Beneath sunny Catalan skies, BMC lately launched its third era Roadmachine platform, beneath the banner ‘The Endurance Method’. The ‘components’ consists of 4 bike strains that embody the road-going Roadmachine and Roadmachine AMP e-bike, along with their gravel-munching counterparts, the Roadmachine X and the Roadmachine AMP X.
In reality, BMC sellers have had entry to Roadmachine AMP inventory because the finish of final 12 months, however the analog bikes are model spanking new for 2024. Intriguingly, each the Roadmachine and X variant share the identical frameset and fork, the one notable variations being the cockpit, groupset and tyres. So conceivably, with fast wheelset swap, both bike might turn out to be your ‘one and solely’ bike, for endurance street driving and gravel.
However, can ‘one bike to rule all of them’ efficiently combine it with the likes of the Canyon Endurace and Specialised Roubaix SL8? We put the idea to the check over a easy and quick street journey, extra mild e-bike jaunt, and a technical off-road tour close to Girona.
A softer journey
(Picture credit score: BMC)
The non-electric Roadmachine collection can hint its lineage again to BMC’s Granfondo GF01 of 2013, a real race bike, but one developed with added consolation and stability to deal with the cobbled Spring Classics.
Helmed by Greg Van Avermaet, a GF RBX went on to win Paris-Roubaix in 2017, however by then BMC had already debuted its successor, the primary gen Roadmachine. This was a disc-only, endurance-orientated efficiency bike with fewer race pretentions to seize a broader slice of the market. Gen two appeared in 2020, with full cable integration and large, for the interval, 33mm tire clearance for the newly exploding gravel scene.
In its gen three creations, BMC aimed to supercharge consolation and clearance with out compromising efficiency. Becoming larger tyres will increase consolation profoundly, however merely lengthening the wheelbase to take action would have degraded each dealing with and energy switch, sacrifices BMC wasn’t ready to make.
(Picture credit score: BMC)
“We’ve utterly reshaped the rear triangle,” confirms Stefan Christ, BMC’s head of R&D. “The 86mm PressFit backside bracket allows us to connect the chain stays vast aside, and a current UCI regulation change permits the seat tube to be a lot slimmer on the wheel cutout. Regardless of gaining clearance for 40mm tires, we’ve solely needed to improve the wheelbase by a most of 3mm throughout all body sizes.”
An indicator of the Roadmachine is its kinked seat stays, which convey compliance to the rear triangle. “The thinner seat tube now acts as a pivot level, enabling the seat stays to flex extra,” says Christ. “And, the D-shape seat submit additionally provides as much as 20mm of deflection for heavier riders. Conversely, the chain stays are extraordinarily stiff laterally, simply because the down tube is torsionally very stiff.”
To permit for the elevated clearance, the chainstays are a lot finer in profile the place they meet the underside bracket, as are the seatstays the place they meet the seat tube. It’s a svelte trying frameset, even the headtube is noticeably slimmer than its predecessor.
Geometry for consolation
Body geometry has been tweaked barely for consolation and stability too, extra so on the smaller body sizes. For instance, on a measurement 54 body, stack has been elevated by 8mm to 570mm, whereas attain has been lowered by 3mm to 383mm. By comparability, BMC’s out-and-out race bike, the Teammachine SLR 01 in the identical measurement has a a lot decrease stack at 550mm and an extended attain at 386mm.
To supply a comparability, a Specialised Roubaix in measurement 54 has a stack of 585mm and attain of 381mm; the essential numbers for a Canyon Endurace CF SLX in measurement Small are 568mm and 375mm respectively.
The Roadmachine’s headtube angle has been slackened barely throughout all body sizes, however usually solely by a fraction – in a measurement 54, it’s 72.2 levels. Seat tube angle stays the identical at 74.2 levels throughout the board, as does path at 63mm.
Elevated integration
BMC pioneered the clear, built-in aesthetic with the unique Roadmachine, and it’s now making strides on on-board storage with an built-in rear mild and fender compatibility.
The place Canyon has chosen to put in a storage compartment within the Endurace’s prime tube, BMC has opted for the Roadmachine’s downtube, discretely integrating the opening hatch into the bottle-cage mount on greater tier fashions. You’re supplied with a modest and sadly named ‘stash bag’ through which to retailer your journey necessities, however there’s loads of room in there for added objects, particularly on the bigger body sizes. Devoted cable channels throughout the downtube cease your ‘stash’ from interfering with any management cables, in addition to put an finish to the annoying body rattles that plague many people.
(Picture credit score: BMC)
The built-in mild mounts simply on the foot of Roadmachine’s D-shape seatpost, and is rechargeable by way of USB-C. BMC haven’t supplied us with output figures however I can affirm that, throughout my check journey in Girona, the LEDs had been loads brilliant sufficient, even in sturdy Spanish daylight. They’ve apparently been chosen in order to not blind drivers at evening.
There’s assist for fenders throughout the vary (Swiss winters might be depressing) with decrease tier frames boasting quite a few threaded mounts. The 01 frames don’t have mounts however have been efficiently examined with clip-on options, corresponding to SKS Raceblades.
On the cockpit, the higher tier Roadmachines are fitted with BMC’s flagship one-piece ICS Carbon Evo system, which now options an 8-degree flare on the drops. Roadmachine X fashions function its vibration-damping ICS MTT cockpit, which takes the sting of tough tracks. The design is reassuringly easy, counting on elastomer inserts to offer the damping that may be swapped out for various grades of hardness.
Body weight
Maybe it’s simply me, however BMC’s naming conference for its bike strains one way or the other manages to stay baffling regardless of being completely logical. Basically, its prime tier mannequin names are suffixed with digits 01, earlier than being ranked ONE, TWO, THREE and so forth as their specs decline.
In abstract, at one finish of the dimensions sits the highest tier Roadmachine 01 ONE street bike, whereas on the different finish we discover the entry-level Roadmachine FOUR. The 01 bikes profit from a lighter, extra premium carbon body along with a totally built-in cockpit.
Claimed weights for an 01 frameset in measurement 54 are 963g for the chassis, 448g for the fork and 179g for the seatpost.
The lightest Roadmachine AMP mannequin is 12kg.
First journey: can street and gravel collide in a single frameset?
(Picture credit score: BMC)
On a distant, washed-out logging observe, 30km from Girona, the path has turn out to be so steep and gnarly that I’m starting to ponder the humiliating penalties of totalling a shiny new $8k/£7k BMC Roadmachine proper in entrance of the model’s R&D staff.
As our group navigates deep gullies and muddy slopes suffering from ‘child heads’, it’s virtually inconceivable that simply hours in the past I, an entrenched roadie, was having fun with a quick group journey on easy Spanish tarmac utilizing basically the identical bike.
I rode each a Roadmachine 01 TWO and a Roadmachine 01 X ONE throughout the launch, on street and gravel respectively. The 55km street route snaked its method northwest from Girona in the direction of the Med, taking in 510m of climbing. The bike felt tremendous plush and planted, but responsive when climbing and really exact when cornering the descents – similar to a race bike, however with enhanced stability and luxury.
Arguably, a journey in a purchasing trolley would really feel simply as comfortable on Catalonia’s tremendous easy roads, so it was fascinating to then journey a 33km gravel route, with 320m of elevation, on the Roadmachine X.
This bike, with its 34mm tyres, excels at mild gravel – it’s quick, agile and soaks up the bumps and lumps with little fuss. Push it additional into MTB territory, as we did, and it responds competently – remaining in its consolation zone effectively after I had left mine. Positive, wider tyres, a slacker head angle and fewer road-orientated geo would have helped, however it’s exceptional how the Roadmachine’s single frameset can show so versatile.
The Roadmachine has all the time sat on the efficiency finish of endurance, so it wasn’t essentially the most comfy bike on the market. This replace addresses that with out compromising dealing with or using gimmicky suspension. The elevated clearance for 40mm tires has made it a really succesful gravel bike too, one which’s notably fast on smoother trails.
So, can one body actually serve each street and gravel? Or will it all the time be compromised? Definitely, the Roadmachine is an excellent endurance street bike that is not held again by its potential to journey gravel. Nonetheless, straight out of the field, the Roadmachine X is not a hard-core gravel bike – simply have a look at these 34mm tires. The X is quick and enjoyable on mild gravel and completely succesful on rougher trails too. It simply would not shine on the really gnarly stuff in the way in which that the BMC Kaius can, which is hardly shocking. The clue’s within the title – it is a part of the Roadmachine household.
eBike fashions
(Picture credit score: BMC)
The e-Bike variations of the Roadmachine are all powered by TQ HPR-50 motors, fed by 360 Wh batteries. The TQ HPR-50 is an exceptionally light-weight, whisper quiet system that’s so small it’s virtually hidden, however it does solely output 50 Nm of torque.
Sadly, the 30km check journey that BMC organised throughout the launch occasion principally adopted a shallow incline, so the Roadmachine 01 AMP ONE that I used to be driving always hovering across the EU’s 25 km/h pace restriction. This meant that the motor was extra off than on, not often providing me any help. On a extra constructive word, when the e-bike motor did minimize out and in, it did so in an impressively pure method that hardly disturbed my cadence. It was additionally so quiet, it was typically troublesome to inform whether or not it was on or not.
The following day, I did have a restricted alternative to attempt it round a few of Girona’s steeper streets and alleyways the place, supplied I span with excessive cadence, it gently powered me up slopes of 12 p.c or extra. There’s no ‘shove within the again’ sensation with the TQ HPR-50, the ability supply is much extra refined than that. Nonetheless, it would enchantment to riders who worth a comparatively light-weight bike with a journey really feel that’s utterly pure whether or not the ability’s on or off.
Vary choices
The highest-tier road-going BMC Roadmachine 01 ONE has but to have its specs finalised however the subsequent mannequin down, the Roadmachine 01 TWO, with a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset and DT Swiss ERC 1100 wheels is priced at 12.999 €/USD. The entry-level Roadmachine FIVE, with Shimano 105 and Mavic Open Disc wheels is 3.199 €/USD.
AMP e-Bike fashions can be found now, the analog bikes will probably be obtainable from mid-Might.
Full spec and RRPs beneath, UK pricing is TBC:
- Roadmachine 01 ONE Spec and RRP to be confirmed
- Roadmachine 01 TWO 12.999 €/USD Groupset: Shimano Dura Ace Di2 Wheelset: DT Swiss ERC 1100
- Roadmachine 01 THREE 8.499 €/USD Groupset: SRAM Drive eTap AXS Wheelset: CRD-321 SL
- Roadmachine 01 FOUR 7.999 €/USD Groupset: Shimano Ultegra Di2 Wheelset: CRD-321
- Roadmachine TWO 5.499 €/USD Groupset: Shimano Ultegra Di2 Wheelset: XRD-522
- Roadmachine FOUR 4.199 €/USD Groupset: Shimano 105 Di2 Wheelset: Mavic Open Disc
- Roadmachine FIVE 3.199 €/USD Groupset: Shimano 105 Wheelset: Mavic Open Disc
- Roadmachine 01 X ONE 7.999 €/USD Groupset: SRAM Drive XPLR eTap AXS 1×12 Wheelset: CRD-321
- Roadmachine X TWO 7.999 €/USD Groupset: SRAM Rival XPLR eTap AXS 1×12 Wheelset: XRD-522
- Roadmachine X THREE 4.299 €/USD Groupset: SRAM Apex XPLR eTap AXS 1×12 Wheelset: XRD-522
- Roadmachine 01 AMP ONE 8.999 €/USD Motor: TQ HPR-50 Groupset: Shimano Ultegra Di2 Wheelset: CRD-400 SL
- Roadmachine 01 AMP TWO 7.999 €/USD Motor: TQ HPR-50 Groupset: Shimano GRX Di2 Wheelset: CRD-400
- Roadmachine 01 AMP THREE 7.999 €/USD Motor: TQ HPR-50 Groupset: Shimano 105 Di2 Wheelset: XRD-522 Roadmachine 01 AMP ONE X 8.999 €/USD Motor: TQ HPR-50 Groupset: SRAM Drive eTap AXS Wheelset: CRD-400
