BMC Gets AMP’ed

Trailfox AMP

The burlier option, this 150mm 27.5 eMTB features a fully carbon frame molded around a Shimano Steps E8000 motor. BMC chose to use carbon, more specifically their Twin Hollow-core Tube Design. This allowed them to create the Drive Unit Nest. It’s a lot of marketing jargon for an aesthetically pleasing design feature that allows the motor unit to be tucked up into the frame a bit more than some others on the market.

BMC was also able to tuck a neat little speed sensor in the non-drive side chainstay near the dropout so you’ll never have to worry about losing a magnet on your spokes! The magnet is in the rear brake rotor and also gives a more instantaneous reading on speed, which is important for the Shimano system’s algorithm in determining power output assistance.

Like BMC’s mountain bikes, their APS dual link, instant center suspension design handles the hits. The company has been using their APS platform for roughly 20 years. We’ve enjoyed the system on several test bikes over the years and the e-bike adapted version worked just as well. Efficiency isn’t quite as important when you’ve got juice on your side so BMC focused on performance from a slightly different angle. The Trailfox AMP is tuned with 100% anti-squat at sag.

They claim the tuning allows for very free suspension movement while under load. It requires some different design parameters for sure as power delivery with e-bikes is much closer to 360-degrees rather than the typical push/pull output exerted by our low-tech legs.

Along with tweaking the kinematics and shock tune, BMC realized that certain moving parts like links and bearings would be seeing more work on their e-bikes. Weight may be the first logical thought that comes to mind when beefing up vital parts. While the weight is certainly an issue, the bolstered hardware only further proved that BMC had really been putting the miles on their test mules.

With people’s work schedules, fitness and other commitments, the average Joe probably only gets to ride their mountain bike 15-30 miles a week. With the ability to sneak out a quick 5-8 miler after work or add an additional 5-10 miles on your weekend ride thanks to the increased average speed of the AMP, BMC realized these bikes would be seeing a lot more abuse simply because they’d see more mileage. The lower link is increased by 60% and the bearing size is also 27% larger than its human-powered counterpart.

Speedfox AMP

Where the Trailfox AMP is BMC’s burly all mountain offering, the 29-inch wheeled Speedfox AMP is the brand’s all-around trail bike. This 130mm trail bike sports all of the same features as the Trailfox, but in a less aggressive package.

Like the Trailfox, BMC uses APS suspension and the Shimano Steps E8000 motor. The length of the newly designed swingarm and stays on the Speedfox is 449mm. Speedfox employs the Twin Tube Hollow-core tube design, oversized lower link, Drive Unit Nest, clever frame protection on the chainstay and an integrated speed sensor also like the Trailfox AMP.

The Dirt

We were lucky enough to have two riders attending the ride day so we had the unique opportunity to ride both bikes on our day out. After some bouncing around in the parking lot of our hotel we were ready for the shuttle to pick us up. As we sat around looking for a big van to roll up, we were instructed to mount up and power the bikes. We looked around at each other knowing we were several miles from any trailhead we knew of.

We powered up and zipped out of the parking lot and turned left on the coastal bike path. Even if you hate e-bikes, you probably hate traffic more! The fact you can now leave the truck behind and pedal to the trails is a very redeeming quality and one we didn’t think about when this whole trend started sweeping the bike world.

We pedaled into a rather aggressive headwind at 20-MPH. on the edge of the Pacific and watched as the hills got closer. Our photographer drove over in a van and we ended up getting to the trail at the same time, even with a scenic detour.

It’s pretty needless to say that climbing performance is impressive compared to the non-E-versions of the Trailfox and Speedfox we’d ridden before. We ascended steep grades with elevated heart rates and heavy breathing, but didn’t feel like we needed a break at the top. This is another part of what allows riders to ride more miles on e-bikes. Less recovery stops and refueling time means more shredding!

The Shimano Steps E8000 motor is currently our favorite. The system relies on several factors to give you a natural boost when you need it and less when you don’t. The shifter is located on the left side of the bars and easily lets the pilot choose between Eco, Trail or Boost modes, making it easy to tune the amount of power for your current trail needs.

Geometry on both bikes was pretty spot on for the terrain we were riding in Santa Cruz. If you like the security of having more travel and a slacker head angle for gnarlier terrain, the Trailfox AMP is definitely going to be your preferred option. If you live in an area with more rolling terrain or want a bike that’s going to help you get in big miles, the 29-inch wheeled Speedfox may be worth looking at. We did have one gripe on the spec of the Speedfox AMP however. The stem was too long and affected our confidence on the descents. When you’ve got a motor on your side, having the ability to lean down over the front end on the climbs isn’t really necessary anymore and we believe the bike’s spec should take that into account.

Suspension performance on both bikes was pretty impressive overall. The Speedfox has a less progressive spring rate out back so once again and the fork also felt a little divey, if you’re a heavier rider or want to push this 130mm bike a bit harder, be prepared to add some volume reducers. Small bump sensitivity was on point with the best e-bikes we’ve ridden and when it came time to send the Trailfox deep into some chundery section of trail, it remained composed. Making it our favorite of the two bikes on this day.

The Wolf’s Last Word

A few short hours in a fairly flowy trail network isn’t quite enough for us to comprehensively review the bikes by any means, however our initial impressions of both the Speedfox AMP and Trailfox AMP are good. We opted to get a Trailfox AMP delivered to the Wolf Den for further review and we look forward to spending a lot of time bashing it on some local trails.

For more info visit, www.bmc-switzerland.com