BMC URS One: My Go-To Gravel Machine
Lisa Johnson - Tripower Member
After several concussions over the last 5 years, I made the decision to shift my riding from road to off-road. Sure, there are risks with any type of cycling, but there’s something about riding on trails that encourages me to slow down, soak in nature, and still feel the thrill of riding. It’s become the perfect balance for me—less pressure, more peace, and still plenty of adventure.
I've been eyeing the BMC gravel bikes for almost a year. Kurt Cooper at Conte’s Virginia Beach would always give me a little nudge—showing me different gravel bikes and planting the seed. I already own a BMC RoadMachine and a BMC Twostroke MTB, so I naturally kept gravitating toward the BMC URS. I needed something versatile: a bike I could take on trails, gravel, and even paved bike paths like the Capital Trail.
BMC isn’t known for a huge color selection, so when Kurt told me the URS One only came in Neon Red/Dark Petrol, I decided to embrace it. I took it out for a spin in January, slept on it for a week... and couldn’t stop thinking about it. I knew it had to be my new N = 1.
Let me tell you—this bike is smooth. The URS TWO is equipped with the electronic SRAM Apex AXS groupset in combination with SRAM X1 Eagle AXS transmission, DT Swiss G 1800 Spline wheelset, and my favorite feature: the downtube storage (seriously, why don’t all bikes have this?). After a few weeks of crummy weather, I finally got out for a ride at First Landing State Park in late February with John, and it was worth the wait.
The first thing I noticed was how incredibly smooth and stable the ride felt. The URS has a long top tube paired with a super short stem, (I had to look that up) which gives it that stable yet responsive feel. The mountain bike-like riding position is very comfortable—especially since I’ve mostly been on my MTB over the past year. This spring and summer, I hope to explore even more gravel trails across Virginia. If you’re looking for a bike that blends comfort, versatility, and style, this one’s worth checking out.
If you are ready to look at bikes, go see Kurt Cooper at Conte’s. He is the best!