Bike Review: BMC SLR01 (Part 01) - Let the PR's tumble!
First - a word from our sponsors
I am super-excited to announce a new development for my readers - Element Cycles in Redmond has graciously agreed to provide bikes for test-rides and reviews for this blog! A big shout out to Lorraine, James, Tyler and the rest of the staff for being such wonderful people and bike enthusiasts. Please stop by their wonderful shop if you are looking for new bike, gear or just a chat with some really knowledgeable folks who love their bikes :)
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| The Beast, in Beauty's clothing! |
And now - get in, buckle up and get ready for the ride ...
It would not be amiss if bike shops also included a "safety instruction" video for mandatory viewing before the letting the riders loose on this beast - the BMC SLR01 is THAT fast, scaring fast! The SLR01 is the Swiss manufacturer's flagship vehicle of choice for races and Grand Tours, and as such has been designed for the racer in mind (more on this aspect later in the review).
I was looking forward to riding this bike over my regular test-route for testing and comparing it against my Reliable Roubaix. As it would happen though, a freaky Tuesday with almost 100˚ F made it quite a difficult ordeal. As a result, I had to scale back on my ambitions by splitting the test ride into two parts - the first focussing on a more general test of the overall ride quality, and the second test ride aimed on a closer look at the bike and riding it to the top of my favorite hills in the area. I will post my impressions of the second part later (possibly after the 4th July weekend.)
My test bike came with the high end Shimano Ultegra groupset (the groupset of choice for Team Asha's Peddi Reddy "Thalaiva" Kesari), 3T Ergosum cockpit and a Fizik Arione saddle. DT-Swiss R1650 wheels and Continental Grand Prix 4000 (23mm) tires rounded up the complete bike. I fully expected this combination to smash my previous Strava PR's on this route - what I did not expect was the margin (in the sweltering heat, without a water bottle!) of improvement over my current bike.
My first impressions of the few hundred meters of the ride could be summed up in two words "Holy ****!" Yes, any ideas about an objective, regulated assessment went flying off my head just after a few pedal strokes. This bike was a Beast - light, stiff, responsive and surprisingly smooth on the tarmac. It was not only beautiful to behold, but also a prime example of minimalist Swiss engineering. For the first couple of miles, I simply enjoyed the sensations of riding this wonderful bike!
The SLR01 sports a smaller, tighter geometry as befitting a pure racing bike. James swapped out the stem for a slightly higher angle (17˚), resulting in a more comfortable position for me. Noting that the bottom-bracket was slightly lower than that of the Roubaix, I made a mental note to specifically compare the stability of the bike in a sprint segment. As expected, the bike was very stable in the drops and urged me to go just a wee bit faster after every mile. It was a sensation very similar to the Cannondale Synapse, although on a much higher scale. I also noticed significantly less flex and power loss at the bottom bracket - I was able to consistently push gearing combinations that I reserved for my best days on the Roubaix. The power transfer was phenomenal, as experienced on the slight high-rises along the trail where I could maintain my cadence at the bottom, through the elevation, and most importantly, over the top once I crested the rise to put distance over other riders.
The turning stability was a mixed bag - I am a very very cautious rider (yeah, I may be decent going uphill, but I am the wuss in the pack when it comes to descending) and as such, did not push the bike over the "speed limit" at sharp corners. Depending on the location, and visibility around the corner, I got either really good stable curves, or a slightly wobbly path since my speed was not what the bike was designed for. Speaking to James after the ride, he confirmed that the bike was built for "pushing through the corners," so maybe I will test this more thoroughly on part two of the ride on a road with only one-way traffic.
The bike does have some unfavorable features for an endurance rider like me. The high-frequency chatter on the trail traveled all the way upto the seatpost and hoods in some instances. My right hand was beginning to feel a wee bit numb with the harsh treatment. The aggressive riding geometry put a slightly more stretch on my lower back with continuous riding for over an hour, and the saddle was distinctly uncomfortable unless riding in the drops (which I would assume, is by design, for a racing bike).
I was looking forward to riding this bike over my regular test-route for testing and comparing it against my Reliable Roubaix. As it would happen though, a freaky Tuesday with almost 100˚ F made it quite a difficult ordeal. As a result, I had to scale back on my ambitions by splitting the test ride into two parts - the first focussing on a more general test of the overall ride quality, and the second test ride aimed on a closer look at the bike and riding it to the top of my favorite hills in the area. I will post my impressions of the second part later (possibly after the 4th July weekend.)
My test bike came with the high end Shimano Ultegra groupset (the groupset of choice for Team Asha's Peddi Reddy "Thalaiva" Kesari), 3T Ergosum cockpit and a Fizik Arione saddle. DT-Swiss R1650 wheels and Continental Grand Prix 4000 (23mm) tires rounded up the complete bike. I fully expected this combination to smash my previous Strava PR's on this route - what I did not expect was the margin (in the sweltering heat, without a water bottle!) of improvement over my current bike.
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My first impressions of the few hundred meters of the ride could be summed up in two words "Holy ****!" Yes, any ideas about an objective, regulated assessment went flying off my head just after a few pedal strokes. This bike was a Beast - light, stiff, responsive and surprisingly smooth on the tarmac. It was not only beautiful to behold, but also a prime example of minimalist Swiss engineering. For the first couple of miles, I simply enjoyed the sensations of riding this wonderful bike!
The SLR01 sports a smaller, tighter geometry as befitting a pure racing bike. James swapped out the stem for a slightly higher angle (17˚), resulting in a more comfortable position for me. Noting that the bottom-bracket was slightly lower than that of the Roubaix, I made a mental note to specifically compare the stability of the bike in a sprint segment. As expected, the bike was very stable in the drops and urged me to go just a wee bit faster after every mile. It was a sensation very similar to the Cannondale Synapse, although on a much higher scale. I also noticed significantly less flex and power loss at the bottom bracket - I was able to consistently push gearing combinations that I reserved for my best days on the Roubaix. The power transfer was phenomenal, as experienced on the slight high-rises along the trail where I could maintain my cadence at the bottom, through the elevation, and most importantly, over the top once I crested the rise to put distance over other riders.
The turning stability was a mixed bag - I am a very very cautious rider (yeah, I may be decent going uphill, but I am the wuss in the pack when it comes to descending) and as such, did not push the bike over the "speed limit" at sharp corners. Depending on the location, and visibility around the corner, I got either really good stable curves, or a slightly wobbly path since my speed was not what the bike was designed for. Speaking to James after the ride, he confirmed that the bike was built for "pushing through the corners," so maybe I will test this more thoroughly on part two of the ride on a road with only one-way traffic.
The bike does have some unfavorable features for an endurance rider like me. The high-frequency chatter on the trail traveled all the way upto the seatpost and hoods in some instances. My right hand was beginning to feel a wee bit numb with the harsh treatment. The aggressive riding geometry put a slightly more stretch on my lower back with continuous riding for over an hour, and the saddle was distinctly uncomfortable unless riding in the drops (which I would assume, is by design, for a racing bike).
My overall impression of the bike for the first part, was a solid, screaming fast ride that is stiff, comfortable and stable for racers. Knowing this, I am really stoked about taking the bike for a spin up the hills and checking the difference it makes to my riding!
Stay tuned!
| Parameters Vs. Bikes | Specialized Roubaix 105 | BMC SLR01 Ultegra |
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| Feel | Smooth as butter | Comfortable, and FAST |
| Response | Less pronounced, but predictable | Speed Limit? What's that? |
| Hill Climbing | Good for a hard long grind | Did not test |
| Handling | Solid, predictable lines along the curves | Stable and precise |
| Bumpy | Bumps, what bumps? | HF chatter not masked completely |
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