New BMC Roadmachine 01 AMP X premium road e-bike 'feels like riding on the fittest day of your life'

BMC has launched the Roadmachine 01 AMP X. Described by the Swiss brand as a “premium road e-bike”, it blends endurance geometry with wide tyre clearance and the world’s lightest electric drive unit to create a “fast and forgiving” ride that can also handle light gravel, too.

Joining the very best electric bikes, the Roadmachine 01 AMP X is BMC’s first e-road bike to warrant top-tier '01' status. Aimed at delivering performance, comfort and capability over a variety of surfaces, it features a carbon frame and fork built around its Tuned Compliance Concept Endurance technology. 

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As with the regular Roadmachine this means a high degree of vertical compliance for forgiveness on long rides and less than perfect road surfaces. The 01 AMP X also uses BMC’s D-Shaped seatpost, previously used on its gravel bikes, to add more comfort still.

Given the focus on producing a smoother ride, it’s no surprise that tyre clearance is pretty generous. The bike comes with 35mm Pirelli Cinturato gravel tyres as standard, but has clearance for up to 38mm rubber. 

As you’d expect the 01 AMP X’s geometry continues the all-road theme. It’s a pretty relaxed affair; a 54cm has a stack height of 570mm and head tube angle of 72.2 degrees, which should equate to a fairly upright riding position and a pretty stable ride. BMC has chosen to keep the chainstays on the shorter side though; at 420mm in length they are designed to ensure both stiffness and better manoeuvrability.

Like Trek’s recently released flagship e-road bike, the Domane SLR+, BMC has equipped the 01 AMP X with the TQ-HPR50 system. 

At 3,900 grams ‘all-in’, it’s the lightest, smallest and quietest e-bike system in its class, making it an obvious match for drop bar bikes that want to remain light weight as well as retain the looks of a traditional road or gravel bike. The motor, which uses TQ’s patented pin-ring transmission, sits discreetly in the bottom bracket area, with the 360Wh battery neatly tucked away in the frame’s down tube. The 2-inch display unit and handlebar remote are just as neat and tidy, with the LED display also Bluetooth and ANT+ compatible.

It adds up to a bike that, in the US at least, can deliver assistance up to 28mph. Given that the top-tier 01 AMP X ONE has a claimed weight of under 13kg, BMC’s claims of creating a bike that “feels like riding on the fittest day of your life” could well be more than the usual marketing hyperbole. Even in the UK and Europe, where laws limit assistance on e-bike to 25kph or 15.5mph, the bike’s overall low weight should help equate to a fun and practical machine. As for the bike’s range, BMC provided no guidance or claims. The Trek Domane SLR+ had a suggested range of 60 miles in eco mode, and given that the BMC uses the same TQ battery and both bikes are a similar weight, should serve as a rough guide.

The comparisons with the electric Domane go beyond the choice of motor and the generous tyre clearance. Trek’s line-up included ‘gravel friendly’ models and BMC have opted to tread a similar path. There’s the aforementioned Pirrelli gravel tyres as well as an ICS MTT x Redshift suspension stem. Both should provide additional comfort off-road, while the latter is part of an integrated cockpit that keeps the hoses hidden, unlike BMC’s existing lower-tier electric Roadmachine AMP models.

BMC’s choice of groupset is yet another nod to the bike’s duality. Offered across just two models, both the 01 AMP X ONE and the 01 AMP X TWO use SRAM 1x set-ups. 

The more expensive ONE opts for FORCE XPLR eTap AXS alongside a Rotor eVegast crankset, while the TWO drops a rung and comes spec'd with RIVAL XPLR eTap AXS but still features the Rotor crank arms.

Both 12-speed wireless systems pair a 44t chainring with a 10-44 cassette; a gearing range that provides plenty of scope for both on and off-road terrain, though the bigger jumps between gears might not be favourably to all, especially those who plan to log plenty of on-road miles. 

Endurance geometry, wide tyres and a simple 1x drive chain are all concessions to practicality and BMC haven’t stopped there. There are hidden mounts for mudguards, or fenders depending on your location, integrated mounts for both a front light and computer on the handlebars and an integrated rear light that’s positioned to run in line with the bottom of the seat post and connects directly to the bike’s battery. All these elements seemingly extend the range of the 01 AMP X further to that of winter bike and commuter, albeit an expensive choice for either discipline.

As for wheelsets, the ONE gets BMC’s CRD-400 SL carbon hoops while TWO is fitted with its alloy XRD-522 model. Alongside the lower-spec SRAM groupset, the wheels are responsible for the TWO weighing in at 400 grams more, tipping the scales at a ‘still-light-for-an-e-bike’ 13.3kg.

The Roadmachine 01 AMP X is available in six sizes, ranging from 47cm to 61cm. The ONE is priced at $8,899/£8,100, while the TWO retails at $7,899/£7,200.

For more information visit bmc-switzerland.com.