BMC Switzerland Fourstroke LT 01 L 2021
Reviews / Trail Bikes
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At a glance
BMC’s Fourstroke has been on the market for a few seasons now. With their LT version, they provide a fully with a little more travel and oomph compared to the regular Fourstroke. The 120mm travel front and rear, and integrated dropper post gives you that extra boost on the descents.
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About the brand
Swiss bike brand BMC radiates that Swiss top quality feel since day one. Sleek design, high end manufacturing and innovative engineering are key to the Grenchen based company.
With their own carbon layup department next door to the designers offices, they are capable of doing their own prototyping and product development in house, which results in some amazing products.
BMC stands for Bike Manufacturing Company, and was first founded in 1986 to build Raleigh bicycles under license. In 1994 they started producing their own bicycles under the BMC name. When in the early 2000’s Andi Rihs took over the company, his goals were straightforward; he wanted BMC to become the Porsche of the bike industry. BMC was a household name on the podiums of world championships and road classics.
Their website does not mention any specific environmental or sustainability policy.
The product
The Fourstroke 01 LT is available in 2 different builds; called ONE and TWO. The Fourstroke TWO sets you back at 5999 Euro, where our test model the ONE pokes a 7999 Euro hole in your bank account. For 2022 this model sees some changes, as the top of the line model will cost 8499 Euro, while the TWO model is slightly cheaper at 6499 Euro.
These eye watering prices sound expensive, but I prefer to refer to them as a lot of money. Which is something completely different. For this price you get not just a bike but also a piece of art. The componentry on the test bike is of ridiculous quality. Sram Eagle is paired with Fox Float 34 Performance Elite forks and a Fox Float DPS Elite rear shock. Sram Level TLM brakes slow you down, while a beautifully crafted Mavic Crossmax Carbone XLR wheelset keeps you rolling.
The real beauty however, lies in the frame. Crafted with precision the carbon layup shows no flaws, and one thing that jumps to the attention is the integrated dropper post. Yes, BMC makes their own dropper that is perfectly integrated in the frame. The oval shaped post gives you 80mm of travel, not a huge amount but perfectly fine for XC use on a bike that weighs in at 11,2kg. The black carbon finish with shiny holographic decals definitely attract some attention.
Out on the trail
When swinging a leg over this beast, it is immediately clear this thing is built for speed. The cockpit is spacious and roomy, with a proper XC feel to the position on the bike. Pedalling up on the local loop, I smash my personal best without putting in any effort. Or at least that's how it felt. Power is transferred efficiently with each pedal stroke, and the steering feels snappy and direct. On the more technical climbs the suspension made sure you kept a decent amount of traction, although the very progressive rear showed it’s limitations on the rougher bits.
Pointing this machine downhill shows its nature. The extra 20mm of travel might smoothen out the ride a bit more compared to the full XC race machines with 100mm of travel, this bike still isn’t a smooth ride. The suspension takes the sting out of the trail, but all this climbing prowess comes at the expense of descending capabilities. Don’t get me wrong, the bike is playful and smooth, especially on the flowier type of trails it maintains its speed really well. Just when things get steep and rough, you notice the forward position on the bike which takes away a bit of your confidence.
Verdict
Overall, this bike is a dream come true for the XC enthusiast that doesn’t shy away from some proper alpine riding. The extra travel and dropper post give that extra bit of comfort to enjoy the descents while the racing character shines on the climbs. If you appreciate a bike with top quality spec and extreme high quality frame build to go and attack KOM’s and XC races, this BMC is your weapon of choice.
This review was in Issue 66 of IMB.
For more information visit BMC SwitzerlandRelated
By Jarno Hoogland
Jarno's life has revolved around two wheels ever since he swung a leg over his first BMX at age 4. After a BMX and DH racing career, he moved on to work for bike shops, distributors and brands before ending up in the editors seat at IMB. Based in the ultimate testing ground in the Swiss mountains, he runs his guiding operation and makes sure every IMB issue is filled with top notch content.
