BMC has released new versions of its URS gravel bike. Signifying Unrestricted, the URS is the Swiss brand’s go-anywhere gravel bike and sits alongside its Kaius gravel race bike.
Borrowing from the late former US defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld, BMC reckons it’s the bike for known knowns, known unknowns and unknown unknowns.
There are actually four flavours of the new URS: the standard URS without suspension, the URS 01 which adds a suspension stem, the URS 01 LT with a suspension fork and the URS LT AMP. The last of these is an electric gravel bike powered by the compact TQ-HPR50 mid-mounted electric motor.
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Prices range from €3,799 up to €11,999, or the same numbers in US dollars. UK prices haven’t been announced.
Down tube storage and more tyre clearance
BMC has fine-tuned the previous generation URS’s geometry and carbon layup in the new bikes, as well as increasing tyre clearance for more off-road grunt.
As is common with gravel bikes, the geometry borrows from mountain bikes, with a longer reach paired with a shorter stem for responsive handling.
There’s a slack 69.5 degree head tube angle and lower bottom bracket for stability on steep descents. Chainstay length has also been increased by 5mm to 430mm and the seat tube angle increased slightly, again increasing stability.
The D-shaped seatpost is designed to add compliance and is a feature of much of BMC’s bike range, on road as well as off. It can be swapped out for a dropper post, should you wish.
There’s also a new down tube storage compartment complete with bag, another must-have on newer gravel, all-road and endurance bike frame designs. It’s paired with a full set of bottle, luggage, rack and mudguard mounts, including fork leg bosses.
The new URS has tyre clearance of 47mm WAM (width as measured), up from 42mm for the previous model, and all models are fitted with 44mm WTB tyres.
It uses the SRAM UDH rear derailleur hanger standard, making it easier to find a replacement and ensuring backward compatibility with all standard derailleurs.
It also opens up the option to fit SRAM’s latest Red XPLR AXS Full Mount 1×13-speed groupset, although all specs of the URS are equipped with either a SRAM Apex 1×12-speed groupset or a SRAM mullet build using an Eagle Transmission 1×12-speed MTB rear derailleur.
BMC protects your investment with bash guards on the chainstay and fork dropouts and, in some models, on the down tube to avoid damage from rock strikes.
It has also increased the range of sizes available from four on the previous model to five.
The standard URS is available as the URS Two with a SRAM Apex XPLR AXS / SRAM X1 Eagle AXS mullet drivetrain and DT Swiss G1800 Spline alloy wheels, priced at €4,499.
There’s also a URS Three spec, with SRAM Apex 1 / SRAM Apex Eagle mechanical and DT Swiss G1800 Spline wheels, priced at €3,799.
URS 01 adds suspension
BMC adds rear suspension to the URS 01, with minimal extra weight, thanks to what it calls MicroTravel Technology, or MTT, which adds an elastomer damper in the seatstays, an update to that seen in some models of the previous URS. Riders can swap between damper densities to fine-tune the ride qualities and the frame end of the suspension unit incorporates a cargo strap.
At the front, the URS 01 uses the ICS MTT stem, which is based on the Redshift ShockStop stem and provides up to 20mm of travel, which can be tuned by swapping elastomer blocks, as well as concealed cable routing. It’s also found on the BMC Roadmachine X and was available on some previous model URS specs.
The URS 01 range with suspension headlines with the URS 01 One, which is equipped with a SRAM Red XPLR AXS / SRAM XX SL Eagle Transmission drivetrain and Zipp 101 XPLR wheels and is priced at €11,999.
The URS 01 Three has a SRAM Force XPLR AXS / SRAM X0 Eagle Transmission mullet and BMC CRD-400 carbon wheels and costs €8,499.
The URS 01 Four is equipped with SRAM Rival XPLR AXS / SRAM GX Eagle Transmission and DT Swiss G1800 Spline alloy wheels and is priced at €5,999.
In-ride tuneable suspension with the URS 01 LT
There’s another suspension offer on the URS 01 LT, which has an MTT suspension fork in place of the ICS MTT stem. This provides 20mm of front-end suspension tuneable while riding via a dial on the top cap. The system requires external hose runs, rather than the MTT stem's concealed hoses. The fork again includes luggage mounts.
The URS 01 LT One has a SRAM Force XPLR AXS / SRAM X0 Eagle Transmission mullet build with BMC CRD-400 wheels and retails for €8,999.
The URS 01 LT Two, meanwhile, has a SRAM Rival XPLR AXS / SRAM GX Eagle Transmission mullet and DT Swiss G1800 Spline wheels and is priced at €6,499.
And an electric option
Finally, BMC has launched the URS AMP LT. Powered by the compact, quiet, lightweight TQ-HPR50 motor unit, the bike adds up to 50Nm of torque and 300 watts of peak power to help you get up steep hills. The motor is powered by a 360Wh battery. The URS AMP LT uses the same MTT suspension fork as the URS 01 LT.
The URS AMP LT Two has a SRAM Force XPLR AXS / SRAM X0 Eagle Transmission drivetrain, BMC CRD-400 wheels and costs €9,999.
All specs of the new BMC URS range are available immediately.
