BMC Speedfox 01 - First Ride

Jun 22, 2017
by Richard Cunningham  



BMC rolled out their 2018 trailbike range with two lightweight, carbon-framed rippers. The first was the 100-millimeter-travel Agonist, which is a thinly disguised World Cup 29er cross-country race bike endowed with just enough "long, low and slack" to cross over into the trailbike realm. But, the star of the show was the 120-millimeter-travel Speedfox 01 that debuts BMC's innovative "Trailsync" remote system. Trailsync is one of those brilliant, "why didn't someone think of this a long time ago" concepts that simplifies the riding experience when simplification is needed most - high speeds and varied terrain. When the post is up, the shock is firm. Drop it and the post switches the shock to "Rock and Roll." It's a cable-operated mechanism tucked inside the frame and controlled by a single remote dropper lever.


Meet the Speedfox 01

BMC sent PB a Speedfox 01 for a full review a while back and It has been an impressive ride so far. They tell us that it was specifically designed to slot into the light weight (26 pounds, medium size) cross-country trailbike segment, but not to be fooled, its geometry has been tweaked in the proper directions to provide an ample skillset for descending and technical riding. To fit the widest range of riders, BMC offers the Speedfox chassis with 27.5-inch wheels in the small and medium sizes and 29-inch wheels in medium, large and extra large sizes.

The medium-sized 29er we are riding has a roomy, 24-inch (611mm) top tube, with a 430 millimeter reach. The steering is kept light and responsive with a 68.25-degree steering angle and a 51-millimeter-offset RockShox Pike fork. With the exception of its Fox Float Evol remote shock and 30-millimeter-wide DT Swiss XM 1501 wheelset, BMC's top-tier Speedfox is decked out in SRAM from tip to toe - Eagle XO1 drivetrain, Guide Ultimate brakes, and that 120-millimeter Pike RCT3 fork.

With its internal cable routing and integrated dropper post, the new Speedfox looks brilliantly simple in profile, which further showcases its designers' goal - to integrate every feature of the Speedfox to provide a seamless trail experience. BMC offers the Speedfox at seven different price points, starting at $7499 USD for the '01 model showcased here, to $2199 for the most affordable '03 bike.
BMC Speedfox 01 2018
BMC image


Construction and Features

The heart of the Speedfox chassis is a 120-millimeter-travel, four-bar, dual-link rear suspension - a system that BMC has used since day one. The lower link is protected by an articulating rubber flap to keep crud from collecting on the frame's most highly-stressed pivots. The vertically-mounted Fox Evol air-shock is driven by a sturdy aluminum rocker link, which is printed with a very useful sag indicator on the right-hand side. The shock is inverted to position its cable-remote compression mechanism in a hatch formed into the downtube. The hatch is large enough to give mechanics ample access to change or adjust the remote cable and for riders to easily tune the rebound dial.

BMC Speedfox 01 2018
The top-line Speedfox 01 has a carbon rear section. The dual-link suspension's lower rocker is tucked into the frame and protected by a rubber flap.


On the subject of internal cable routing (and there are many inside the Speedfox), BMC molds separate tubes inside the carbon chassis so there will be no issues threading new housings through the chassis. Further assisting the process, BMC designers incorporate two plastic access hatches, one below the top tube at the seat tube junction and another where the old-fashioned front derailleurs used to mount. More about those later.

BMC Speedfox 01 2018
An access panel under the top tube allows mechanics to service the connection between the seatpost and the shock.


Stepping back, the Speedfox frame has been designed to maximize stand-over clearance and thus, gives shorter-legged riders a chance to size up, should they need more reach. The vertically-positioned shock leaves plenty of room for a large-sized water bottle on the downtube, and heavy rubber protectors beneath the downtube and on the drive-side chainstay protect the carbon chassis and ensure a silent-running bike. To further protect the Speedfox, BMC adds a chainguide plate on the inside of the chainring.

BMC Speedfox 01 2018

BMC Speedfox 01 2018
BMC Speedfox 01 2018

BMC Speedfox 01 2018
(Clockwise)The sag indicator on the right rocker arm. Rubber protection for the carbon downtube. Access door to service the connector cable to the shock, and the chainguide plate.


Geometry is very Swiss, with a conservative, 73.25-degree seat tube angle to enhance long, seated climbs, and a 13-inch-high bottom bracket (37mm drop) to keep the pedals just high enough to prevent boulder bongo. As mentioned, the top tubes are stretched to modern trail specification and its 68-ish degree head tube angle, acting upon its 29-inch wheels, provides enough stability for technical trails, while keeping the steering light and responsive for tight corners and precision line selections. Interestingly, the Speedfox 29er has 17.5-inch chainstays (445mm), which seem long by present fashion. Summed up, the Speedfox's geometry is a balance between established cross-country numbers in the pedaling department, and stabilizing factors that have evolved from all-mountain and enduro.
Geometry

BMC speedfox 2018


BMC Speedfox 01 2018

BMC Speedfox 01 2018
BMC Speedfox 01 2018
BMC's Trailsync system uses a single remote lever to operate the Seedfox's integrated dropper post and Fox shock's compression mechanism.


About Trailsync

BMC says that Trailsync was invented by a BMC employee who engineered the system for his personal bike. The design team was skeptical at first, but after a number of lunch rides, they quickly realized the value of his invention and went to work to develop a system that could be viable for production. The SpeedFox was chosen for the Trailsync system because BMC test riders believe that the instant integration between the dropper and the shock's "trail" and "open" settings would be more useful for a fast-paced cross-country trail rider who is constantly dealing with grade reversals - as compared to enduro-style riding, which is biased towards extended descents where cyclists, regardless of dropper height, may not want to sacrifice ride quality for enhanced pedaling efficiency. BMC was correct in that assumption, and designed accordingly.

Integrated dropper post: The first thing you may notice, is that the Speedfox's seatpost is integrated with the frame. It is shipped extra long and is cut to length to suit the customer's optimum saddle height. The seat clamp head is a separate piece that slides over the upper end of the post and offers 25 millimeters of adjustment. BMC says that the integrated post is necessary to locate the cable-operated internals where they could be easily accessed through ports strategically located in the frame. Should you sell the frame and a longer post is needed, the internals are easy to replace.

Three positions: BMC's dropper has only a 100 millimeter stroke and its mechanical internals operate much the same as a Fox D.O.S.S. does, with hard, pre-selected stops and a fast-returning pneumatic spring. The BMC post has a single lever that can be pushed in any direction to actuate it, but that means you'll need to feel for the three drop positions that, fortunately, snap into place with a resounding "click." In case you were wondering, you can go all the way down the full 100 millimeters, or stop the post at 20 millimeters, or at 80 millimeters down (approximate measurements). The options are there if you prefer them, but the post operates seamlessly when you ask it for full travel.
BMC Speedfox 01 2018

bigquotesThe seat clamp head is a separate piece that slides over the upper end of the post and offers 25 millimeters of adjustment.

Open or Trail: BMC wisely chose what most shock makers call their "trail" damping position as the default when the post is at full extension. The firm, damping action of the Fox Evol shock provides more than enough pedaling support for aggressive, out-of-the-saddle efforts, while ensuring that there will always be enough rear suspension action to cover the need to high-post an unexpected rock garden or rooted descent. The probability of that occurrence, however, is minimized by the nearly instant response of the Trailsync system.

Shock Options: The way Trailsync operates is the remote lever operates only the dropper seatpost. A separate cable and housing links the shock's remote to the post, The post drives the shock to ensure that the shock's remote is always synchronized with the post's position. If you want to use a different damper, you'll probably have to sacrifice the Trailsync function, but the Speedfox's dropper seatpost will still function perfectly.


BMC Speedfox 01 2018
BMC image


Riding the Speedfox 01

Having the opportunity to ride the Speedfox on home trails meant I could make an apples to apples comparison with a number of test bikes I have done laps with on the same features. The suspension sweet spot seemed to be 25-percent sag on the shock and 20-percent up front, with three clicks of low-speed compression on the Pike fork and just enough low-speed rebound to silence the chatter.

My first concern was how I was going to deal with Trailsync's minimal 100-millimeter-stroke dropper post down the steeps. The answer was, "not too bad." I would have been more comfortable with a full-stroke dropper down some of the rock rolls, for sure, but once I learned that I could trust the Speedfox on the downs, I found few moments that gave me pause. The bike's geometry favored a central position over the bike in technical sections and its slack-ish seat tube angle kept the saddle out of the way. So far, so good.

Okay then, what about that Trailsync action? Well, to begin with, 120 millimeters is hardly enough suspension travel to argue about these days. With 37 millimeters of bottom bracket drop and 29-inch wheels, the Speedfox can roll up and over anything you'd need 120 millimeters to smooth over anyway, so when the post is high and the shock is in trail mode, the BMC's suspension is firmed up, waiting to deal with larger impacts. The Speedfox lives up to its name - it absolutely rips on pedally trails and it wholeheartedly encourages its pilot to jump out of the saddle for punchy climbs. In short, it carries a lot a speed - everywhere.

Trailsync is like a gateway drug. It's so easy to get used to and in only one ride, you'll want more. Its action is instant, and the loud "thwack" sounds it makes at full down and topped-out modes leave no question that the saddle and rear suspension is exactly where it needs to be. I began to use the dropper lever almost as much as my shift lever.

Drop the saddle for a descent and, with the rear of the bike unweighted, the shock transitions to a seamless feel in the open position. It doesn't take much to bottom out the fork and shock when descending at full gas, but that is expected when you are riding a short-travel machine. The more important attribute of a good cross-country trailbike is when you exceed the suspension's capability, that the bike remains calm and in control. In this case, the big-wheeled BMC makes a good argument for bashing around on a 120-millimeter chassis. It is refreshingly quick under power and (like most short-travel bikes) it corners and descends predictably at the same ride-height. And, while there is no questioning when it is being ridden beyond its comfort zone, it always gives you a lot of room for error. Quite fun.

And, the rest of the bike? So far, I have found little, if anything, to complain about. The Speedfox 01 has a sensibly appointed cockpit: its drivetrain is SRAM's best-value XO1 Eagle ensemble, and its 30-millimeter-wide DT Swiss wheels and Maxxis ForeKaster tires are exactly what a capable 29er speedster needs to do its job well. The only parts I plan on changing are its horrific grips - without gloves, I think they would draw blood.


First Impressions:
bigquotesMaking a top-performing mountain bike simpler and more intuitive to ride is what BMC's new Speedfox is all about, and in the role of a fast-paced trailbike, I'd say that they have exceeded expectations. I must insert here that there is always a concern with integrated components (like Specialized and Trek's dedicated shocks, for instance), that BMC customers could find themselves up the creek without a paddle should the Trailsync dropper post turn into a warranty issue. That said, the fundamental design (that is, a dedicated-stop, mechanical design) has already been proven in some of the most reliable of all droppers to date. So far, the addition of Trailsync to BMC's redesigned Speedfox is a winner - perhaps a window into the future of the genre.RC




Author Info:
RichardCunningham avatar

Member since Mar 23, 2011
974 articles

119 Comments
  • 96 7
 I'm holding out until they invent the lever that changes wheelsize from 27.5 to 29, for when I want to go WAYYYYYYYY faster downhill.
  • 22 1
 You forgot the climb like a goat part
  • 10 3
 @fercho25: does Minnaar really climb that much?





I'll see myself out!
  • 1 0
 @cristouf: don't show yourself out you sir are a hero.
  • 28 3
 Can't decided if this is a good idea or an answer to a question nobody was asking. Probably the latter.

Good things dropper posts never break.

Also, does this have a threaded BB or press fit? I want to be the first to complain about press fit if that's what this has.
  • 3 2
 Double post
  • 7 0
 Well you did kind of immediately shoot down the overall idea, so that's got to count for something.
  • 13 0
 Nice! Love it. I envisioned a similar concept on one of my "trips"...where upon seatpost height adjusts the suspension ...front &rear ideally. Super job on the sleek, simple black/silver/red....looks killer.
  • 22 1
 what were you trippin' on fella? (not a cop)
  • 1 0
 I've been imaging a world where your suspension, gearing, and seatpost are all Di2 for years. Then the post can drop on its own when you hit the button, controls the lock outs, maybe even have auto thresholds in the gearing while shifting up. Always wondered if you could build a system using a power meter to adjust shifting. Especially in conjunction with a NuVinci cvt hub.
  • 14 1
 @bonfire: that sounds great hopefully the day will come where bikes will have a servo to power a wifi hotspot conected to your gopro/strava that will autoinstgram at the press of a button
  • 16 1
 @fercho25: and the GoPro is a drone that follows us, carrying all of our tools and water freeing us of hip packs.
  • 12 0
 @Frank156C: and the drone will have a bear-spray mount that will auto detect bears and hikers and shoo them away with a laser-precise blast to the eyes
  • 3 0
 Absolutely brilliant idea. It does start too feel over-designed, if thats possible...
  • 3 1
 @tiz12: Yeah right, cop!
  • 3 0
 If that's what future holds then sign me up!!! Hahaha I love the gopro drone following with tools and water.
  • 3 0
 "I also had a brilliant idea once...a-jump-to-conclusions-mat. It's a mat with different conclusions on it that you could actually jump to."
  • 4 0
 @Rainozeros: "What is the 'Soup-de-Jour'?" "It's the soup of the day." "Mmmm, that sounds good. I think I'll have that."
  • 1 0
 @tiz12: Just a bit of The Weeds...but only the best will do Cool
  • 3 0
 @bonfire: For the love of god no we don't want bikes to turn into what cars are now laden with useless gimmicks and 'driver aids'. Keep it mechanical, keep it simple(ish) above all else keep it predictable and easy enough to work with. please no Computer brains on a bike. Just my two cents. : )
  • 1 0
 @Andy-ap: I hear ya...but I imagine the extra gadgetry will remain optional
  • 1 0
 @Andy-ap: it's a joke brahhh
  • 1 0
 @Andy-ap: jokes aside. Why don't droppers drop themselves yet?
  • 22 13
 So they made a 120mm travel bike with conservative geometry, a 100mm dropper and felt the need to firm up suspension when going up...I just see a badly designed bike here. Oh and it probably costs an arm and a leg! BMC does have a sense of humour though.
  • 16 0
 The need to close the LS compression on the trail probably meant a low antisquat value, that comes with a low pedal kickback value, too. For me that means that there is little interactions between transmission and suspension, allowing a lot of traction, small bump compliance and good descending performances. Which for me are qualities of a well-designed bike, like the new Norco Optic.
Bikes that pedal well and descend well are marketing BS. A bike that pedal well (i.e. no pedaling-induced bob) has a high AS. A bike with a high AS has high pedal kickback value. A high pedal kickback value freeze the suspension action when weighting on pedals.
You can mitigate pedal bob in increasing LS compression if needed, but you cannot mitigate pedal kickback since you cannot change your suspension kinematic.
I can live with pedal bob as long as my suspension works freely.
  • 5 0
 @gnralized: Totally agree with you. A good climb switch (such as Cane Creek's) paired with a remote and a low anti-squat frame is the best of both worlds. You get to chose on demand between suspension feel and pedaling efficiency...
  • 2 6
flag minesawhitecap (Jun 22, 2017 at 6:04) (Below Threshold)
 Ride a Tantrum (www.tantrumcycles.com) When you peddle, the suspension firms up, but is still "active" and absorbs bumps. So no need for a lock out.
  • 2 2
 Agree. A good suspension design shouldn't need too many band aids. I'd rather have minimal levers and a well thought out suspension design. This bike is a DW-Link rip-off. Most DW-Link bikes pedal pretty well, and can be ridden with the suspension wide open. Don't know why they didn't go for the same, especially with a 120mm bike? That would have been a chip shot.
  • 5 2
 @SlodownU: agreed. Gimme a rear suspension design that pedals well without the need or desire for switches.
  • 2 0
 I just picked up the BMC trailfox, and the suspension design pedals pretty good wide open, and I have yet to feel any pedal kickback. That being said, when I flip on the CCDBAIR climb switch, there is 0 suspension movement from pedaling. The wheels still tracks the ground and moves up and over stuff, but its like the chassis is frozen in place. BMC's 'not dw' link design already pedals pretty good, and the cane creek pedal switch is like magic that makes it even better. Shame this new trailfox isn't specced in an inline.
  • 1 0
 Its more a cc bike, made for actually sprinting out of the saddle and punching your bodyweight around on the pedals, where even a well made suspension will certainly bob. And the price is told in the article, nothing in my budget, but not far off from other brands..
  • 3 2
 If you guys think something with only 120mm should need pedaling aids, then ga'head, keep drinking that coolaid.
  • 6 0
 @McNubbin: If it's good for N1no, it's good for you, man.
www.pinkbike.com/news/2017-scott-spark-and-scale-first-look.html

And anti-squat is nothing but pedalling aid, but you just cannot switch it off.
So maybe you should stop drinking marketing BS about bike that climb like rocket and goes down like thunder, and read a little bit.
www.ridingfeelsgood.com/suspension-linkage-kinematics-basics-anti-squat-pedal-kickback
  • 2 0
 @gnralized:

an inline cc coil was the best thing i ever invested in. IMPO.
  • 1 0
 @gnralized: the way I see it, we can "switch off" the anti-squat simply by not pedalling. Coasting on the downhill will free the suspension movement, pedalling on the uphill will firm it up.

Anyway, frame designers can adjust the amount of AS accordingly, just as much as what is needed. At some point, a small enough AS will not induce a noticeable PKB.
  • 6 0
 @rifu: antisquat is sensible during pedaling, but it's corolar, pedal kickback, is always present, even when you don't pedal. So the simple fact to compress your suspension will make your fore crank arms moving upward. This is pedal kickback.
But since part of your weight is distrubuted via the pedals to the crank arms, there is still a force that will not allow the crank arms to move freely under compression, hence blocking the suspension to some extent.
I agree with you, bikes with low average AS values at SAG (I.e. under 90%) will mostly have a barely sensitive pedal kickback.
But as I wrote before, those bikes will be qualified as poor pedaler. Bikes qualified as good pedaler will have AS over 110%, then sensitive kickback.
So my assertion : a bike that pedal well (with no pedal bob) and go down well (suspension moving without interacting with transmission) is marketing BS.
Bikes can be designed as an equal compromise (50/50) between those two domains, or biased toward one or the other, but will never get 100% efficiency in both.
But bikes biased by design toward a free suspension (low AS, low PK) can be supplemented with climb switch when needed in order to get a good pedaling efficiency, but not bikes biased toward climbing (high PK, high AS) since you cannot physically change the geometry of your suspension kinematic (pivot points placement).
Excepted the new polygon bike and the tantrum in some extent.
  • 1 0
 @gnralized: Great comment, and something I have come to believe while shopping for a new bike. Trying to find the balance between DW high anti-squat values and bikes like the Speedfox which are actually reportedly quite low levels of anti-squat (2017 models anyway) despite being a short dual-link design as well. I've spent some time riding different suspension designs trying to get a sense of what these differences feel like on my home trails.
  • 1 2
 BManufacturingC brand does not make bikes. They market a Chinese and Vietnamese factory to the very conservative OC- crowd. BMC is as boring and predictable as Speech.
  • 2 0
 @gnralized: ah I see, my opinion about AS and PKB might be skewed because I just rode the new Polygon. It really has high AS (to the point of making the bike ride higher in its travel) with no noticeable PKB. I don't know what the marketing people of Polygon thinks, introducing it as Variable Suspension Kinematics will make people understand it better than some leet names like R3act-2play.

Reading about compromises, Gwin's chainless run and Canyon's custom freecoaster mechanism also came to mind. For frames with good AS but with potentials for its PKB to hinder suspension movement, a freecoaster mechanism on the freehub to make the bike feels like it is chainless is like the opposite approach of a climb switch. A climb switch is arguably more intuitive to use though. Or.. we can couple the freecoaster mechanism with seatpost height adjustment. Slamming the seat down will open up the suspension, freeing it from PKB. You can't add speed just before a jump though.

Back to that VSK (has anybody patented it yet?), what about Kona's Magic Link?
  • 2 0
 @wakaba: My BMC Trailfox TF01 absolutly rips!
  • 12 0
 Its super cool that they are doing innovative thinking. Keep it up!
  • 10 1
 a very clean and beatiful bike. simple colors and graphics. nice !
  • 10 1
 Zero fox given.
  • 3 0
 The combination of a lightweight-ish trail bike and a Pike up front is PERFECT. I put a Pike 130 on my TB3, and it's absolutely the best thing I ever did. 3 tokens makes it feel really deep, and huckable—and it's still light and really fast on flats/ups.
  • 2 0
 What was on there before the Pike?
  • 2 0
 Very clean bike, I like the looks and really like the simplifying of internal routing. But not all riders want stiffer suspension while the seat is up. On trails with quick ups and downs I never drop the dropper but want the softer suspension for both. But still clever. The industry and us as riders can only benefit when manufacturers are pushing ahead.
  • 3 1
 Now if only they could fully integrate the front and rear suspension lockout modes as well as the dropper seatpost actuation into one lever, possibly with two switches on it, or a hooked switch you could engage/disengage depending on the style of trail...

...some call me mad...
  • 3 0
 You're mad.
  • 10 8
 Remember in high school Social class when your teacher was like, "communism doesn't work, a capitalist free market society is where it's at" because I do. Basically what it's got us is 100,000 mildly different bikes that are all shit.
  • 5 2
 Well the bike with the most sales around the world is the the "flying pigeon", perhaps you would like to ride that down a mountain?
  • 2 0
 @tigerteeuwen: thanks dude almost spit my coffee out.
  • 3 0
 Well it's an interesting premise, because in typical movies/books/stories whatever, the poor person, or the person/people with the shitty equipment, or some strange sense of retardation always flourish over the well equipped king or whatever.
  • 2 0
 @tigerteeuwen: That bike is slack as hell, I bet shreds down the mountain. 29er too.
  • 5 0
 Would not touch it with a bargepole. That dropper post is a nightmare waiting to happen.
  • 4 0
 That is one of the tidiest bikes I've seen in a while and one of the first bikes that has my caring about carbon. those little access ports and internal routing are awesome.
  • 4 0
 Glad to see more bikes specced with the Maxxis Forekaster. Such a great trail/xc tire! Rolls fast, grips so much better than an Ardent, and is tough.
  • 3 0
 Thanks for the shoutout. It's fast becoming the trail bike and aggressive XC tire of choice in our lineup. Way lighter than a Minion or High Roller for the people that would otherwise use a burlier tire to achieve similar levels of grip and control.
  • 3 0
 I think bikes targeting the "light weight cross-country trailbike segment" should have 29" wheels across all sizes. I'd be interested if the small were available in 29.
  • 3 0
 There was a thread, possibly on MTBR.com where a fella had linked together his propedal lever and his front derailleur for a similar adjustment. Looked a brilliant bodge.
  • 12 1
 Whats a "front derailleur"?
  • 3 0
 Doesn't the eLect suspension from Magura automatically adjust depending on incline and speed? Combine that with the seat post and your saddle will just automatically drop.
  • 1 0
 I have no experience with dropper posts (I just leave my seat low) but I always thought that the switch just opens the clamp so if you have your weight on it it goes down and if you don't, it goes up. If that's the case I'd be pretty mortified to ride the setup you suggest. So imagine riding down a gradual slope with the seat somewhere halfway and you're already standing on the pedals. Then, you drop into a steeper section and that's right when the computer decides to open the gates and whack my saddle right up to full XC height. That wouldn't suit my preferences.
  • 1 0
 It does. I use the TS8 fork in combination with their Vyron dropper and the shock doing its thing while I only have to operate the button to control my dropper is my favorite feature of this system. As soon as I find the Magura TS RL rear shock with eLect for a good price, I'm going all in with the eLect system as then the fork and shock talk to one another and the adjustment on both ends happens automatically.
  • 1 0
 @santxo: Glad to hear that it seems to work seamlessly. I was more jokingly suggesting that your saddle might disappear under your arse, when tilting the bike. But I guess it will be the future to have no buttons and even the gears will know when to change to what.
  • 1 0
 @vinay: That was exactly my worry. Bike tips forward and saddle drops with you on it, or shoots back up during a jump and hits you in the sack. Wonderful extra kick.
  • 1 0
 Really like that, like the integrated dropper post too and its clean non garish look. Just getting fed up with bikes costing as much as a brand new car. There is no reason whatsoever why a Bicycle should cost as much as car! Even the entry level version is twice what was considered reasonable not that long ago.
  • 5 1
 Really neat idea, better than Scott imo
  • 3 1
 Not even really that similar to Scott's TwinLoc system. TwinLoc is something you're constantly switching while riding, not as simple as the Speedfox's up/down mentality. For instance I usually prefer to climb in the 2nd position of TwinLoc, with thew rear shock at 85mm travel and the fork in threshold mode, but sometimes I also like to go to position 3 to fully lock it all out on smooth climbs.
  • 3 0
 @seraph: i got the scott twinloc on my top fuel. Locked climbing, locked hard corners and quick rolllers, trail everywhere else and open rock gardens. Im constantly using it, more than i ever did with a fd shifter
  • 1 0
 @solarplex: TwinLoc for the win. WinLoc maybe?
  • 4 0
 what happens when you want the seat up but the suspension active?
  • 1 0
 Good question. I like the concept but if you think about it, is it really needed? My enduro bike climbs pretty well in the pedal position and I only use the pedal setting for longish climbs. If I added this system to the mix would it make me faster and expend less energy? Not so sure. Its a bit like rain sensing wipers in a car. Nice to have but really totally unnecessary,
  • 1 0
 Or the other way around. Imagine riding a smooth trailcenter type track that doesn't require much suspension action but does require a low saddle to properly pump and move the bike around.
  • 5 2
 pinkbike, where the cross countryers go...? wait wtf?
  • 1 1
 Great delivery by BMC!!
And for the riders who don't have this specific model - here it is as a modular standalone component: nSquare technologies goes live with their KILLSWITCH device soon. Check here: www.nsquare.rocks
  • 2 0
 The cool sync feature totally distracted me from noticing the 17.5" chainstays... What happened there?
  • 2 0
 I love the synced post/shock idea for an XC/short travel trail bike. This is the only way you'd get me using a climb switch.
  • 2 1
 I still cannot see how you could match the seat height on this. 25mm is a very little adjustment. Being 180cm with long legs I would have to go for XL? WTF?
  • 2 1
 Even the XL would NOT feel roomy for you!
  • 2 0
 The seatpost has 100mm of travel, 25mm is extra adjustement
  • 1 0
 I know, but this means that a given bike size is ok only for people with inseam in this 25mm range! Or put differently, if I have a bike with 480cm seatpost and I run 150mm post which is ~2cm extended from minimum pos in frame. How can I say which size will suite me?
  • 6 0
 @lkubica: in the article: "It is shipped extra long and is cut to length to suit the customer's optimum saddle height. " .... meaning the main shaft of the seat post will be to long, you have to cut it at size, you'll put on the seatpost head after cutting and will have 25mm of vertical play Wink
  • 3 0
 It's like a seat mast on road bikes, you cut it down to fit you, and then the head provides 25mm of adjustment after that
  • 2 0
 You cut the seatpost guys! Wink (i'm not even joking)
  • 1 0
 Like @mnorris122 said it uses a seatmast like an aero road bike. You chop the post down and fit the seat clamp on top. The dropper is 100mm travel so probably gives you 100-150mm to play with + the 25mm of adjustment in the seat clamp.
  • 1 0
 @fredooo: Measure twice , cut once.
  • 1 0
 @Fattylocks: We sell the Giant Propel Advanced SL at the shop I work in, high end aero roadie. Similar design on the seat tower. It's a $9k bike. One wrong move and that's the frame stuffed.

Measure twice? You better believe it.
  • 1 0
 @sam264: The first time I saw that on an XC frame, I couldn't believe anyone would get one of these except maybe for sponsored riders. Anyway, in this case I don't think it isn't that bad to mess up. You need to get a new seatpost, not a new frame. In fact, you won't need a new seatpost clamp nor a new dropper mechanism. Just a constant cross section tube. Never good to mess up, but nowhere near as horrible as messing up a complete frame or even a conventional rigid seatpost (which were commonly cut down to size to fit frames with interupted seattubes). Actually I do like that frame manufacturers are finally integrating dropper posts into their frames rather than squeezing finicky third party posts in an interface that simply wasn't designed for it. Along with Eightpins (currently used in Liteville bikes) this is one of the rare cases where they can forego the weird stepped looks of seattube-seatpost-stanchion. It comes at the price of flexibility though. Some may like to set up their dropper to vary between full XC height and trail height. If I'd ever get one I would probably set it so that I can vary between trail height and fully slammed. But the rider looking to alternate between "my" setup on some rides and the "higher" setup on others would be out of luck. Choose once, then cut and that is going to determine what saddle heights you'll have to live with. Unless a seatpost swap is real easy and quick to do of course, just before your ride. That'd be pretty cool actually.
  • 1 0
 @vinay: I'll be honest, I'm happy with the integrated post setup on my giant reign. It's not as slick as this, but given the propensity for dropper post failure across the board (the stock giant one SUCKS), I'd rather have the option of being able to change it out for a different brand, rather than get stuck with with whatever the manufacturer decided to fit.
  • 1 0
 New: seat post height active the shock mode
Biggest issue: seat post height active the shock mode. Want to ride high saddle/open mode? no you can't! hum...
  • 1 0
 This bike screams awesome all over. I want one, but rest assured, that dropper lever is being swapped out for a KS one. I can't stand the baseball bat.
  • 4 6
 When the Magura wireless dropper post was first introduced I had commented that now with the wireless lever (button) on the handlebars all one had to do was integrate the suspension to lock when the seat post is up and open when the seat post is down... I am going to ask the BMC guys for royalties on the idea Smile Smile Smile or a long term test bike would do as well...

Next idea: Riders in the near future will connect their phone to their bike and once Strava is turned on it will identify the trail section where you are located and accordingly set the dropper post and suspension setting. At first you might get a few OTB's but with behavioral learning, the machine will know exactly what you want to do. Smile Smile
  • 6 0
 What happens if the GPS momentarily dumps me in a lake, do my tyres rapidly inflate as floatation devices?
  • 3 0
 Your "new idea" is actually used by the swedish car manufacturer Koenigsegg. They use the gps to record a racetrack and then the car can tune its suspension on the track to adapt to the track in real time
  • 1 0
 @bluechair84: Ha ha! Nice one!
  • 1 0
 @AMGoran: Koenigsegg is much ahead of its time in all aspects...
In any case "new ideas" are mostly redundant in the era of the internet...just new applications of existing ideas maybe...unless we are talking about something seriously revolutionary...
  • 1 0
 I wonder if the term 'revolutionary' is kind of redundant, and that in referring to something as revolutionary, you don't do justice to the many small evolutionary changes that happened inbetween the 'old' and the 'new'. Inoculations is one of the few occasions where I can think that a very large 'revolutionary' leap was made as there was so little iterational changes between 'old' medicine and 'new'.
  • 1 0
 @bluechair84: Maybe you are right...In order to characterize something as revolutionary you need to also consider the context in which this something is taking place...
It is getting more philosophical I assume.
  • 1 0
 Love the simplicity of the integrated lever. Hate the hassle of proprietary parts.
  • 1 0
 Curiously missing is the details on that dropper post. Turns out it's a proprietary size that only fits this one bike.
  • 2 0
 Sweet! A dropper post with wheels! Smile
  • 1 0
 Normally not a huge fan of BMC, but that bike looks super clean! The internal routing and service doors are awesome.
  • 1 0
 super clean design with some neat features... the trailsync seems legit, great idea!
  • 2 0
 Cool more maintenance! said no one ever>
  • 2 0
 What if I want to high post with the shock open?
  • 1 0
 Sounds like an awesome bike. If I were to get an XC bike this is what I could see myself on!
  • 1 0
 Another one for the OC- crowd.
  • 1 0
 Another pointless peice of crap for people to waste their money on
  • 2 0
 'Simpler'
  • 6 5
 'Hard to deal with 100mm stroke'- white ppl problems
  • 1 0
 At last, some competition for the Spark.
  • 3 4
 I see a lot of complication to maintain that shox system working in the winter wet muddy conditions, that cable's gonna get stuck - lots of maintenance.
  • 1 0
 evolutionary steps, though: the best way to do a system like this is going to be via something like Di2. well sealed wire connectors, & you'll never have to touch it, baring standard shock maintenance.
  • 2 2
 So.. bottom line is 'almost as good as Trek ex but not that good, much more complicated and much, much more expensive.'.
  • 1 0
 Another idea for trek to steal!!
  • 1 0
 Looks nearly perfect. SWAT storage and shorter chainstays please.
  • 1 0
 So the Crank Brothers Joplin's seatpost has returned as BMC jajajaja
  • 1 0
 We need a reverse version of this with a URT back end...
  • 1 0
 Neat.







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