a tough one-hundred-mile gravel track in the South East of England, with the efficiency you'd expect from a gravel bike. It's not completely kitted out with mounts - they wouldn't choose it for bikepacking adventures lasting weeks rather than days – but it's a thrill to ride on those shorter, local rides that make up the majority of time on bikes.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Frame : URS Premium Carbon with Micro Travel Technology
- Fork: URS 01 Premium Carbon
- Groupset: SRAM APEX 1 HRD // 40x11-42t
- Wheels: DT Swiss C1850 Spline
- Tyres : WTB Raddler, 40mm (Max clearance: 700x45c)
- Weight: 9.58kg
REASONS TO BUY
- Sorted geometry is a blast on the trails
- Still efficient for longer distance rides
REASONS TO AVOID
- Stock gearing is a little steep for bikepacking
- Lack of mounts on fork for extra carrying capacity
Website: bmc-switzerland.com/intl_en/catalog/product/view/_ignore_category/1/id/15177/s/urs-one/
