Over on our sister site, Bikerumor.com, gravel bikes have been all the rage. This comes as little surprise since they offer close to the efficiency of a road bike while providing the tires, brakes, and geometry needed to take things off road for a little more fun. On the e-bike side of things, dropbars are a little less popular, but that hasn’t stopped BMC from coming up with an e-bike that certainly looks like it could qualify as a gravel bike.
Called the Alpenchallenge AMP Cross, the bike seamlessly integrates a Shimano STEPS E-6100 drive unit with a full carbon frame and fork that will accept up to 700c x 40mm tires. Like other BMC e-bikes, this pedalec only provides power when you pedal, and offers up to 250w of power with 60Nm of torque.
To help tame the trail, the frame is also equipped with their Micro Travel Technology which is essentially an elastomer in the rear stays which provides up to 10mm of travel. Designed to be fender and light ready, the frame includes internal cable routing and an integrated cockpit system for a sleek look, and a center mount battery on the seat tube for a more neutral ride and a down tube bottle cage mount. Running a 12×100 mm thru axle up front and a 12x142mm thru axle out back, the frame should be plenty stiff in spite of its lightweight build.
Offered in two builds, the high-end 5500€ LTD and the more affordable 4000€ ONE, availability is TBA.
And what if you’re not into gravel? Well, you’re in luck. The Alpenchallenge also comes in two other flavors – the Alpenchallenge Sport and the Alpenchallenge City. Both utilize the same frame as the Cross version, but have different spec to suit different needs.
The Sport version uses the narrowest tires of the three with smooth tread and deeper section wheels to provide a road bike-like ride.
The City version on the other hand comes equipped with everything you’d need to make the bike into a speedy commuter. That includes full coverage fenders, front and rear lights, and a wider range gear spread.
Like the Cross, the AMP Sport and City come in LTD and ONE models, all with the Shimano STEPS drivetrain.
