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This week Fast Bike Friday focuses on a super-hot road bike that’s fresh into Wheelbase from our newest brand BMC! We recently shined a spotlight on this premium Swiss brand and ran through the road and gravel models that are now available; today we’re taking a more detailed look at the lust-worthy Roadmachine 01 THREE road bike…
Within the extensive range of BMC road bikes the Roadmachine is billed as BMC’s ‘One Bike Collection’, a true all-rounder that’s built for epic all-day rides with a frame developed specifically to offer more compliance and comfort, helping to reduce body fatigue and keep you feeling fresher for longer. That said, it’s worth getting one thing straight – this is not your typical ‘comfort road bike’ with a ridiculously high head tube or with gimmicky suspension elastomers; the Roadmachine is still very-much performance-focused with more traditional road geometry and a more-racey look and feel. Instead of an extreme upright position, this bike gets its comfort label thanks to clever carbon fibre engineering with BMC’s ‘Tuned Compliance Concept’ (TCC) which enhances compliance (flex) in key areas of the frame and fork.
The Roadmachine is billed as BMC’s ‘One Bike Collection’…
As you’ll expect from a bike brand packed full of precision Swiss engineering talent there are a lot of acronyms to digest as BMC explain their latest technology and manufacturing processes. TCC or Tuned Compliance Concept is one such example that needs a more detailed explanation; the Roadmachine models feature ‘TCC Endurance’ which is the most compliant version of their TCC principle. The principle is simple – engineer the carbon frame and forks to add compliance in key areas so that we can ride on the roughest roads and be able to push harder and ride further.
BMC’s TCC principle is the key to all-day comfort…
Using their Angle Compliance technology BMC are able to engineer predefined patterns of movement into specific areas of the frame and fork when they are subjected to vertical loads. All Roadmachine models feature Angle Compliance on their seatstays, fork and seatpost. With endless hours of R&D and testing BMC have been able to generate exact amounts of vertical compliance without compromising on lateral stiffness, this equates to a more comfortable ride in the real world, their iconic seatstay design further enhances vertical compliance and wheel traction while retaining lateral stiffness for those long out-of-the-saddle efforts and sharp accelerations on every terrain.
BMC’s iconic seatstay design enhances vertical compliance…
The Roadmachine range is split into two different sub-groups ‘Roadmachine 01’ and ‘Roadmachine’; it’s important to point out that the grade of carbon is exactly the same for both sub-groups with the key difference being that the Roadmachine 01 models feature BMC’s ICS technology integrated fork, bar, stem combination with fully concealed cables while the Roadmachine models do not.
The Roadmachine 01 THREE features BMC’s ICS technology…
The Integrated Cockpit System makes the Roadmachine 01 THREE one of the most integrated endurance road bikes out there. There’s some clever design solutions here from BMC with the hydraulic brake hoses running seamlessly from the handle bar, into the stem, down through the steerer tube, into the frame internally routed to the rear brake and through the fork to the front disc brake caliper. In this instance with a SRAM Force eTap AXS wireless groupset spec’d there’s no need to route gear cables through this set up, but needless to say on the models that do feature Di2 wires the setup is equally as clean and efficient.
A clutter-free integrated front end is efficient and aerodynamic…
The stealth cable routing on the Roadmachine 01 THREE creates a really clean look and improved aerodynamics. BMC’s sensitively shaped tube profiles with a unique angular appearance reflects this Swiss company’s carefully balanced approach to functionality and iconic aesthetic design.
Iconic angular carbon profiling makes the Roadmachine 01 instantly recognisable as a BMC road bike…
As I’ve already briefly mentioned, the Roadmachine 01 THREE comes spec’d with SRAM’s brilliant 12 speed wireless groupset Force eTap AXS. This is still the hot groupset to have, with many bike manufacturers featuring it somewhere in the higher echelons of their road bike ranges; sitting one rung below SRAM’s flagship Red eTap AXS groupset Force takes all of the technology developed for Red and makes it (slightly) more accessible to the masses.
Wireless eTap shifters make gear shifting precise and intuitive; they’re powered by button batteries…
The front derailleur is activated by pressing both the front and left gear levers together at the same time, shifting from the small ring to the back ring with one activation and then back from the big ring to the small ring the next time you press both gear levers together at the same time. This becomes pretty intuitive pretty quickly!
The motor battery clips securely onto the front derailleur and is interchangeable with the rear derailleur too…
The rear derailleur features a clever internal fluid-clutch to aid chain retention…
This 12-speed groupset features SRAM’s unique approach to gear ratios, created in an effort to decrease the size and weight of the drivetrain while making the jump between each gear ratio smaller for an overall more user-friendly riding experience. For the Roadmachine 01 THREE BMC have spec’d a 46T/33T chainset combined with a 10-36T cassette to ensure that you’ll always be able to select the appropriate gear for every riding scenario.
SRAM’s unique chain featuring a flat-profiled outer edge adds strength to the thinner 12 speed chain…
In a lot of cases disc brake road bikes have fast-tracked their way to being super stylish, clean looking bikes with compact, tidy brake calipers fitted almost seamlessly to the frame. The Roadmachine is a great example of this with the BMC engineers neatly integrating the SRAM hydraulic flat-mount disc brake calipers to the frame and fork.
As you’d expect, BMC have installed the flat-mount disc brake caliper neatly within the frame…
The Roadmachine’s front disc brake caliper is neatly integrated into the fork…
A high-performance road bike built for comfort AND speed obviously needs a fast pair of wheels capable of accelerating on the hills and wining the sprint at the end of your weekly chaingang; BMC have spec’d a hot pair of carbon Zipp 303S tubeless-ready wheels with an aero-efficient 45mm carbon rim depth. This contemporary wheelset has been specifically designed to excel on bikes like the Roadmachine 01THREE with a wider rim profile allowing you to run wider tyres and lower tyre pressures, a trend road riders are increasingly demanding.
BMC have spec’d the Roadmachine 01 THREE with a super-fast Zipp 303S wheelset…
The Roadmachine 01 THREE comes spec’d with 28mm wide Vittoria tyres, however BMC state that there is clearance for tyres up to 33mm wide…
Tyre clearance up front is good too, BMC assure us that you can safely run tyres up to 33mm wide; aero AND comfortable, the best of both worlds!…
A nice detail to the Roadmachine 01 THREE is the Fizik Tempo Argo R5 saddle, billed by Fizik as ‘a versatile saddle for endurance racing’. The first, most-notable detail is the stubby profile of the saddle, this short-nosed design has become really popular over he last few seasons and now is seen within many saddle manufacturer’s ranges. The Tempo Argo R5’s short length allows you to sit further forward without placing undue pressure on your body; an ergonomic cut out further relieves pressure while a compliant carbon-reinforced nylon shell combined with Fizik’s Type 2 foam is slightly thicker than on other models to provide enhanced comfort during endless hours in the saddle.
Fizik’s stubby Tempo Argo R5 saddle is a popular choice amongst riders looking for more comfort during long hours in the saddle…
The Roadmachine 01 THREE is the road bike for you if you’re looking for a high-performing do-it-all road bike built to excel on epic rides and in demanding road races; equally capable on smooth pavements or rougher back lanes with wide 28mm tyres (with the option to run up to 33mm wide) and cutting-edge wireless SRAM Force eTap AXS groupset along with flat-mount hydraulic disc brakes and super-fast Zipp 303S wheels the Roadmachine is a fantastically versatile road bike that’s ready for almost anything you can throw at it.
Fast, efficient, comfortable, responsive, confidence-inspiring – the BMC Roadmachine 01 THREE is a fantastic example of how modern road bikes have recently evolved…
The Roadmachine 01 THREE is available now in-store and online.
If you want to find out more about the other Roadmachine bikes in the BMC range or want to explore the full collection of 2021 BMC road and gravel bikes take a look at our recently published BMC Brand Spotlight…
Blog written by Johnny Dodgin
All photos by James Vincent
