With the BH Ultralight, the traditional Basque manufacturer BH Bikes 2016 back in the professional peloton - as a sponsor of the Europcar successor Direct Energy. Velomotion had the opportunity to test the racer extensively.
Light, manoeuvrable, individual, expensive - these four adjectives provide an initial orientation for the BH Ultralight. For four weeks, Velomotion had the opportunity to test the bike that Thomas Voeckler, Sylvain Chavanel and Co should contribute to victories in the coming season. Strictly speaking, this is not entirely correct: the professionals from Direct Energy will be on a weight-optimized Ultralight Evo model. According to BH, its set weight consisting of frame, fork and headset should be less than 1.000 grams. The tested "normal" Ultralight comes with the identical geometry but slightly higher frame weight.
Both versions use a manufacturing process that BH calls "Hollow Core Internal Molding". The later hollow tubes are filled with a foam and covered by the same from the outside. As a result, high pressure is exerted on the material from both sides when baking. This can be increased in some places and reduced in others. The result is a frame with very different wall thicknesses. These are solid where necessary, such as at the bottom bracket, and sometimes extremely thin, for example in the middle of the top tube. With this process, BH achieves a frame weight of 700 grams for the Ultralight Evo model and 760 grams for the Ultralight in size SM. Despite the flyweight, the Basques promise maximum stability, guarantee a 10-year guarantee and do not impose a weight limit for the driver. That puts the rather high price of 5.299 euros for the complete bike into perspective.
Pleasing look, comfortable seating position
The BH Ultralight is visually pleasing and offers harmonious tube shapes. In particular, the soft interface between the seat tube, seat stays and top tube catches the eye. Subtle red spots loosen up the otherwise simple matt black design, but could have been continued on the decals of the in-house attachments such as handlebars, stem, seat post or wheels.
Once in the saddle, the low weight and maneuverability of the bike were particularly noticeable. The seating position is squat and sporty. You don't sit too stretched out, but you don't sit too upright either. The saddle-handlebar elevation is also balanced: clearly noticeable, but not too extreme. In this respect, BH has struck a good balance between the racing attitude in which BH's aero racer G7 Disc forcing the rider and the upright riding positions that many endurance models offer these days.
Based on the appealing geometry, the BH Ultralight was a lot of fun on the various trips. Due to the low total weight of 6,9 kilograms without pedals in size LA, it can be accelerated lively uphill and in sprints. The stiffness values in the bottom bracket and steering head are high, and the power invested is directly converted into propulsion. The driving stability is beyond any doubt, the bike can be steered precisely and controlled at all times, even on fast descents. As far as comfort at the rear is concerned, the Ultralight presented itself as solid, but not outstanding. The combination of a BH-typical steeply sloping top tube, very thin seat stays and a carbon seat post with a diameter of 27,2 millimeters irons out many bumps in the road. However, road bikes designed specifically for riding comfort are noticeably more resilient.
Successful equipment
The equipment convinced to a large extent. The electronic Ultegra DI2 circuit worked well as usual. Although it is "only" the number two from Shimano, amateur riders will not notice any disadvantages in terms of handling or shifting behavior. At best, the weight offers upward potential, but the surcharge compared to the lighter Dura Ace DI2 is hefty. The shifting processes were extraordinarily quick and precise, and the shift buttons were easy to operate even with thick winter gloves. The battery disappears elegantly inside the seat post. The cables are fully integrated into the frame, which accommodates both electronic and mechanical shifting.
Instead of the Ultegra crank, BH uses a Rotor 3DF compact crank in the BB386 Evo bottom bracket for the Ultralight, which is said to ensure lower weight and greater rigidity. On the test bike, however, this initially surprised us with a nerve-racking crackle. Fortunately, after a few drops of lubricant, the sound completely subsided.
A cassette with 11-25 teeth was installed on the rear wheel, which is a bit tight on gradients well over ten percent – as the test area Swabian Alb has in abundance. Since BH Bikes is a classic specialist retail brand and is managed by 120 bike dealers in Germany alone, it is not a problem to arrange for a gear ratio that is more suitable for mountain use when making a purchase.
Chic wheels
The BH Evo C38 wheels were definitely an eye-catcher on the BH Ultralight. These consist of light aluminum hubs with cartridge bearings, bladed spokes and 38 millimeter high carbon rims for clincher tires. According to BH, the set tips the scales at 1.500 grams – a good, but by no means exhilarating value, given that there are numerous aluminum wheelsets in the same category. With a body weight of almost 74 kilograms, the tester could not find any problems with the lateral stiffness of the wheels.
Braking behavior was largely unproblematic: the combination of carbon flanks with blue brake pads without an exact designation of origin decelerated in a controllable and safe manner at all times, even on fast, winding descents on wet roads. However, with very strong braking manoeuvres, a slight brake juddering was noticeable. The Michelin Lithium2 tires offered reliable grip in the corners, there were no breakdowns during the weeks of the bike test, despite often poor external conditions, small stones and shards on the paths. The tire width of 23 millimeters seemed almost exotic, since the majority of racing bikes are now rolling off the stack with 25 millimeter tires.
Handlebars, stem and seat post turned out to be solid. Like the wheels, the attachments are sold under BH's own Evo label. The handlebar width of 44 centimeters measured in the middle is unusual for a size L bike. Narrower handlebars are more common in this frame height. From the 31,8 millimeter wide clamp, the handlebars tapered surprisingly outwards. Even in the upper link position, the grip feeling is quite thin. The bar tape from BH, on the other hand, felt very comfortable and dampened well.
The San Marco Concor saddle is a matter of taste. The tester managed well with its fit and smooth surface, but it probably won't be for everyone. But the same applies here: As a specialist retail brand, BH Bikes can quickly find a remedy, especially since the saddle is a sensitive add-on part and the standard equipment of a bike rarely fits the habits and anatomy of all customers.
Conclusion: BH Ultralight Ultegra Di2
The lightweight BH Ultralight Ultegra DI2 is extremely agile. It accelerates very well on hills and in sprints. The stiffness values are high, the comfortable seating position is sporty without being extreme. Comfort is solid but not the focus. During group training, the comparatively exotic bra was an eye-catcher and the subject of many interested questions. The bottom line can be summed up: a technically high-quality, optically interesting bike that not everyone rides and with which you can do little wrong, but do a lot right. Despite the generous warranty provisions, 5.299 euros is still a lot of money for a racing bike.
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BH Bikes Ultralight Ultegra DI2
