Review: BMC Speedfox 130mm travel 29er
BMC Speedfox on the rock staircase of Noble Canyon Trail.
The Lowdown: BMC Speedfox 130mm travel 29er
The BMC Trailfox 29er with 150mm of travel introduced last year was a revolutionary bike for the Swiss company. It paved the way for BMC’s entry into enduro racing and the more U.S. style of all mountain riding. BMC follows it up this year with the 130mm Speedfox 29er, which incorporates all that was learned with the Trailfox. It is a trail bike with a big sweet spot, capable of climbing, descending and playing in the rough stuff.
During our test session, we found that is a very capable bike, arguably the all-around type of bike most riders need. You could race XC and still be confident when things get rowdy. The bike’s stand-over height and geometry are dialed, with short stays, a low BB, and long top tube. It climbs well and it descends and corners confidently. The Speedfox is only held back by the stock 32mm front fork and narrow rims. Upgrading those would really bring this bike alive.
For more back story, see the Speedfox 29er First Look feature from July 2014.
| Frame: Carbon | Bottom Bracket: BB90 Shimano press-fit |
| Geometry: BMC BWC (Big Wheel Concept) 29er | Initial load indicator: Built-in SAG adjustment |
| Cable routing: Internal downtube/seatpost | Natural-born brake post-mount: 180mm discs |
| Suspension: APS | Rotors: 180mm front/rear |
| Travel: 130mm front/rear | Dropper post: 150mm travel M/L |
| Fork: 32mm | Claimed frame weight: 2210g/4.87lb with hardware |
| Seat angle: 74 degrees | Rear axle: 12×142mm |
| Head angle: 68.5 degrees | MSRP: $6999 (SF01 XX1 model tested) |
| Sizes: XS-XL |
Rating:  4.5 Chilis-out-of-5 |
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Full Review: BMC Speedfox 130mm travel 29er
Mtbr visited the new BMC USA office in San Diego and we set out to do their local epic ride, Noble Canyon. The boys of BMC were on their personal Trailfox 150mm travel bikes and marketing manager Devin Reilly said that I would be at the edge of the Speedfox’s sweet spot. “Noble Canyon can get rowdy,” he said. “But you should be fine.”
Starting the climb on the trail and slightly bleary eyed from the previous night’s San Diego tour, I appreciated that the Speedfox was easy to pedal. It scooted around just like an XC bike, as this is a sub-26-pound rig after all. As the trail pitched up, I was grateful for the 28-tooth single front ring. These Swiss mountaineers of BMC understand big hills and know that 29er wheels match up well with this gearing on big climbs. My only wish on the climbs was for a little more mid-stroke support from the Fox rear shock in the wide open position. There was some suspension bob under big efforts and I countered that by flicking the rear shock to the Trail position.
Noble Canyon Trail starts off with a shuttle ride near the top of the trail and a scenic meadow ride.
Once the trail tilted downward, the Speedfox started to exhibit its range. It had all the best traits of its big brother Trailfox, but was easier to handle and corner. The bike was nimble and fun to throw around. As the trail got really rowdy, we just checked the speed and went for it. The combination of big wheels, low center of gravity, and supple suspension got us through some hairy stuff for a 130mm travel bike. It just goes to show that one needs to trust a well-sorted bike and not necessarily defer to longer travel steeds.
In rough, high speed sections, the fork got bounced around the rocks a bit so a 34mm stanchion fork would be a welcome upgrade. We also suspect that bumping the front travel to 140mm would really allow this bike to reach its descending potential.
The Continental 2.4” tires were a bit stressed too because the rims were so narrow at 20mm. These are fine wheels with some of the best hubs, but newer bikes have moved on to wider 25-27mm rims. This would allow better stance of the tires and increase air volume, meaning you could run lower tire pressure and gain more traction.
Continue to page 2 for more on the BMC Speedfox and full photo gallery »
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