BMC Alpenchallenge Amp Sport Two

A flat-barred road bike with an innovative frame that increases rider comfort

The introduction of gravel bikes has breathed new life into how manufacturers think about bicycle design and specification. Frames now have clearance for larger volume tyres, disc brakes and 1x gearing are commonplace and now drop handlebars are making way for flat bars. A prime example of taking this evolution of road bikes into gravel bikes and turning it into something new is the Alpenchallenge Amp Sport Two from Swiss brand BMC.

Like with many of today’s mid- to highend road and gravel bikes, BMC has based the Amp Sort Two around a carbon fibre frame but with a few extras. Going beyond the shaping of the frame to accommodate the Shimano Steps motor and battery, BMC has added its Micro Travel Technology. This means a small damper is added at the top of the seatstays which allows them to flex the rear wheel through 10mm of vertical movement. It may not sound much but even that small amount of suspension travel will dampen a lot of the buzz from rough surfaces that the rider feels through the frame.

To aid with rider comfort, the front fork is also made from carbon fibre and both frame and forks have clearance for 42c tyres, which is well beyond the already comfortable 32c Vittoria Rubino Pro tyres fitted as standard.

The move to larger volume tyres is very much on-trend at the moment and that theme continues throughout the rest of the Alpenchallenge Amp Sport Two specification, as witnessed by the Shimano gearing that combines a single chainring with a wide- ranging 11- speed cassette to provide a wide array of options to make the most of the assistance offered by the Steps motor and battery combo.

To keep the front of the bike as clutterfree as possible the control lines for the gears, brakes and motor are all hidden away within the ICS (Integrated Cockpit System) stem that also incorporates a computer and camera mount for even greater usability.

► £4,300 bmc-switzerland.com