BMC GranFondo
BMC GranFondo
The GranFondo is BMC’s bike for the Classics, or endurance/sportive bike if you prefer, designed to couple performance and comfort together in one package.
As a total opposite of the TeamMachine, the GF01 has gone full disc brake – every model available with discs only – and there’s also a striking new colour scheme that BMC describe as ‘coffee’ (although if my coffee arrived that colour I’d probably send it back). Either way, though, it’s a very bold choice and one that’ll likely have as many haters as fans, but the other two colourways in the range are a traditional white and team-esque red and black.
The three builds on the GF01 are Shimano Ultegra Di2, Ultegra and 105 and all as mentioned previously come with Shimano’s hydraulic disc brakes rather than traditional rim-based calipers. As you’d expect, all three have generous gear ratios, featuring compact 50-34t front chainrings paired to wide-range 11-32t cassettes using Shimano’s long cage rear derailleurs. Although it’s worth noting that if you want to opt for something a little closer at the back, those derailleurs handle tighter range cassettes just as well.
If you want a GranFondo with rim brakes, you’ll have to look at the GF02. Like with the TeamMachine, the GF02 is a more affordable (read: slightly heavier) version of the GF01 frame. BMC are continuing to offer four rim brake models in their second-tier bike (Ultegra Di2, Ultegra, 105 and Tiagra) and the Ultegra model comes in the same ‘super red’ colour you may have seen on the GranFondo RBX bikes that the BMC Racing team used at this year’s Paris-Roubaix.
The final option on the GF02 is a disc brake model, a perfect option if you want to move into disc brakes at a lower price that the top-end GF01. BMC have 105 and Tiagra models of the GF02 disc and both are paired to R-517 mechanical disc brakes rather than the hydraulic options on the GF01. The GF02 disc models also come in a wide range of six size options from 48cm all the way up to 61cm making it a very versatile bike indeed.