First Ride: The BMC URS Doubles Down on Being a Drop Bar XC Bike

Let’s take you back to 2019. Gravel was fast growing. Everyone had heard of “bikepacking”, but outside of an enterprising few, nobody had done it. 1x gearing wasn’t the defacto option for gravel bikes. And honestly, nobody really knew what to think of the recently-released BMC URS.

See, there were a few different gravel bikes on the market that were ‘MTB-inspired,’ but they were almost always overbuilt for the riding most folks did. Want something lighter? It’ll be based on a road bike. The URS had the long reach and short stem of a progressive XC hardtail (if those even existed yet), but it was as light as most other gravel bikes. It didn’t always make sense, but for a devout few, the package clicked.

The URS was and is still a largely unique proposition, one that this new second generation bike hasn’t strayed from. If anything, it’s doubled down on that MTB inspiration, going even lower and slacker than before.

Is that still a formula that makes sense today? We rode it; let’s dig in.

Quick hits: Seven things to know about the BMC URS gravel bike

• This new BMC URS is the second-generation adventure gravel bike, complementing its race gravel bike, the Kaius.
• Within URS is URS, URS LT (with 20 mm suspension fork), and URS AMP (with electric assist).
• All non-electric URS bikes receive a down tube storage hatch. URS 01, URS 01 LT, and URS AMP receive 20 mm rear suspension.
• 10 mm suspension travel out back, and up to 20 mm suspension up front.
• Max tire clearance: 700c x 47 mm, 650b x 50 mm.
• Sizes: five sizes, XS to XL
• Price: starting at $3,799/€3,799
• For more: bmc-switzerland.com

URS 01 details

As before, there are four variations on the BMC URS. That includes the URS, the URS 01 with rear suspension and integrated storage, the URS 01 LT with a suspension fork, and the URS AMP with electric assist. Our riding impressions will focus on riding the URS 01.

The basic profile of the BMC URS hasn’t changed all that much. It really does strike a unique shape, with its front wheel thrown far ahead of the bottom bracket and a short stem to match. The top tube slopes down quickly to the seat tube, with seat stays similarly low. The Micro Travel Technology (MTT) suspension at the seat stays give the bike big haunches, accentuating the rowdy look of the URS.

The URS isn’t looking to be the right bike for everyone, so BMC didn’t change all that much for the look.

That includes the rear end suspension, at least on the URS 01. The MTT seat stays have been revised to use something BMC calls its XCell damping technology. It’s not a dedicated shock or spring system, however, but an elastomer in the middle of the junction between the seat tube and the seat stays.

BMC says its MTT system gives you roughly 10 mm suspension. That 10 mm suspension is adjustable by swapping out elastomer bits of different densities, making it tunable for rider terrain or weight.

Up front, BMC offers two different types of suspension options. The URS 01 receives the ICS MTT stem. As before, BMC tapped Redshift to use its ShockStop elastomer tech to allow the stem to absorb some of the vibrations going through the bars. Like the MTT seat stays, the stem elastomers are swappable for rider preference.

Step up to the URS 01 LT and the bike gets an MTT suspension fork to pair with the MTT seat stays. While the fork claims the same 20 mm travel as the stem. The difference comes in how that suspension comes. That travel comes a HiRide spring and damper system placed between the fork crown and the head tube. Suspension spring rate is controlled via a twist dial found atop the stem.

Elsewhere, all URS models receive upgraded 700c x 47 mm tire clearance. They also all receive a D-shaped seat post and an adaptor for a 27.2 mm round seat post, as well as dropper post compatibility.

Few bikes offer quite the level of frame protection that the URS does, and that continues here. As before, the URS continues its ample frame and fork protection. That includes chain stay protection and covers around the fork ends. All models besides the standard URS receive a large molded downtube protection and two side-loading bottle cages, odd concessions for an entry-level bike.

The mounts have been upgraded as well. All URS models get three bottle cage mounts, a top tube bag mount, and fender mounts front and rear. The fork blade mounts are upgraded from two bolting points to three, and there’s internal dynamo cable routing to boot. And while you can’t mount a front derailleur, all URS models receive SRAM’s Universal Derailleur Hanger (UDH) for easy hanger replacement.

All bikes also receive a new down tube storage hatch. Inside is a neoprene sleeve secured by velcro. Bikes with the MTT rear suspension also add a strap point at the seat tube cluster. What can you strap there? Maybe a pump? No clue, so long as it’s long and narrow and doesn’t bump your knees.

Besides the newly added down tube storage hatch, the big news seems to come from the geometry updates.

Geometry

The BMC URS came out of left field, particularly from a brand usually seen as conservative like BMC. But what make it so interesting was its geometry: far longer than anything else, but with lower stack heights than some of the adventure bikes out there.

The new URS really leans into that adventure status. That includes a truly slack 69.5-degree head tube angle, a 76 mm bottom bracket drop (down from 69 mm). The chain stays are slightly longer than before, too, up from 425 mm to 430 mm. That’s paired with a slightly steeper seat tube angle for climbing and technical climbing.

These changes, according to BMC, improve traction on those steeper climbs. Our take? The URS leans further into being a drop bar XC mountain bike. If that’s what you’re looking for, then this seems to fit the bill better than most.

Builds and specs

The URS isn’t just one bike, but a range of four models all based on one unifying idea. All lean into that drop bar mountain bike feel for different price points.

The URS is the entry point of the BMC lineup. Between the URS Apex XPLR and URS Apex AXS, you get the core points: the bigger tire clearance, the updated geometry, and the downtube storage. What it doesn’t have is the MTT suspension out back, the Redshift stem up front, and fully-internal cable routing.

The URS 01 adds the MTT suspension, a Redshift suspension stem, and fully internal cable routing. Builds range from SRAM Rival AXS all the way up to the new SRAM Red XPLR AXS.

Then there’s the URS 01 LT, which takes the URS 01 frame and swaps the suspension stem for a 20 mm suspension fork. Builds are available with SRAM Force XPLR AXS and SRAM Rival XPLR AXS. The HiRide suspension fork doesn’t offer that much more compliance than the stem does, but it does make for a stable platform that is immediately tuneable while riding.

Finally, there’s the BMC URS AMP LT, which takes the full suspension of the URS 01 LT and adds a TQ HPR 50 mid-drive motor.

Unfortunately, pricing seems to have increased across the entire URS range. That includes the based level URS bikes, which don’t have the MTT suspension seat stay cluster that the first-generation bike had.

Riding the URS 01

In for the first ride review was the BMC URS 01 ONE in a size small. With that comes a SRAM Red XPLR mullet drivetrain with a 10-52t cassette, Zipp 101 XPLR carbon wheels, Easton carbon handlebars, and WTB Raddler 44 mm tires. Total weight for this bike is KG POUNDS

First, a caveat: even if a review is labeled a ‘first ride,’ that usually means we were able to get one or two rides (or more if we’re lucky), but in a place that isn’t our own backyard. This first ride review, placed in Steamboat Springs just before SBT GRVL, consisted of some of the best champagne gravel you’ll find in the U.S. Pair that with all the mud we had, and this first ride is very firmly just a first ride.

Despite the first generation bike launching in 2019, the bike has only seen a few competitors match the ‘rowdy geometry, low weight’ proposition the URS offers. As a result, the URS has fairly distinct handling for a gravel bike.

I feel that the URS is at its element connecting smooth roads with singletrack, be it flow or more technical stuff you might consider under biking. While I would’ve liked more time with the bike, I think this new bike would be similarly good

Here are a few things that I did notice on the first ride, however.

I wish there was more tire clearance. I understand that most URS bikes have some level of suspension, which negates some of the need for a bigger tire. Also, I understand that the mud I experienced would be a problem with every bike, not just this URS. But several gravel bikes today offer ample 50 mm tire clearance. Considering the progressive nature of the URS, there should be more space for tire experimentation in the future.

Alongside that, I wonder if the bottom bracket drop is too much now. I found myself striking rocks on my pedals more often than I remember on the previous URS, particularly on techy singletrack. It’s a legitimately low bottom bracket now. It adds plenty of stability as you’re going fast, but you’ll likely need to pay attention to your pedaling more than before.

The MTT seat stays extend further into the frame than before. That means that the inside of my legs rubbed on the Gear Strap mount, even with the strap removed. I did not have such an issue with the previous-generation URS. I suspect this is a problem associated mostly with small sizes, but it is something worth noting nonetheless.

I should note here that I felt the MTT suspension out back overall was quite effective. I never lacked for grip when I thought my rear wheel would otherwise slip out.

The MTT suspension stem isn’t for everyone, as the 20 mm suspension travel comes from the bars rotating downward. Further, it tends to destabilize the handlebar if you tend to lean torque it hard in a sprint. That said, it really did calm down vibrations at the bars over washboard dirt and gravel roads and is mighty effective overall. I think it’s a great match for the URS.

Besides that, all of my sneaking suspicions will need to be confirmed by a long-term review. Stay tuned as I try to corroborate my feelings.

Conclusion

As mentioned, this was a particularly slim first-ride review. But as someone who admired the previous-generation BMC URS, I think this bike is still every bit as unique as the original. Will the new URS feel as brilliant in many situations as it feels borderline boring in others? We’ll have to find out on our home turf.

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