BMC Kaius gravel race bike tested at Belgian Waffle Ride Utah

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

I forgot to mention a few things in the video (I was a bit cracked after nearly 7 hours on the bike): -My freshly charged SRAM battery stopped working on the last climb. Truman Glasgow lent me his at the top for 10 seconds to shift down into a bigger gear for the descent (a definite plus of SRAM over Di2!), then mine started working again on the descent. Weird. -SRAM Red XPLR 10-44 cassette with 42t ring was just enough for the course - but I would have used more gear if I had it. On the Kanarra climb (a 20min grind with double-digit gradients), I averaged 300w and my cadence was under 60rpm towards the top where it was steep. On the other end, I spun out a few times and would just tuck. (185lb rolls downhill pretty well...) -Speaking of power, a $12,000 Red bike should come with a Quarq meter. -The aero cages held the bottles securely.

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

@K1LAonline both! With the 10-44, you can tweak the range with a bigger or smaller chain ring, but that only moves you one direction, right?

[@alexjohnson6462]

Professional triathletes have been having quite a bit of trouble lately with electronic shifting. It has been happening at what seems to be the worst possible times. And not coincidentally, SRAM so far seems to be having the most problems. It seems that the batteries are just being extremely quirky, for whatever reason. Just like with your mechanical, the batteries work, then all of a sudden it doesn't, then it does again. A few of the pros are grumbling pretty seriously about going back to mechanical on a permanent basis because they just cannot afford that kind of mechanical during a race where they could potentially lose a hundred grand payday - or even a few tens of thousands for a top 10 finish. Some are getting fed up with tubeless and disc brakes also, but thats a whole other issue.

[@tsj8762]

Thanks! How does the Kaius compare to the Checkpoint SLR you were riding?

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

@@tsj8762 Pretty different beasts. Both comfortable, but with different ways to get there. Both have a nice amount of rear flex; the Kaius is probably more compliant up front. Trek has storage; Kaius is lighter. And of course the Kaius has the 36cm bar on the top model - across all sizes.

[@kestralrider313]

In my regular goodie bag that goes on all my rides (road, MTB and gravel) I carry one extra SRAM battery; I use it less than once a year, but even once has been enough to make it worth the small weight/bulk penalty and the extra $50. I'm mostly on 2X bikes, so I used to just swap front battery to back in a pinch before I bought the extra battery. Having all my e-groups using eTAP has made my life easier and happier, but Shimano also has very respectable shifting capabilities and a few other minor advantages.

[@Gabepedaler]

Congrats on the win! Representing us young 45+ well.

[@FrankieD777]

Great Job!! Congratulations.. 7hrs is a long time on the bike. I have a BMC RoadMachine and Love it for road and gravel.. lacks in tire clearance that’s were I think this New BMC comes in.. 👍🏼

[@TheVintagesteal]

Congratulations Mr. Delaney. Awesome win and video. Wish I had a cold Sixpack to drink nxt to me ,love the music the dust etc.

[@lazarosnikolaidis256]

Maybe there's no better way to test a new bike than in a race!! And what a race! Believe it was fun but hard too. I was curious to see if the revolutionary one-piece handlebar and the aero bottle cagew were OK. Glad you proved that the money one pays for a superbike is not wasted but such bike is bullet-proof and race capable in its stock form. The last part of video was superb, almost a short documentary with nice soundtrack, I saw it 2-3 times. Good stuff, thank you Ben!

[@monopod6801]

As a Teammachine lover, and the owner of the old Revolt, this has definitely got me interested.

[@richardvaughn168]

Congratulations on a great ride!

[@kylehall4063]

Congrats on the win 🏆 👏

[@nicholi1246]

Congrats dude. I came limping by right at the start of the video😂

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Nice! Brutal course, wasn’t it? Sand, wind, elevation, more sand, more wind… and then most of the rocks in Utah.

[@Peregrino.51]

Ben, i've been watching your vids for a few days now, you've really won me over! Love the vlog/review style. Lot's of great content here, I could listen to your take on the tech for days! Thx!!

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Thanks very much. Please subscribe and tell your friends. :-)

[@Peregrino.51]

@@TheRidewithBenDelaney Way ahead of you!

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

🙌

[@marcisdedzis7959]

Hi Ben, I must say, that after completely agreeing with your review in 2018 with the SLR 01 One, I literally placed my order for the Kaius 01 Three today. The consistency of your reviews seems to be a good reason for believing in you. Thanks. I look very much forward to get the bike and share my thoughts.

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Hi Mārcis. Thank you very much. I'm honored. And yeah - let me know what you think!

[@alanhill7965]

Well done Ben awesome ride great show !

[@MorganBrown]

I’m definitely wearing hydration in the future. At GRVL I spent 48 minutes at aid. 🤦🏼‍♂️ had a mechanical at 1 and tried to wait out rain at 4. I could’ve happily skipped 1 and 2 with hydration on my back. Found that I drink more often and comfortably from the hydration packs

[@jasonhooper3802]

Thanks for the review. Glad you liked the bike. My Kaius 01 One just got delivered on Monday! Was hoping to ride it this weekend but looks like Hurricane Ian has other ideas…

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Hope it passes quickly and without damage.

[@kestralrider313]

Congrats on the win, Ben. That is a sweet bike, but I don't see myself coughing out $12-13K+ for any gravel bike. I'd love to hear someday how this bike compares to the Ostro Gravel, because it seems to be the nearest match to the BMC Kaius.

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Thanks, Tyler. I hope to test an Ostro soon.

[@antonioCsilveira]

I have the Camelbak Octane Dart 50, I like how slim it is. But is is basically only a hydration pack, there no space for anything else, but it is light and snug, seems ideal for gravel racing.

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Yeah, it really does. I haven't tried that one. The Chase still has too much to it; I just want the bladder and enough material to hold it in place. I'm not using it like a backpack to put peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in there or anything. 🙂

[@robbchastain3036]

So Fleetwood Mac needs to write a new song, Ben, you make gravel racing fun! Always enjoy your race and tech reflections and weren't ten-speed bars in the '70s narrow like that? Something like that. And what about the bottles? Did you get another bottle or two for your collection? And maybe that's really your deal, you race for bottles. 😀

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

I got a few bottles... including some glass ones filled with Lost Abbey beer... My wife isn't so keen on my water bottle collection...

[@yepNFI]

Hi Ben, loving the content mate. for reference for your height of? what width bars would you normally use for gravel riding? Cheers

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Hi Craig. Thanks. I am 6ft/183cm and usually I run 40-42 bars.

[@djmalwitz]

On the battery issue, did you check the CR2032 battery in the shifter? I had the same issue where the shifting cut out for a bit and eventually figured out it was not the derailleur battery. Nice work Ben!

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

That's a good shout, Dave. I checked it with the Garmin, and double-checked with the SRAM app. Shifter batteries were fine.

[@gerryl8310]

Hi Ben, new subscriber. Great content. Been road cyclist for decades. Live in S. CA now with an eye to move further north. Been looking at upgrade for high end road bike but lately wondering if gravel might be for me. Love to get away from these L.A. drivers. This nx purchase will be my one and done and like it to have dual purpose. Road and Gravel. So here's question... with extra set of road wheels and 28m tires do you think Kaius would perform well for road or... meh, not so much. If I were to error in one direction I guess I'd prefer better handling for gravel and if I left a little on the table for road I might be okay with that. My style is riding hard and fast or as much as these 62 yr. old legs allow me too. I'd be buying the 01 for least amount of weight, ect. Thank's ahead of time for your thoughts. Cheers!

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Hello Gerry. Thanks for subscribing. The one bike/two wheelset option can certainly work. The Allied Echo may be worth a look, as you can flip the geometry as well as the wheels. Geometry aside, two main concerns I'd have with the Kaius 01 as a road bike would be the gearing (2x great; 1x, not so much), and the 36cm bars. If you're okay with those, then the feel of the bike certainly will not let you down.

[@gerryl8310]

@@TheRidewithBenDelaney Thank you Ben! Yeah the bars bit narrow believe they can be switched out for team machines. Should be able to get proper gearing per review I read. Not trying to push a rock up a hill but a one arrow quiver would be ideal. Will check out Allied Echo. All the best!

[@MorganBrown]

Nice!

[@JohnMikeBikes]

Any thoughts on comparing those two pedals with a set of Assioma Duo-Shi’s with a SPD pedal body? Looks to be a few options to use.

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Huh - I didn't realize you could put SPD bodies on the Assioma. I guess I assumed it was an SPD-SL-only road thing. Will look into it.

[@briantravis1851]

A question for you Ben. While using your Garmin Rally XC pedals, have you experienced any "clicking"? I'm running Shimano XC900 with Garmin Rally pedals and I'm having an awful time with the cleats/shoes being very lose in the pedal. When I use a pair of Shimano RX800's, the clicking goes away and the cleat is secure. I'm wondering if it's just "my" shoes that are the problem.

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Yes! I have been getting this - and at the times you least want it, like over rattly bits of gravel or trail. The feeling and the noise is disconcerting. I lent the pedals to other riders (with other shoes), and they have found the same thing.

[@briantravis1851]

@@TheRidewithBenDelaney cheers mate, thank you for the reply 👊

[@gregorengelmann607]

How easy is it to remove the handlebar/stem for packing up in a bike bag given internal break hoses?

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Great question. That is one major drawback of this increasingly popular design. I did not try to take the front end apart.

[@mysportsclinic7045]

Vs the giant ?

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

The Revolt is definitely the better all-rounder, just because the bars aren't so, ahem, narrowly focused on aerodynamics. Depends on what you're after, right?

[@jasonhooper3802]

Fwiw there’s two other build levels of the Kaius that do not come with the integrated bar/stem.

[@aprendizdeingeniero1787]

Ostro gravel or kaius 01 one?

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Let me give you that answer in a video soon.

[@CM-ft9ep]

Ben > Levi L any day of the week.

[@thatguy9051]

Haha!! FREE LEVI!!! Yah......

[@josephalbanese1393]

Love Ben but the background music is too distracting.

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Good feedback - thank you!

[@legalessy]

belgian waffle ? WTF is this we have only Bruxelles waffle or liege's waffle out here

[@TheRidewithBenDelaney]

Hehe! 😁 You know how American cyclists are big fans of everything Belgian... belgianwaffleride.bike/