Expensive, more expensive… BMC Trailfox AMP. The price of this carbon bike from Switzerland brings tears to our eyes. If you spend just under € 12,000 on an eMTB, you can and must expect perfection. Can the bike meet the expectations it sets with its price?
For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best eMTB of 2018 – 12 dream bikes go head to head
At first glance, the BMC Trailfox AMP doesn’t look particularly expensive. Only connoisseurs will notice the fine componentry. The FOX 36 FLOAT Factory fork, for example, or the DT Swiss HXC 1200 carbon wheelset. At the heart of the bike is a carbon front triangle and an aluminium rear linkage. It offers 150 mm of travel and is powered by a Shimano STEPS E8000 motor and an integrated 500 Wh battery. Despite the bulk of the battery, BMC has managed to give the bike a relatively slim silhouette. As you would expect for the price, the Trailfox AMP comes with a Shimano XTR Di2 drivetrain (which is a shame on an eMTB due to the high loads and resulting wear and tear). Thanks to an effective lockout lever, the Cane Creek DB Inline shock doesn’t bob while providing plenty of traction on climbs, though it requires a lot of patience and know-how when setting up. Unfortunately, the smooth profile of the rear MAXXIS Rekon tire and the rattling Race Face Turbine dropper post do not do the rest of the bike or the price tag justice.
‘Agile and direct’ best describes the character of the Trailfox AMP
For BMC, their priority is how their bikes perform on the trail. As far as the development of the frame is concerned, the Swiss have succeeded. The seating position is very central, the geometry modern and balanced. You sit comfortably upright with a good amount of weight on the front wheel, even on steep technical climbs: 10 points. The ride comfort and the traction offered by the suspension is good too. Unfortunately, however, the rear tyre started spinning out on the climbs, and it had even less grip on the descents. Due to the low profile of the knobs, it not only lacked braking traction, but also cornering grip too. We recommend immediately upgrading to a High Roller II (as mounted on the front wheel). The suspension feels very defined, erring on the firmer side. This gives the bike direct handling and underlines its agile character; the Trailfox AMP also behaves very predictably through corners and requires little physical effort to change direction. At high speeds and in rough terrain, we would have liked a bit more travel in the fork. Although the bike always remained safely on course, it requires a little more effort and concentration, and your arms and legs end up having to absorb some of the bigger hits.
The BMC Trailfox AMP LTD in detail
Fork FOX 36 FLOAT Factory 150 mm
Shock Cane Creek DB Inline 150 mm
Motor/battery Shimano STEPS E8000 500 Wh
Drivetrain Shimano XTR Di2
Brakes Shimano SAINT
Seatpost Race Face Turbine Dropper 150 mm
Stem Race Face Turbine R 45 mm
Handlebars Race Face Next R 780 mm
Whelset DT Swiss HXC 1200
Tires Maxxis Highroller II/Rekon 2.8″
Although the FOX 36 FLOAT Factory fork performs brilliantly, it would have been even better with a cm more travel.
The setup of the Cane Creek DB Inline shock requires a lot of patience and know-how.
The aluminium rear triangle does not do the price of the bike justice. In contrast, the Shimano Saint brakes performed flawlessly.
The DT Swiss HXC hybrid carbon wheels are super classy, pleasantly stiff, and very light. However, all these advantages hardly matter on an eMTB.
The Geometry of the BMC Trailfox
| Size | S | M | L |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat tube | 400 mm | 440 mm | 480 mm |
| Top tube | 573 mm | 616 mm | 645 mm |
| Head tube | 91 mm | 103 mm | 118 mm |
| Head angle | 66° | 66° | 66° |
| Seat angle | 74° | 74° | 74° |
| Chainstays | 445 mm | 445 mm | 445 mm |
| BB Drop | 17 mm | 17 mm | 17 mm |
| Wheelbase | 1162 mm | 1207 mm | 1238 mm |
| Reach | 405 mm | 445 mm | 469 mm |
| Stack | 595 mm | 606 mm | 620 mm |
Conclusion
The BMC Trailfox AMP is an eMTB for those with heavy wallets looking for a status symbol. It performs very well, but not above the level of much more affordable bikes. The high-end componentry is nice to have, though it doesn’t offer any noticeable advantages on the trail. If you like the Trailfox AMP, the sensible choice would be to go for the more affordable ONE or TWO.
Pros
– direct, agile handling
– beautiful design and good
systems integration
– good climbing characteristics
Cons
– super-expensive
– elaborate shock setup
– rear tyre not up to the task
Uphill | Downhill | Stability | Agility | Value for money
For more info head to: bmc-switzerland.com
The testfleet
For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best eMTB of 2018 – 12 dream bikes go head to head
All bikes in test: BULLS E-CORE EVO EN Di2 | FANTIC XF1 Integra Enduro 160 | FOCUS SAM² PRO | Giant Full-E+ 0 SX Pro | Haibike XDURO Nduro 10.0 | Moustache Samedi Race 11 | ROTWILD R.E+ ULTRA | SCOTT E-Genius 700 Tuned | Specialized Turbo Levo S-Works Carbon | Thömus Lightrider E1 – Team Di2 | Trek Powerfly 9 LT Plus
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Words: Photos: Christoph Bayer, Valentin Rühl
