GRAVEL
ROAD
A relative early mover in gravel racing, BMC unveils the new generation of its Kaius 01. And this time, the Swiss brand seems to have ticked a lot of boxes.
The first Kaius already set out a clear take on gravel: less adventure, more performance. A fast, stiff, road-inspired bike, built for fast racing and long, rolling sections. But the market has moved on. Gravel events are more varied, tyres are getting wider, and riders want efficiency without giving up control.
This new Kaius 01 answers that shift directly.
🚀 In brief:
The new BMC Kaius 01 now offers tyre clearance up to 52 mm.
The frame is still aimed at gravel racing, but becomes notably more versatile.
Prices remain high: from €5,499 to €10,999, frameset at €4,499.
BMC naturally leads with aerodynamics. The new Kaius borrows several ideas seen on the Teammachine R 01 and Teammachine SLR 01, with a Halo fork, a deeper head tube, an ICS Carbon Aero Gen 2 cockpit and reworked tube profiles.
The brand claims the frame is 12% faster than the previous generation, in a comparable configuration with 45 mm tyres.
As always with this kind of figure, we will have to see what it really means in the real world. But the direction is clear: BMC is not trying to build a travel-oriented gravel bike. The Kaius remains a race bike, designed to go fast, for a long time, with an efficient position.
The good news is that this pursuit of speed does not come at the expense of everything else.
The most interesting point of this new generation is probably the tyre clearance.
The Kaius now accepts tyres up to 52 mm, while maintaining an ISO clearance of 6 mm. That is a major evolution for a gravel race bike, especially from a brand that had, until now, a fairly road-focused view of the discipline.
That changes a lot.
You can still fit narrower tyres, down to 32 mm according to BMC, to keep handling very close to a road bike on fast, smooth tracks. But you can also move to much more modern widths, suited to rougher races, fast but irregular terrain, or long distances where comfort becomes a real performance factor.
This is exactly where gravel racing sits today: go fast, yes, but without being beaten up after three hours.
BMC talks about its Tuned Compliance concept, with an AS10 aero seatpost, an Arete seat tube and seatstays capable of delivering a degree of vertical flex.
Do not mistake this for suspension. The Kaius does not become a comfort bike in the classic sense. But the idea is sound: keep a stiff frame under power while allowing the bike to better take the sting out of repeated hits.
On a gravel race bike, that nuance often makes the difference. Not necessarily in a 30-second sprint, but after several hours holding an aggressive position on rough ground.
BMC quotes a 998 g frame, a 400 g fork, a 134 g seatpost and a complete frameset at 1,532 g in a painted size 54.
The most interesting part is that the brand claims a frameset 63 g lighter than the previous generation, despite the increased tyre clearance, new mounting points and aero work.
That is probably one of the bike’s biggest strengths. Many modern gravel bikes are becoming more capable, but also heavier. Here, BMC seems to have broadened the brief without piling on grams.
The Kaius 01 ONE model is quoted at 7.1 kg in size 54, without pedals. For a gravel bike that can take 52 mm, that is a very strong number.
The geometry evolves in the details.
BMC announces a 5 mm shorter reach, an 11 mm higher stack, chainstays lengthened by 5 mm, 4 mm more trail and 10 mm better ground clearance. The head angle remains responsive, while the bike gains stability and traction.
On paper, that looks well judged.
The Kaius is not trying to become a soft, overly tall endurance gravel bike. It remains a race bike, but with a position that is probably a little less extreme and a platform better suited to today’s gravel terrain.
Sizes go from 47 to 61, covering riders from under 166 cm to over 190 cm.
That is the other very good point of this new generation.
The Kaius keeps the AeroCore bottle cages, now inspired by the Teammachine R 01. It also adds a mounting point under the down tube, a top-tube storage repositioned to accept larger bags, as well as a cargo plate under the top tube.
In total, BMC lists five standard mounting points.
For a gravel race bike, that is interesting. It remains a performance platform, but with genuine thought for carrying gear. Not to set off for three weeks of bikepacking, but to carry tools, food or accessories neatly without stuffing everything in your pockets.
The new Kaius 01 is no longer compatible with 2x drivetrains. BMC is clearly embracing a modern, race-first approach with 1x-only compatibility.
The frame accepts chainrings from 32 to 50 teeth without a chain guide, and from 38 to 50 teeth with a chain guide. The bottom bracket switches to T47x85.5 Road Wide.
That is consistent with how gravel racing is evolving, particularly with SRAM AXS groupsets or the latest Shimano 1x solutions. But it also closes the door to some more road-style builds or for those who absolutely want to keep a double chainring.
It is a deliberate choice. Some will love it, others will be frustrated.
The MY27 BMC Kaius 01 range consists of four options:
Complete bikes are quoted between 7.1 and 8.3 kg depending on the model, without pedals.
This is clearly very high-end. BMC has never been a budget brand, and this Kaius 01 is no exception. The frameset at €4,499 immediately positions the bike against the premium benchmarks of the segment.
Relatively early in the gravel race space, BMC here presents a much more mature new generation of Kaius.
Generous tyre clearance, modern frame, low weight, integrated cockpit, proper thinking about storage, tweaked geometry: on paper, we are getting very close to a clean sweep.
The most important point, in our view, is the clearance up to 52 mm. That is what allows the Kaius to remain a race bike while becoming far more relevant for today’s gravel. The market has understood that a fast gravel bike is not just a stiff bike with 40 mm tyres. You need efficiency, but also grip, comfort and stability.
Putting price aside, BMC seems to have corrected almost everything we could expect from a modern gravel race bike.
| Riding style | Gravel race |
|---|---|
| Frame | Carbon |
| Electric assist | No |
| Gender | Unisex |
| Year | 2026 |
| Model | BMC Kaius 01 ONE 2026, BMC Kaius 01 THREE 2026, BMC Kaius 01 TWO 2026 |
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