BMC today unveiled the new Teammachine, stiffer, lighter, more aerodynamic and compliant than ever before.
With its dropped seatstays and aerodynamic tube shape, the current Teammachine is considered by many to be the bike that started the aero revolution that has seen bike manufacturers prioritize the best lightweight bikes over the past few years. In designing this model, BMC developed ACE (Accelerated Composite Evolution) technology. This technology uses computing power to create virtual prototypes to quickly optimize frame weight, stiffness, and compliance.
And now BMC is taking it a step further with the launch of Teammachine 2021. The new ACE+ now takes aerodynamics into account as well.
Following recent trends, BMC has added the new ICS Carbon, an integrated cockpit with stealth cabling that provides clean aesthetics and aerodynamic efficiency. The new ICS Carbon cockpit is a one-piece system and is said to be stiffer than the previous ICS system, yet 105 grams lighter. However, for those who prefer an easier-to-maintain bar and stem, the new ICS2 is also available.
The frame certainly carries the DNA of the current Teammachine, but BMC claims that every aspect has been changed. This is evident in the shape of the wider downtube, which has a larger surface area and fewer edges to improve aerodynamics while maintaining stiffness. At its base, BMC has also widened the bottom bracket area to increase stiffness and improve power transfer; in tests, BMC claims the rear triangle is 20% stiffer than the previous model, and overall stiffness is 4% higher.
The seatpost and fork blades have also been overhauled. The seatpost is now D-shaped with a truncated rear section, and the fork blades are flatter, also with a truncated rear section. Also new was what BMC calls a stealth dropout, which hides the fixing nuts in the fork (and frame and rear).
In addition, taking a cue from the brand's Timemachine Road aero road bike, the new Teammachine features an "Aerocore" aerodynamic bottle cage designed in conjunction with Elite. The new Teammachine is reportedly 6% faster than the current model.
BMC is also trying to reaffirm the importance of weight, with the flagship SLR 01 weighing 820 g in the 54 cm size, and a second model, the SLR Carbon, coming in slightly heavier at 1365 g for the frame and fork combination. Overall, the new models are said to be 9% lighter than their predecessors.
To improve compliance, BMC has adopted what it calls the TCC (Tuned Compliance Concept), a system that tweaks the carbon layup to achieve different compliance levels for different disciplines BMC has developed the TCC for Teammachine race and increased the vertical deflection of the frame and seatpost by 2% for improved comfort.
Tire clearance also follows the modern trend of wide-is-fast, allowing for up to 30 mm road tires.
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