BH RX TEAM / SHIMANO ULTEGRA COMPLETE BIKE

As cyclists, we've become too accustomed to the banality of 'new models' of our favorite bikes. Every year we see it, most builders just throw on the accessory du jour, call a red paint job 'aero,' dust off their hands, and call it new. Luckily, BH didn't become entangled with the status quo. Instead, it went for a complete redesign of the formidable RX1, and the RX Team Ultegra Complete Bike is the result. With a new fork, brake system, bottom bracket, frame design, and hassle-free internal cable routing, the RX Team is a gleaming specimen of what the future of cyclocross design holds.

To start, the RX Team, like all 2013 BH models, has been designed around the BB386EVO bottom bracket. We should note that this is for good reason. The new BB386EVO bottom bracket system is a competitor-dwarfing 86.5mm wide and has a diameter of 46mm. It's been estimated that the new design increases rigidity by 30%, and reduces power dispersion to almost zero. So, to accommodate the massive bottom bracket shell, you'll immediately notice that the new frame design features an oversized juncture where the down and seat tubes meet. This new found rigidity is further accentuated by the frame's complete carbon fiber design. New to this year's model, the RX uses a full-carbon, tapered head tube and fork. Not only is the design a weight saver, but it adds to overall lateral stiffness while improving handling characteristics. Now, vibration is properly absorbed, chatter is eliminated, and the handling is both nimble and precise. BH's improvements ultimately amount to the RX Team being able to drop the hammer in a moment's notice.

However, our favorite new feature of the RX Team is less of a feature and more of an ideology -- placing the power in your hands. That's right, BH has provided you with a multitude of configuration options. New to to this year, the Team has the ability for both disc and cantilever configurations. This is achieved in a few simple steps. Setup for disc brakes, the frame's carbon fiber dropouts are spaced at 135mm. An interchangeable alloy hanger is available to switch to a 130mm spacing if you choose to run standard cantilever arms. So, you're probably wondering what happens to the brake posts when you're running discs? Well, BH made both the frame and fork posts fully-removable without altering the integrity of the frame. In fact, when the posts are removed, you can quickly install a proprietary plug that seamlessly covers the conversion.

We have to admit that we're just as excited about the loaded component package of the RX Team as we are about the frame. You not only get a complete Shimano Ultegra 6700 shift system, but the levers are controlling Hayes mechanical disc brakes. Driving the power for the bike is the FSA Gossimer 386EVO crankset with 46 and 36 tooth chainrings. Rounding out the drivetrain is a Shimano 105 chain and 11-25t cassette. The cockpit is mostly comprised of FSA, with the Wing Pro Alloy handlebars, OS-190 stem, and a Selle San Marco Ponza saddle. However, out of all of the pieces of the component package, we're most excited about the wheels. For the RX Team, BH went with the Stan's NoTube Alpha 340 disc wheelset, cased with Kenda Small Block tires -- finally, a tubeless disc CX wheelset.

The BH RX Team Ultegra Complete Bike is available in the color Matte Carbon/red/white and in four sizes from X-Small to Large.

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2013 BH RX Team / Shimano Ultegra Complete Bike Geometry