BMC has updated its URS LT gravel bike with a new front suspension, giving the gravel grinder even more off-road capabilities thanks to the Swiss company’s Micro Travel Technology that adds 20mm of coil-sprung travel to the front fork via a hydraulic damper.
“A demand for adaptability and flexibility is key to the revised design of the URS, which includes customisable suspension and stack height, compatibility with 1x mechanical and electronic drivetrains as well as internal cable routing for a dropper post, a hub dynamo system, plus top tube mounts and more. This also allowed us to retain the design and geometry of the fork’s blades and crown while packing a full-featured, reliable suspension system in the head tube. We recognize the modern gravel tires are incredibly capable at providing traction, rolling efficiency and damping the high-frequency vibrations, measured above 50Hz, caused by small obstacles,” says BMC.
The suspension comprises two shells, a lower steel shell that contains the hydraulic chamber and an upper shell that contains the coil spring that acts as the fork steerer, while the headset compressor is threaded directly into the fork steerer.
In addition, there are three different spring stiffnesses and preload spacers that allow riders to tune the performance according to their height, weight and style of riding. They can also lock out the suspension when it’s not needed, as wells as fine tune their position thanks to 4cm of stack adjustability.
“In short-travel applications, coil suspension brings a host of benefits including heightened sensitivity in the first phase of travel and on light impacts (typical scenario for gravel and mellow off-road terrain) whilst staying responsive and plush under mid-to-heavy impacts. Furthermore, no weight penalty, a simple, durable design that requires less maintenance, and, unlike short-travel suspension that features air spring with limited volume, coil springs are essentially immune to overheating on long descents,” explains BMC.
Additionally, URS LT’s rear triangle features BMC’s Tuned Compliance Concept (TCC) dedicated carbon layup technology, along with a D-shape seatpost and the brand’s Micro Travel Technology (MTT) added to the seatstays.
“A time-tested, mountain bike-influenced extra layer of compliance at the rear end with an XCell elastomer giving 10mm of travel… that improves traction and control on technical terrain in a featherweight, reliable and seamlessly integrated design.This geometry system has taken cues from cross-country mountain biking: the slacker head angle combined with a long top tube and short stem gives superlative stability at high speeds and snappier steering, perfect for modern, aggressive gravel riding where precise line choice counts more at the extreme end of the genre,” adds BMC.
Other features that highlight the URS LT include 180/160mm flat-mount discs brakes, clearance up to 700x45mm tires, integrated protectors on the fork dropout, downtube and chainstays, a functional toptube mount for bags, battery lights or other accessories and BMC’s integrated Dfender for protection against rear wheel-spray with compatibility for lightweight racks and mudguards as well. There’s also cable routing for hub dynamos.
The URS LT comes in four sizes (S, M, L and XL) and two models, the SRAM Force eTap AXS equipped URS LT ONE for $7,999.00 and URS LT TWO that comes fitted with a SRAM Rival eTap AXS groupset for $6,299.00.
BMC
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