Reviews

BMC TeamMachine SLR01

Long-standing machine continues to top the pile for Swiss firm

If BMC’s top-of-the-range TeamMachine SLR01 looks familiar to you then that’s because it is – the bike’s been around since 2010 and has quite the palmarès to boot.

It’s been ridden to victory at the Tour de France under Cadel Evans, the World Championships with Philippe Gilbert, and seen at multiple big stages races, classics and much, much more.

It was good enough for Evans, still is good enough for Gilbert, Rohan Dennis and co and has already taken its first win of this season under new BMC recruit Ritchie Porte at stage five of the Tour Down Under. In short, it’s a bike built for the best the pro peloton has to offer and if you’re lucky enough ride one the performance will show you why.

It’s a bike built for the best in pro peloton and if you’re lucky enough ride one the you’ll understand why

When changing the bike in 2014, BMC had quite a job on to replicate the success of the existing frameset and turned to Accelerated Composites Evolution software (ACE) for help.

After some digital tweaking to tube profiles, carbon layup and few checks to make sure it conformed to UCI regulations, they settled on the machine you see here. But that was only after some 34,000 possible iterations were put through the system.

When we tested the SLR01, we found it superbly-balanced, light, and responsive both in handling and stiffness terms

Sitting atop a range which also includes the more affordable SLR02 and 03 models, as well as the all-new aluminium ALR01, this is the Swiss brand’s flagship road bike, and is specced as such.

Low-mounted seatstays were added to offer more comfort by allowing greater seat tube deflection, so you should find more than enough comfort when out on your local roads which probably bear a closer resemblance to Roubaix cobbles than a tarmac surface ever should.

One noticeable design touch is the split top tube/seat tube junction, a common thread on BMC’s bikes and an element that helps them to stand out in the peloton.

But there’s far more to the frame than looks, as BMC’s pro team wanted a light bike with enough rapid-fire acceleration to drop their rivals on the steepest climbs (not that WorldTour pros are demanding at all) and BMC responded with a frame they boldy describe as ‘acceleration redefined’.

When we tested the SLR01, we found it superbly balanced, light, and responsive both in handling and stiffness terms. The frameset weighs in at just 790g, meaning it definitely ventures into the super light territory, even more impressive considering it’s been a couple of years since the last set of refinements.

For 2016, the biggest changes are aesthetic with a new all-red model available, a rare move into a fully painted frame as BMC tend to prefer the raw carbon look on their top end bikes.

Slight adjustments have been made to the cockpit dimensions after feedback from BMC dealers and bike fitting services, but on the whole the ride remains unchanged.

Price: £5,399
Website: BMC
UK distributor: Evans Cycles

If you fancy getting your hands on one, the SLR01 is available as frameset only or in one of four complete builds: Dura-Ace Di2, Ultegra Di2 or their mechanical equivalents. The top model with Dura-Ace Di2 is the same build as the BMC team ride, and will set you back £7,499.

That bike also comes with 3T finishing kit and Shimano Dura-Ace C24 wheels with Continental’s GP 4000S II tyres. The Dura-Ace mechanical model is shown here, while Ultegra Di2 is £4,799 and Ultegra mechanical £3,499.

All models come in 51, 54, 56, and 58cm sizes, while the Ultegra Di2 model also adds a 61cm, and the Ultegra mechanical gets a smaller additional size in a 48cm.