BMC Kaius 01 TWO Review: This Swiss Gravel Ace Hits a Specific Sweet Spot

Sometimes, to begin understanding a product, it helps to break down the name. That is certainly the case with the BMC Kaius 01 TWO, which possesses rather multi-stage nomenclature. Thankfully, the initial acronym could not be more straightforward: it’s short for, as it were, Bicycle Manufacturing Company. Based in Grenchen, Switzerland, the brand was born as a Raleigh distributor in 1986 but has been focused on its own cutting-edge engineering and design since 2001.

One shining example of how BMC operates: the eye-popping gravel bike you behold here. With Latin origins, Kaius is generally understood to mean “rejoice.” (We like that.) The 01 presumably refers to the fact it’s the first edition, while the TWO denotes its trim level, between the $5,900 THREE and the $11,999 ONE.

Of course, with its $9K price tag, the TWO is hardly middle of the pack. The Kaius 01 TWO (henceforth known simply as the Kaius in this review) is a race-level carbon gravel bike loaded with performance features aimed at enabling you to rock and roll through gnarly off-road terrain at a propulsive clip — and look good doing it. Does it all add up? Well, I had a helluva time finding out.

BMC Kaius 01 TWO: What We Think

Taking some long spins on the Kaius, both around New York City and on some challenging trails upstate, a few features leave a lasting impression. For one, unlike every other gravel bike I’ve tested, the stock model features a 2x drivetrain — and while I was initially skeptical, I came to really appreciate it. Another thing I love is how speedy this bike is on the road, while still being burly enough for serious gravel. And the paint job is a true crowd pleaser anywhere you go.

That said, the Kaius is not without its faults. Most notably, there’s the fact thatit lacks some extras you’d hope for with a bike of this price — and it is so aggressively aimed at racing that it’s a bit limited in what else it can do.

Still, there is a clearly a lot to like here. As I expand on all those thoughts below, you’ll see that the pros significantly outweigh the cons.

BMC

BMC Kaius 01 TWO

• $8,999.00 at bmc-switzerland.com

The 2×12 electronic drivetrain is one smooth operator

Steve Mazzucchi

Steve Mazzucchi

Borrowing a trend born in mountain biking more than a decade ago, many manufacturers have embraced the 1x drivetrain in their gravel bikes. These days, it’s basically impossible to find an MTB that’s 2x (many now have a dropper post lever where a front derailleur shifter would be) and gravel bikes aren’t that far behind. The advantages are ease of use, reduced maintenance and a bit of weight savings, and with some having as many as 13 chainrings in the back, you typically don’t give up much gear range, either.

What is lost? Smoothness. With a properly operated 2x drivetrain, you get an almost seamless shift from one gear to the next (rather than that cha-chunk effect you sometimes get making gear jumps on modern MTBs), a big reason this system persists on road bikes. Additionally, while most 1x bikes have a one huge chain ring in back that enable you to climb just about anything, they tend to top out on downhill bombs, leaving you maxed out on the speed you can physically generate, no matter how enthusiastically you pedal.

Perhaps that’s why, with BMC’s strong road racing pedigree, the stock Kaius has a 2x drivetrain. Considering many gravel races include a fair amount of tarmac, this bike is positioned to blast past rivals on that surface.

All of which is to say that in many ways, this bike’s drivetrain overcame my skepticism. I found that both climbing and descending, the more gradual movement between the gears felt reassuring and confidence inspiring. Of course, it didn’t hurt that this bike also has SRAM FORCE eTap AXS wireless electronic shifting, which only brings yet more precision to the table.

Steve Mazzucchi

Steve Mazzucchi

Also impressive is the way you shift on this bike: tapping the right lever for harder gears on the rear derailleur and the left for easier ones is pretty standard, okay — but to shift between the two chainrings in front, like nuclear sub officers turning two keys to launch a Trident missile, you press both levers at the same time. I can’t tell you how satisfying and effective this action is — it really puts the fun in functional.

The only real knock I have to this set-up is theoretical: having two battery-powered derailleurs leaves you with twice as many failure points down the road, and if anything does go wrong, these components could be pricey to fix.

The Kaius is comfortable and confident on all surfaces

Steve Mazzucchi

It’s hard to ride this bike and not feel BMC’s road racing pedigree — the brand’s Teammachine SLR 01 was the ride of choice for the eight-man AG2R Citroën Team at this summer’s Tour de France, and it has also invested heavily in aero/triathlon bikes. While the Kaius of course embraces gravel geometry — shifting the front wheel forward for stability off-road and shortening the stem to improve handling when you need it most — the bike still feels very road-y, and by that, I mean fast.

Part of the reason is the aforementioned 2×12 drivetrain, which increases shifting efficiency and lets you make a meal out of descents. But you’ve also got to factor in the lightweight carbon frame (before adding pedals and accessories, my size-54 ride came in at 18 pounds, 2 ounces) and BMC’s Aerocore design, streamlined to the degree that the bottle cages are built right into the frame. The Pirelli Cinturato Gravel H 40mm tires are also fairly road-friendly, though there’s clearance for up to 44mm tires if you want to go burlier.

As speedy as I felt when the road was smooth, I rarely felt under-gunned on technical gravel. As with any race-oriented bike, the margin for error is smaller than it is with something more funky and forgiving (like, say, Evil’s Chamois Hagar with its beefy 50mm tires). So yes, there were some dicey moments and jangling of nerves on some of the gnarlier off-road descents, but I stayed focused, kept the shiny side up — and probably became a better rider in the process.

This bike is somewhat lacking in extras

Steve Mazzucchi

Leaning into racing prowess can have its downsides, and with the Kaius, the most noticeable is a lack of versatility. That may seem obvious, even intentional, but actually spending time with the bike and not racing — well, it becomes more glaring.

The integrated bottle cages are awesome, but beyond that, there is really only one mounting point (for a top tube bag); there’s also no storage in the downtube, a feature we’ve been seeing in more and more gravel bikes lately — most recently ENVE’s MOG, which positions itself as a racer that can party, too. There’s also no dropper post or suspension stem, though it can accommodate both. These are admittedly not very common stock features … but they are things you might hope for when you shelling out $9K.

Of course, if that kind of money is chump change for you, maybe you can just get another bike to ride around the city or commute, and yet another for your bikepacking adventures. But if you’re looking for one bike to do it all — or at least a couple different things — this ain’t it.

The Kaius has one helluva paint job

Steve Mazzucchi

Years ago, I had the chance to ride an Indian Scout motorcycle with a cream-and-seafoam color scheme that was so flippin’ sweet, people constantly asked where I’d had it custom-painted. I feel similarly about this particular trim level of the Kaius, with its bold turquoise main hue complemented by just a bit of white and creamsicle-ish orange.

This treatment also turns all kinds of heads on the road, and is sure to make you stand out from the pack. As I’ve detailed in the above highlights, the Kaius generally has the performance capability to back up that splash. So the only question that really must be answered at this point is … do you?

BMC Kaius 01 TWO: Alternatives

Pinarello

Pinarello Grevil F Ekar

• $3,999.00 at Competitive Cyclist
  $6,500.00 (38% off)

If you long for a European bike with a distinctive look and racing intent — and a deal! — check out one we actually raced and loved last year, the Pinarello Grevil F Ekar. Originally $6,500, this 2022 GP100 selection is available on sale as of this story’s publication at Competitive Cyclist for $3,999 (38% off).

Enve

ENVE MOG

• $7,900.00 at enve.com

If you crave a similarly lightweight racer that can do double-duty as a bikepacker, peep the ENVE MOG ($7,900), which boasts extra mounting points on the tubes and front fork as well as a “cargo bay,” 36 cubic inches of storage inside the downtube.

Allied

Allied Echo SRAM Force AXS

• $7,500.00 at alliedcycleworks.com
  $8,350.00 (10% off)

If you’re a fiend for SRAM Force AXS wireless electronic shifting, consider the Allied Echo SRAM Force AXS, available in a similar color and at a similar price point ($8,350).

The Pro’s Closet

BMC URS 01 Large Frameset – 2021

• $1,696.99 at theproscloset.com
  $2,349.99 (28% off)

If you are enamored of BMC’s gravel frames, and you ride a size large, check out The Pro’s Closet, where a refurbed URS 01 frameset (from the brand’s other gravel bike line), is available for $1,696.99, roughly half its original price of $3,399.

eBay

2023 BMC Kaius 2 Weeks Old!! SRAM Red Size 51 2x Power Meter Setup

• $7,750.00 at eBay

Last but not least, if you truly want this bike, just for less, and you happen to be a size 51, check out eBay, where a practically brand-new one is selling right now for $7,750 (or best offer).

BMC

BMC Kaius 01 TWO

• $8,999.00 at bmc-switzerland.com

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