We take a look at the BMC Trailfox…
Taken From Dirt issue 140, October 2013
At 150mm travel the BMC Trailfox does not have as much as the Specialized Enduro’s 155mm, but it has a chassis that will happily go head to head with its American counterpart. The basis of this lies in the nitty gritty, those being the low standover, low bottom bracket, short chainstay, slack head angle, longish downtube combination allied to a stiff frame and quality componentry.
The BMC Trailfox is a bike that can and will be ridden downhill, and for this reason the Fox dampers will need working on to provide ‘give’ in a system that unsurprisingly has been designed to be a force every bit as good as its 26” predecessor. It’s a true all rounder at heart however and will hold its own anywhere on the planet. The boys in Switzerland describe it as a “Swiss army knife that just got better”. Others see this more as a weapon for combat so neatly proven by Francois Bailly Maitre and Aaron Bradford, who have posted several second places (the highest 29” wheel results) at the Enduro World Series.
But you’re right, it’s not just about competition. And it’s in the detail that BMC can be proud to have taken an alternative approach to many companies. It certainly appears to be a bike that’s had time taken over it, the construction is ‘A’ star and the graphics (we had a long discussion on this) unique.
The BMC Trailfox is a very different bike to the Enduro and my first impressions are that both need to come in from the slight extremes that they find themselves – the Fox rear damper slightly stiff, whilst the Cane Creek a shade mushy. The RockShox Pike also provides a ride many stratospheres away from the Fox 34. Elsewhere the bike comes in a variety of build options, either Shimano or SRAM based, and also a lower priced version. Sizing is excellent and the large is bang on for six footers.
The BMC boys took us deep off piste in Whistler into a handmade root festival with a load of bad attitude. Up to our necks in root and wet dirt we were. Ten minutes of trouble all held together exceptionally well with a rugged chassis and awesome angles. But lets reserve full judgement until it goes head to head with the Enduro. You did want head to head right?
Price £TBC: Evans.
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