BMC has launched a brand new gravel bike that's designed to take on the best gravel bikes on the market. Dubbed the KAIUS 01, this bike is the brand's first-ever performance gravel race bike, built with a distinctive carbon layup, shorter stem, and longer reach. 

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“Kaius is an ultra-lightweight gravel bike built to go fast when the terrain gets rough,” said Conrad Glassey, Head of Product Management at BMC.

Kaius 01 features no suspension like the brand's existing URS gravel range, but instead focuses on performance, borrowing from BMC's all-road Teammachine. Kaius 01 uses premium, variable carbon layup with high-module fibres to provide stiffness only where it's needed and balance out the added weight required to achieve compliance and robustness. BMC claims this also keeps power transfer to a maximum. 

2022 BMC Kaius 01 bottles, by BMC

Frame areas exposed to rocks and shocks, such as the lower face of the downtube, feature protection to give riders peace of mind when pushing over rougher surfaces. BMC says the total frame weight is 910g, shaving off grams from the brand’s existing URS gravel frame (1050g). The fork weighs 400g, the seat post 160g, and the cockpit 315g. 

BMC Kaius 01 - geometry

BMC is clear about the purpose of the Kaius 01; it’s made to be a race gravel bike. The brand says this has been reflected in the geometry, which offers longer reach which pushes the front wheel further forward, with the shorter stem retaining responsive steering. 

2022 BMC Kaius 01 front, by BMC

The bike comes in six sizes, ranging from 47 to 61. For reference, size 54 comes with a 90mm stem and has a reach of 401mm. 

The front of the bike is focused on aerodynamics - utilising ICS Carbon Aero Cockpit to match the performance of BMC’s race machines. An aero position is possible on the hoods that have 36cm top width, while the 12,5° flare and the 420 mm width at the drops provide great control at high speeds. Kaius 01 TWO and THREE feature BMC's own ICS2, where the cables are fully integrated. 

And that’s not the end of the integration, as the Kaius 01 also features BMC’s Aerocore design, which integrates the bottle cages into the frame to optimise aerodynamic performance.

2022 BMC Kaius 01 bottles, by BMC

BMC Kaius 01 - compatibility and availability

Kaius 01 can fit 1x and 2x drivetrains, tires up to 44 mm, a dropper post, BMC’s new MTT Suspension Stem, and top tube bolt-on bags.   

Kaius 01 is available in six sizes (47, 51, 54, 56, 58 and 61) and three models: ONE, TWO and THREE. All of these are available from September 2022, with the ONE costing £10,400 with Red AXS XPLR, and Kaius 01 THREE with Rival AXS Wide priced at £5,000. 

• www.bmc-switzerland.com

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