BMC Teammachine SLR01

Roadcycling.com reviews the BMC Teammachine SLR01 road bike.

Since I started road biking in 1998, most bikes I've owned have been from the same company. Testing a bike from a different manufacturer was appealing to me. Even better, the test bike is made by BMC, known for its cutting edge technology and top of the line performance.

The model I tested was the BMC Teammachine SLR01 equipped with SRAM's Red groupo, Easton's EA90 SLX wheel set and EC90 handlebars and Selle Italia's SLR XP saddle. I even had a chance to race using the SLR01, more about that later.

One thing I really appreciated about the BMC Team machine SLR 01 which I have not seen on other bikes was the seat post. It was very easy to move up and down. When you have a proper seat height position it was extremely easy to lock in place. The seat post doesn't have a collar like other bikes. It has an internal mechanism that expands and contracts with a quick twist with an allen wrench.

I don't baby my bikes. I push them hard and expect a lot back. My first time out on the BMC SLR01 I practiced high speed corners criterium style. The "course" I picked was in my neighborhood. I hit the first corner about 20 mph and the SLR01 was stable and true so I decided to push the pace a little. I hit a number of corners at 30 mph plus and didn't feel any pushing or skipping. The SLR01 steered easily and smoothly. It wasn't twitchy and I didn't have to muscle it through the turns unlike other bikes I've ridden

By this time, I had an audience of the neighborhood kids. I was feeling good so decided to throw in some sprints while cornering. Coming out of the corner, I punched it out of the saddle. It felt like the bike launched when I stood on the pedals. I rocked the bike laterally and it was rigid. All the power was distributed directly where it needed to be. I'm not a sprinter but felt like I could be one with the SLR01 under me!

My next test was a section of road where I could ride hard without a break to see how the SLR01 would time trial. I put my power meter on so I could compare the output with other bikes I ride when at my lactate threshold (LT). One thing I had noticed about the SLR01 was how thin the seat stays were. Therefore, I wondered if it was rigid enough.
Well, once I hit the throttle, I was surprised how quickly the SLR01 responded. I was at 130% of my LT within seconds I had to back off numerous times to bring it into my LT zone. This was enlightenment for me. It was easier to ride in my LT zone on the BMC Teammachine SLR01 than with my other bikes. This is a huge benefit to anyone, less energy spent at LT means more reserve and feeling better at the end. The SLR01 has excellent lateral rigidity.

Another day brought me to the climbing/descending portion of my test. The climb was 2.5 miles with grades of 5 - 15%. I started conservatively hoping to increase my speed as I went. I rode in and out of the saddle for extended periods of time. Just as it did on the flat roads, the SLR01 seemed to jump forward when I put more power into the pedals. It surged even more when I stood on the pedals. It seemed effortless as I stood and moved forward.

The SLR01 wasn't sluggish even on the steepest grade. I had a great ride to the top and felt really good. After I hit the top, I thought now the fun really starts. I headed down the way I went up. I started at about 20 mph and quickly increased into the high 40's with a max of 49 mph about half way down. I was really impressed with how the SLR01 descended. It seemed to take off on its own. I again have to describe the feel of the BMC road bike as stable, smooth, and effortless. There wasn't a bit of frame chatter or head tube shaking.

There was only one more test I could do with the BMC. I was generously offered the opportunity to race with the SLR01! The Rockerville Gold Rush was a 60 mile road race with over 4,000 feet of climbing. What was I thinking? A race! Everything I had put the SLR01 through was in the race course: short steep climbs, flat roads, long technical descents and long climbs. I felt great and was in the lead pack for the first 40 miles. The last 20 miles were brutal with a long climb and steep rollers the last 3 miles. I was cooked but the SLR01 didn't let me down. It responded efficiently to what power I could muster. I just didn't have legs and finished in 7th place (5 seconds back from 4th).

BMC Racemaster SLR01 frame close-up.

Overall, I would rate the BMC Teammachine SLR01 near the top of my list of bikes I have ridden. It might even be #1. The SLR01 can do everything you ask for in a high end bike by performing above average in all areas. It handled well at high speeds, cornered like an Indy car and was responsive while out of the saddle in climbs and sprints. It dampened road vibration. The SRAM Red component group works well with the SLR01.

The BMC Team Machine SLR 01 also has very distinctive look being primarily black with red accents. In addition to the cool color scheme, BMC has placed its logos in highly visible areas on the top tube, down tube and chain stays which often catch your eye. I would recommend this bike to anyone who wants a high end bike that is lightweight and super responsive. If you would like more information about the BMC Teammachine SLR01 road bike, visit www.bmc-racing.com.

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Stage 3 of the 2010 Vuelta a Espana lead by Philippe Gilbert

Philippe Gilbert looked very focused on the sea side of Marbella at the start of stage 3 of the 2010 Vuelta a Espana. He even tried to hide that he had gone to the Castillo de Gibralfaro and scouted the uphill finish by car in the morning but the news was broken by his team-mates. However, the other riders in the bunch didn't need to know that for naming him as the hottest favourite for the stage victory.

The Belgian specialist for the classics added to the stage win his first leadership in a Grand Tour. He was delighted to get the red jersey. "It's a nice surprise", he commented. "I had been second on the results sheets of the Tour de France once behind Alejandro Valverde after stage 1 in Plumelec (2008). It was also an uphill finish. I was once classified sixth at the Giro. I've been close to the jersey before but I didn't get it. Now I'll do my best to respect this red jersey."

The 28 year old won in Malaga in the same way he claimed the Amstel Gold Race in April. "This one was a similar climb as the Cauberg", he analysed. Gilbert is a happy man. Three weeks prior to his first stage win at the Vuelta, he married his girlfriend Patricia on August 7 in Belgium. Their first baby is expected in two months from now. When he crossed the line, he kissed a jewel to send her a message of love. But he has set his sight on another event as well. "I came to the Vuelta for gearing up for the world championship and with the ambition of winning a stage", he said. "The second goal is already reached."

Philippe Gilbert celebrates his stage win and overall Tour of Spain 2010 lead on the podium in Malaga. Photo copyright Fotoreporter Sirotti.

Gilbert doesn't hide his ambitions to become the world champion at the 2010 Road Cycling World Championships in Geelong, Australia, on October 3rd. "The toughness of the course has been underestimated by many favourites", he noted. "If it's a sprint at the end, there'll be a maximum of 25 to 30 riders. We might see the same riders who usually perform well at the World's. I've seen that [Russia's Alexandr] Kolobnev is here with the same aim as me, which is working for the team and training well. [Filippo] Pozzato and [Daniele] Bennati should be there for Italy, [Simon] Gerrans will play at home and of course [Oscar] Freire is always a man to watch."

Stay tuned to Roadcycling.com for extensive 2010 Vuelta a Espana coverage including news, results, interviews and video highlights from every stage. Spread the word! When on the move, visit our mobile cycling magazine Roadcycling.mobi from your mobile phone or download our new cycling app for Nokia phones.

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Trek and Brian Nygaard signed a long-term partnership agreement

Waterloo, WI USA : Luxembourg City, Luxembourg – Trek Bicycle and The Luxembourg Pro Cycling Team Project have signed a long-term partnership agreement, announced today at Eurobike by Trek and Brian Nygaard of the Luxembourg Team. The new team, featuring brothers Frank and Andy Schleck, will be part of the Trek Family for 2011 and beyond.

As the official Equipment Supplier and Advisor of the Luxembourg based team, Trek will not only be responsible for supplying all team cycling equipment, but will also be day-to-day technical advisors, integrated into the foundation of the team. Trek will use its experience gained in winning 9 of the last 12 Tours de France to supply the team with technical direction ranging from race day wheel and component selection to fit and sizing guidance on its Madone and Speed Concept time trial platforms.

Though the full roster and title sponsor are yet to be announced, both Frank and Andy Schleck have confirmed that they are racing for the newly formed team, headed by Director Kim Andersen. Andersen elaborated: “We looked at a number of equipment suppliers, but our goals are to win the Tour de France and be the #1 team in the World. Trek has the best equipment, along with more experience and expertise to help make that happen.” Team General Manager Brian Nygaard continued: “We know Trek can help us go faster. Their expertise in aerodynamics and performance can make an appreciable difference in results. It is the right move to help the Schlecks and the whole team.”

Trek will be the complete bicycle supplier, using the full arsenal of Bontrager wheels, bars, stems and saddles to meet the specific needs of each rider. The team will also be wearing new Bontrager performance road helmets. The drivetrain/brakes will be Shimano Dura-Ace Di2. Hennie Stamsnijder, Shimano’s Sports Marketing Manager relayed, “Shimano is known for its reliability and precision, and that is something this new team and Trek identify with and will rely upon when the stakes are high. We look forward to working with Trek in this endeavor to support this highly anticipated team.”

John Burke, Trek President, added: “We have had great success at the Tour de France over the past decade, and this new team will help continue that legacy. This is the right team for Trek to partner with in Europe. From day one we realized that this team is full of Trek guys.”

The partnership with the Luxembourg team is in addition to Trek’s current relationship with Team Radio Shack. Both teams will be riding Trek for 2011.

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2011 Archon C1R Released

C1R Boasts Lighter Weight and 12% increase in head tube stiffness

Ooltewah, Tennessee – Performance bicycle manufacturer Litespeed today announced the release of the 2011 Archon C1R, the flagship frameset in their acclaimed line of aerodynamic carbon bikes. Material upgrades to the peleton-grade 2011 C1R include 100 gram reduction in weight as well as a 12% increase in head tube stiffness over the 2010 Archon C1.

The C1R also features Reactive Pressure Molding, or RPM, a new carbon manufacturing technique used to carefully control the frame’s internal form and wall thickness during construction. Greater control during manufacturing process allows the frames to be lighter in weight and more rigid than their predecessors. The all-new C1R boasts dramatically increased torsional stiffness in the headtube, notable increase in stiffness in the bottom bracket area, and the full array of the Aerologic features including cross-section aero-tuning and proprietary water bottle shroud.

“This bike represents a package of features unparalleled in the market,” said Peter Hurley, CEO of American Bicycle Group. “Our entire team has worked exceedingly hard to construct a carbon aero road bike that rides like no other and I couldn’t be more pleased with the end result. I have no doubt the C1R will be warmly welcomed by our dealers, industry press, and the avid cyclist alike. ”

Hurley also noted the company’s long tradition of design innovation: “The value of taking the time and energy to develop material-specific technology has long been evident in our experience with titanium. As the Litespeed carbon range has become more and more recognized in the global market, we see it as both a challenge and obligation to continue that tradition of excellence. We have every intention of holding true to that standard with every pro-grade bike we produce, regardless of material.”

The 2011 Archon C1R will officially launch at Eurobike in September 2010. The Archon C1R will be available as a frameset only and is available in five sizes, including model-year 2011 XL.

Background: The C-Series, in development for over 3 years and introduced by Litespeed in 2010, features Aerologic smart frame design which allows for the capture of “free speed.” Wind tunnel qualified data verifies a reduction of over 20 watts compared to a standard, non-aero road bike and a 16% advantage across all yaw angles. The shrouded water bottle mount reduces turbulent airflow and drag at 20(degree) yaw by upwards of 8%. The C-Series range features 2 stand-alone framesets and 3 full bike builds, including both SRAM and Shimano.

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The New Partnership between Edge Composites and Smart Aero Technology.

Ogden, UT, USA – Utah based ENVE Composites, formally Edge Composites, announces their year-long development partnership with top UK aerodynamicist Simon Smart of Smart Aero Technology.

Smart, an ex Formula One aerodynamicist with fifteen years of engineering experience at the highest level of motor sport, earned global recognition from his design and development of the Giant Trinity and Scott Plasma 3 TT frames in the wind tunnel – both manufacturers realizing overnight success in the ProTour with wins in team and individual time trials. Smart Aero Technology is based at the Mercedes GP – Petronas team headquarters and wind tunnel in Brackley, Northamptonshire in the United Kingdom.

Now renowned as the most successful time trial frame designer in the world with no less than six bikes in the top ten at this year’s Tour de France individual time trial in Bordeaux alone, Smart also co-developed the new Scott F01 aero road frame as ridden by HTC-Columbia team members and his distinctive designs have influenced a number of time trial/triathlon bicycles on the market today.

When asked about the timing of the partnership, ENVE Founder, Jason Schiers said “We had already established our reputation as a manufacturer of wheels with the highest strength to weight ratio in the industry and we were really looking for that aerodynamic edge to make them truly superb. Strength and integrity are woven into our foundation and something we’ve always been extremely proud of – the fact that we already have the world’s number one mountain bike team in Syndicate and other world-class individuals like Brian Lopes actively going after our products solely based on their strength, stiffness and durability is testament alone to that. Simon’s expertise in aerodynamics specific to cycling is the perfect compliment, so as a company with a passion for innovation and leadership; we just had to get this done.”
Brett Satterthwaite, fluid dynamics engineer and co-owner of ENVE agreed. “We were obviously impressed with Simon’s knowledge and experience that he brought from his days in Formula One, but his resume in the cycling industry is also impeccable. His experience in frame development and rider testing has given him a solid comprehension of the range of wheels currently on the market which has in turn allowed him to really drill down on areas for improvement. The development of the Drag2Zero test protocol for optimizing aerodynamic rider position and equipment setup is something else that makes him so unique in this industry and this is exactly the kind of insight and understanding of an athlete’s requirements that makes him such a great partner.”

Taking the fundamentals of the Drag2Zero design protocol, Smart has developed a world leading test facility, incorporating proprietary hardware and software specifically for ENVE/Smart Aero Technology wheel development at the Mercedes Benz wind tunnel. A novel rapid prototyping technique together with iterative testing has been implemented to ensure a high level of testing fidelity with reduced the lead times between tests in order to evolve a new range of aero products. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis has also been used to provide and enhance development direction throughout the course of the program, enabling numerous prototype wheels to be manufactured for use in the field between wind tunnel tests to evaluate performance properties such as aero stability, stiffness, weight and drag through a range of riding conditions and speeds.

The upcoming range of ENVE/Smart Aero Technology wheels will be the culmination of over a 1,000 test runs and hundreds of hours at the Mercedes wind tunnel throughout 2010. All prototypes have been individually tested by pro riders and have already been used on the road in various races throughout Europe and the USA.

Satterthwaite added “The new testing methodology will revolutionize wheel aerodynamic and field testing; ultimately setting a new industry standard. We’re incredibly excited to be spearheading such aerodynamic, technological and manufacturing advances with Simon because at the end of the day, this partnership beyond any doubt defines what true teamwork is all about in making the absolute best product available to the consumer.”

Of the collaboration Smart commented, “I became fascinated in wheel aerodynamics when I started developing the Giant Trinity three years ago. Our product development work with leading manufacturers and teams, and one to one experience with over 150 riders at Drag2Zero has given me a unique and invaluable insight into wheel aerodynamics and market requirements. With this wealth of knowledge and the Mercedes GP wind tunnel at our disposal, our natural progression was to develop a range of wheels. We recognized that wheel manufacture is a very specialized field and therefore we needed to find a partner who could develop and produce wheels with the highest quality and mechanical performance – ENVE obviously tick all of those boxes. Our development program has already exceeded expectations and the development wheels currently being ridden by professionals in the field show a great synergy between the combined composite and aerodynamics skills of our two businesses.”

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Kay Gets to Grips with Her Garmin

khodgins | Blog, Cycling Plus | 27/08/2010 12:43pm

Team Member: Kay Bowen

36 year old Kay from Southampton is a very active person. She overcame thyroid cancer last year which has inspired her to try a whole host of new activities, including sailing, tennis, skiing and triathlons. As a triathlete, she already does a lot of cycling, but is keen to work on this aspect of her training. Her goals are to sustain longer distances and to go on a cycling holiday

My Garmin now tells a tale – I am uploading my rides and runs and will soon be able to repeat them to see how I am improving, although I can feel I am improving, without looking at zones or heart rates – hills that were a struggle now being a joy, and new hills tackled without fear. Despite the freak northern weather (rain) I have got out there and enjoyed the time on the bike, with some exploring of new lanes and routes, including a unusual flat bit of road in the Meon Valley, where I spotted 3 other cyclists. I am getting quite good, I think, at perfecting the nod of recognition, slight smile and secret handshake required from the brotherhood of road bikers. I even smile at mountain bikers – hope that’s ok with everyone?

One exciting ride down a hill on my homeward stretch involved 3 ladies tacking (excuse my mixed sporting metaphors) up the hill across its entire width, quickly followed by 2 fast cars, a deer running alongside me and a horse and cart. Somehow the Garmin told me my heart rate was too low – surely not with all that excitement to contend with? Looking at the stats, it dropped to 40bpm, which is beep worthy as my resting is 60. Clearly Garmin have figured out that I might be dead, or near to, and its worth beeping me – but could they send a 999 call with my exact position if it drops that low again?

I finally went along to the swim club training at Esporta on Tuesday night, and loved the drills and pushed myself to swim well and fast. Well, as well and as fast as I can, and still breath and have fun. I am looking forward to building that in to my weekly program. I also got my money’s worth out of my gym membership by fixing up a hour with Andy, one of the gym staff, who has a more progressive approach to exercise that I love – we went out in the rain to run around the car park so I could try out being more ‘centred’ in my running. Essentially, his philosophy is to enjoy moving your body, to love what you are doing and be in the moment, not desperate to reach a goal. This almost spiritual sense of the value of exercise resonates with me and I will book in another chat and wonder time with Andy – a real find of a mentor.

I got a puncture at the end of a ride – and Rob sat me down with tyre levers and an inner tube and I wrestled with them for nearly half an hour but I did it. Finally getting my hands dirty!

And to finish the week – a 3 hour Evans Ride It! from Liphook in Hampshire. I was doing the ‘fun’ route ( 17 miles) with 9 year old Hannah. Unfortunately the choice of route was not much fun for the first 6 miles, being on fast country lanes with a lot of traffic. The rest of the route was fine, lots of ups and downs and I kept Hannah going by shouting out our top speeds down hills, but she needed a lot of support. Road riding with her is not much fun for me – I am so worried about the speed of traffic and am trying to protect her all the time. I found the area a bit of a rat run for Chelsea tractors, to be honest, and would have been better off taking her out at home. Evans meet and greet was good, but still no goodie bag at the end – how about an Evans branded mug with a free tea or coffee inside it guys? Cheap, free advertising and would raise the events from ‘does the job’ to ‘ah – they care!’

Who are Team Cycling Plus?

Team Cycling Plus powered by Verenti are readers Andy Ward, Kay Bowen, Malcolm Ratcliffe and Sam Shaw. We’ll be following them in the magazine for the next few months as they train towards their personal cycling goals under the guidance of Team Wiggle’s Ben Simmons and we will be publishing their weekly trials and tribulations here too. For regular updates check our twitter page and the Team Cycling Plus facebook page.

This entry was posted on Friday, August 27th, 2010 at 12:43 pm and is filed under Blog, Cycling Plus. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.

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Sam Shaw Week Training as Part of the Team

khodgins | Blog, Cycling Plus | 27/08/2010 10:30am

Team Cycling Plus will be updating you each week with the highs and lows of their training as part of the team. This week Sam’s doesn’t cope well with getting man flu…

Team member: Sam Shaw

29 year old Sam who lives in Stirling weighed in at 20stone in 2006. But through discovery of his love of bikes he has shed over 6stone and is still losing. Beginning with tentative 5km commutes, working up to include an 18km detour with 360m climbs, and now braving sportives and time trials, Sam’s newfound obsession has changed his life. His goals are to get down to 13stone and wear lycra with pride.

How do cyclists handle a week of illness? Simple answer: badly.

I use my bike every day for transport to and from work, I use it to control my weight, get exercise, train for events, for enjoyment, to save fossil fuel (not money – we all know that cycling’s NOT cheaper than driving a car once you invariably get stricken with upgradeitis), to feel good and for a whole host of other reasons that are mainly for my own benefit. The other thing is that I really love riding the Verenti Millook! So when it comes to not being able to cycle for a week, I really feel lost. This illness, some would call it ‘man flu’, started with a heavy cold which then turned into an ear infection; so a visit to the doctors and some antibiotics to clear that up, but the pain was still there in a different place; so a visit to the dentist for a root canal treatment on a tooth that had become infected. It really wasn’t a good week.

It did leave me time to ponder why we ride and what we miss about riding when we cant, for whatever reason. I don’t have the physical or mental ability to stick myself on a bike and hammer the pedals when I’m feeling absolutely rotten, like Pro Tour riders do. My livelihood depends on me being at work, not being on the bike so there’s always going to be a compromise if cycling when ill is going to affect my work. So the decision to drive to work and not do a single minute of training for the last week really had a pre-determined outcome. It was particularly hard to stomach this week though as it was the last big week of training prior to a 10 mile TT I have on the 19th August, then the 100mile, Ken Laidlaw Sportive on the 22nd of August, to which my training has been tailored for the last few weeks. The last thing I wanted to do was to prolong my illness and potentially miss either of these rides so I had to accept that the bike would be waiting for me when I feel like getting back on it.

This still doesn’t make it any easier though; even when lying in bed dozing with a temperature, I’m thinking of what I’m missing – what training other people will be doing. And that’s what gets us on our bikes. We enjoy cycling for many different reasons, I think I love it for them all judging by the answers I read whenever there’s a “why do you love cycling” question posed on the internet or in print. Ultimately we will always have our reasons for wanting to get back on the bike, we all know the story of Tommy Simpson who heroically died trying to complete the ascent of the Ventoux but sometimes we just have to accept that we’re ill and we’ll get back on soon enough!
Who are Team Cycling Plus?

Team Cycling Plus powered by Verenti are readers Andy Ward, Kay Bowen, Malcolm Ratcliffe and Sam Shaw. We’ll be following them in the magazine for the next few months as they train towards their personal cycling goals under the guidance of Team Wiggle’s Ben Simmons and we will be publishing their weekly trials and tribulations here too. For regular updates check our Twitter page and the Team Cycling Plus Facebook page.

This entry was posted on Friday, August 27th, 2010 at 10:30 am and is filed under Blog, Cycling Plus. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.

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