Introduction & first impressions BMC Alpenchallenger

[dougpnirv]

I'm a casual rider in southern California, and have ridden a steel touring bike for many years. A couple of weeks ago, I bought a BMC Alpenchallenger AMP City One (not a very elegant name) and have found it to be quite satisfying. It's a whole new world of technology to deal with. I've always worked on my own bikes but this one will be getting it's attention at the dealer. After a bit over 200 miles, the battery charge seems good for roughly 100 miles on the low power setting. Really liking the bike & have recommended to a couple of friends who are also thinking electric.

Doug Peterson,
Irvine, CA

 

[reed scott]

I'm a casual rider in southern California, and have ridden a steel touring bike for many years. A couple of weeks ago, I bought a BMC Alpenchallenger AMP City One (not a very elegant name) and have found it to be quite satisfying. It's a whole new world of technology to deal with. I've always worked on my own bikes but this one will be getting it's attention at the dealer. After a bit over 200 miles, the battery charge seems good for roughly 100 miles on the low power setting. Really liking the bike & have recommended to a couple of friends who are also thinking electric.

Doug Peterson,
Irvine, CA

Pics. We need pics.

Welcome to the board.

 

[Bigal1463]

Welcome to EBR Doug, nice to have you. Remember to ride safe.

 

[PedalUma]

These are clean bikes. I like the Steps with an external battery on the central seat tube.

 

[dougpnirv]

Pictures prove it happened. On this bike, that is all the junk I'm going to tack on. Well, maybe a rack.

 

[troehrkasse]

Pictures prove it happened. On this bike, that is all the junk I'm going to tack on. Well, maybe a rack.

Very nice! Haven't seen one of those yet. Welcome aboard

 

[dougpnirv]

Thanks! This is my first e-bike & I'm really impressed with it. It's very natural, no sudden jerks of power or overrun after you stop pedaling. On eco setting I'm getting over 100 miles range on flat ground. Had it now just over 2 weeks & will roll over 200 miles tomorrow. The Shimano STEPS control unit takes some getting used to & the instructions are incomplete but I eventualy figured it out. It really encourages riding & I recommend it.

 

[troehrkasse]

It really encourages riding & I recommend it.

I love good mid-drives for that reason! Go faster and farther while still getting plenty of exercise

 

[stevebmd]

I am very interested in sam bike, is there a way to add the rack from the aluminum city three

 

[dougpnirv]

steve:

Maybe..... The City One is carbon fiber, and does not come with any rack mounts. The owner's manual is full of warnings about how not to abuse the CF. The only fittings are for the fenders, which mount with 3 mm screws. I've spoken to a shop that does CF repairs & they say it may be possible but they want to see the rack & know what kinds of loads I intend to carry. I haven't followed thru with a visit to them.

Without frame mods, it may be possible to use the rear fender mounting points if the 3 mm screws will take the load. By comparison, standard touring bike rack mounts are 5 or 6 mm, and are meant for loads of as much as 50 lbs. My opinion is that if the rack + load did not exceed 10 lbs, the little screws and their related frame fittings would be OK. One would have to slip a narrow strap, perhaps no thicker than 1/16", between the fender & its upper mounting point, and use the fender mounts on the lower stays for the vertical rack struts. An alternative would be a seatpost collar the has rack mounts, but the seatpost is also CF.

I know how useful a rack can be, and have had racks on my bikes for over 30 years. Depending on what you need to carry, and how accessible it needs to be while riding, the world is full of all kinds of bikepacking bags that intended for rackless bikes. I have a fat little saddlebag that holds my tools, tube & lock, and a 7 liter handlebar bag for larger things. A computer, books, packages, groceries, etc. could be a problem.

Doug

 

[stevebmd]

I am very conflicted on which of the many models to consider, and have a great price quote on a city LTD and City One. also the cross ONE. Its paralysis by analysis at this point. Thanks for quick reply. do you. any thoughts on E6100 vs E8000...

 

[dougpnirv]

Steve:

Let me double check to see which model I've got, & I'll comment. As to the selection, I agree. It's dizzying & the BMC website is wonky. Their "find your bike" page has never worked for me.

doug

 

[dougpnirv]

Steve:

My City One has the E-6100. I assume this refers to both the motor & controller. The motor is 250w & 60 Nm torque. When I was doing my research at the end of last year, I think I found the E-8000 to be 70 Nm torque, but I'm unable to confirm that today. As to their models, I can't find anything on the LTB, but my recollection from buying my bike in January was the LTD came with Di2 electronic shifting & maybe had the 8000 motor. The One & the Cross have the same motor & battery. The One has 10 speeds (11-36) while the Cross is 12 speeds (10-51). The One has fenders & lights, while the Cross lacks these but has larger, knobby tires.

The One & the Cross should be similarly priced, with the LTD (if it is the Di2 version) substantially more.

All this info comes from the current version of the BMC website. If you visit, it defaults to Swiss CHF pricing & is more useful than if you select "English" & USD. Their "find my bike" page is "still out for service", as it's been for many months now. Probably waiting on parts.

As far as I could figure out, all the CF models use the same frame, motor, battery, etc., and differ only in details like speeds, lights & fenders. The ones on the website that include racks all look like the "AL" series which is aluminum & about 7 lbs heavier. If you don't have to carry the bike upstairs & would prefer a factory rack, the AL series is probably more useful. On the other hand, if you want something lighter & sportier, that's what the CF bikes are for.

If you're dealing with a BMC dealer, they may be able to address your original question about adding the City 3 rack to a carbon frame. My local BMC dealer knew nothing about e-bikes & had no interest in discussing them. I got mine from a local dealer who handles e-bikes only but doesn't know much about CF. Their bread-n-butter is Dutch commuter bikes & similar 50 lb set-ups.

Let us know which model finally wins for you. I'm quite pleased with mine after 700 miles & 3 months time.

Doug