Bike Review CX Bike

Review - BMC CXA01

I now feel like I've had long enough in the saddle to do a proper review of my latest CX bike. Over a thousand kilometres on the clock already which have been on the road, on gravel, on singletrack, and even a pair of Cyclocross races. Thus showing the versatility of cyclocross bikes. I have had a few different cross bikes now, but this is the first one that I have felt really comfortable riding both on and off-road. The main difference is the fact that this bike has a more 'road' style geometry, but it doesn't seem to suffer when riding off-road. More about the ride later.

The spec is a good no-bullsh*t mix of Shimano 105 and RS500 (CX specific) drivetrain and Shimano BR-R785 hydraulic brakes. DT Swiss X-1900 wheels are a touch on the heavy side, but a good choice at this price-point. The fork is a vibration damping carbon disc specific BMC model, shared with the more expensive full-carbon CX01. The frame is a beautifully sculpted and finished modern aluminium artwork. The thin and heavily shaped seat-stays are an early pointer as to what to expect from the ride, looking like they should take out even larger knocks. In contrast to the oversize asymmetric chain-stays which look fit for purpose. I particularly like the hidden rack and mudguard mounts which leave a nice clean look to the frame when not in use. 

In terms of eureka moments, the fully hydraulic Shimano disc brakes on this bike were pretty high up in my all-time 'wow' list. I remember the first time I rode an MTB with V-brakes back in the 90's, and the difference from cantilever brakes or even cable operated discs was equally fantastic as that giant leap. The control, comfort and confidence inspiring feel is just amazing. I don't think I will ever want to go back now! The other kit works exactly as it should, and I cannot fault the latest 11-speed 105 drivetrain. Perhaps not as light as Ultegra or Dura-Ace, but exacting and reliable shifts every time.

On to the ride feel. The bike as I mentioned earlier has a more endurance road geometry, and actually shares the frame with the sportive focussed Granfondo GF02 Disc road bike. Something that I initially thought could hinder the off-road performance. But I was pleasantly surprised the first time that I took the bike onto some gravel tracks, and to my local park for some proper CX training. Firstly the bike feels incredibly stable and sure-footed off-road, but also I was overwhelmed with how quiet and smooth the ride felt over the bumps. Pretty impressive for an aluminium frame to feel that smooth, and was as a night and day difference to my last CX bike that felt incredibly stiff, but also incredibly shaky over the rough stuff.

I had a couple of CX races planned for the early off-season, so I decided to swap the wheels out for a lighter pair, and to some tyres with a little more grip when the going gets soft and muddy. The bike performed without flaws in both races, and I had an absolute hoot riding my first CX races for 6-7 years. The handling and grip was superb, and I could close in gaps to people in the corners due to the confidence I had in the bike. Something I felt I lacked in my previous CX bike. 

I've made use of the hidden rack mounts now, and the bike is all set-up and being used for winter training. I love the versatility of CX bikes, and this year will even keep this bike on as my only road machine rather than swapping out to a proper road machine come the spring. Once the guards are off, the road tyres are on, the weight is more than acceptable, and the road riding capabilities give me confidence to think this bike can do it all come the summer months.

This is one bike I will not be looking forward to selling when the time comes!

New Title Sponsor and Bikes for 2016, plus....

2016 sees some big changes for the team that we can now announce!

Number one, we would like to say a huge thank you to Wilier and Göran at Cykelmagneten for their support over the last two years. We have enjoyed riding Wilier, and have a great respect for the brand with an amazing history behind it.

Secondly, we would like to give a warm welcome to our new title sponsor and bike supplier for the 2016 season BMC Bikes. The team will have an amazing choice of racing and training bikes from the wide range available. BMC have a great history, especially in Mountain Bike racing, our team's sport. Riders like Julian Absalon have helped to develop some of the most advanced and speedy bikes on the market today. Special thanks to Glenn and Magnus, we look forward to working with you!

And Finally, we would like to welcome some new riders to the team!

Alexander Lapajne - Alex will be continuing with his assault on the Swedish MTB Marathon series in the H40 category, various local Southern Swedish and Danish races, plus some very exciting international stage and marathon races. His race results from 2015 have been impressive, which you can see from his Palmares on his page on the blog to be updated soon.

Sandra Backman - Sandra will also be concentrating on the Swedish Marathon series in the Elite category, plus challenging to win some some of the most exciting stage and endurance races in Europe either solo, or as a pair with Alex. Sandra has had an impressive second season in the Elite class, with some great rides to podiums in the Swedish Marathon series, wins in European races and strong results in every other race she has entered. Again her full Palmares will appear later on the blog.

Jonas Nilsson - Jonas has been racing both XCO and XCM events, along with more local events in Southern Sweden and Denmark. He has had several strong finishes this year in almost all disciplines. Next year sees an increase in training for him, and a more serious approach to his racing in general. Next year will see a mix of races around Sweden and Denmark proving his credentials as a real all rounder.

Philip Nilsson - For Philip 2015 has attended a broad range of events, both in Mountain Bike and Road Cycling. He has had some great battles with Jonas in local MTB races, strong finishes in road races, and generally improved his results over 2014. He also wishes to step up a level, and will even be tackling some Cyclocross races this winter.

Anders Wall - Anders has had another strong season in the Swedish Marathon series in 2015, and looks to continue and improve on this for 2016. He will also be competing in some local races as part of the team, and we look forward to riding with him in training also.

Alina Johansson - Alina was a first year Elite racer in 2015, and is still new to the sport after only 1 year racing in the Junior category before that. A strong first season with some impressivley consistent results saw her take the Västgöta series overall in Maxi Klass, and also the Swecup series. She also took 5th place in Swedish Championships XCE and 5th place in the Nordic Champs XCO. She will continue her assault on the various Swedish XC series as well as joining some other team riders in the Danish National series (SRAM Liga). We look forward to seeing the progression and development of this up-and-coming rider.

Anton, Jessica, Malin and Warren will continue with the team as in 2015, and look forward to riding with their new team mates during the 2016 season.

The team is now looking for more local and national sponsors going into next season who wish to spread the word about their brand. So if you know somebody who could be interested in helping us out, please get in touch.