Strengths: rigid bottom bracket
lively
aesthetics
not your average
sloping top tube
affordable on the used market
Weaknesses: 1. hairline crack on non drive side bottom bracket lug to carbon freaked me out at first. a small weakness really as bmc guarantees its only the paint.
2. on the heavy side. 1500 grams for the frame is kinda steep. my aluminum cinelli weighs 1450. all those bmc aluminum lugs add up.
3. sizing is wierd. the team machine is a 53 cm, but i am 6' with a 32" inseam!?
Similar Products Used: i have not ridden anything similar.
i jumped from retro italian steel, to an aluminum cinelli. that cinelli felt like riding a chain saw so i figured it was time to reserve the stealies for pokey rides and buy carbon bike.
Bike Setup: rol d'huez wheels. dura ace 78/7900. romin saddle. carbon easton bar and post, fsa carbon stem.
I have had 2 SLT01 frames. Both have had clear coat problems. One was warrantied, the second was not. Clear coat on second frame is peeling all over. Paint chips easily. Only 1 year warranty on paint. I simply won't buy BMC product again.
Strengths: SEXY, STRONG, LIGHT, N EVER SO COMFY. DID i MENTION SEXY !!! INTERNAL CABLES ARE THE BEST.AND NOT MANY IN THE PELETON. ALSO THERES GOOD COFFEE SHOP BRAGGING AND BAGGING RIGHTS WHEN THE BIKES WERE ORIGINALLY RIDEN BY TEAM ASTANA, FLOYD AND ALL HIS DOPED OUT MATES. GREAT CONVERSATION PIECE I MUST SAY. DID I MENTION SEXY!!!
Weaknesses: BOTTOM HEAdSET BEARING PRONE TO DIRT AND GUNK ETC. AND NOT REAL AERO IF YOUR A FAST BOY. AS IT IS A BIT SQUARE IN ITS OVERALL LOOK, IT MAY DATE. Mmmm - thats debateable, as also it has that crosslock which kind of makes it 'FACTORY' looking, almost time-less cause there aint anything else like it. Individual call on this point i suppose.
Bottom Line:
2007 bmc slto1 team machine RED BLACK WHITE model in a 53cm ( actually measures 55 top tube). I've owned no less than 10 bikes in 7 years. Couln't find one that was all the following in one package COMFY,LIGHT,SUPER STRONG,SEXY,FORGIVING On LONG RIDES,with INTERNAL CABLE ROUTING, all at a reasonable price. I've had LITESPEED PAVIA,GIANT OCR ZERO,NORCO ALLOY,BMC ALLOY SLO1, KUIPS, CERVELO ALLOY SOLOIST,BIANCHI. Of them all the BMC SLT01 has come closest to meeting all the requirements. I am 105kg of pure wrecking machine. I ride bikes and spit them out after a few months if they are weak as . This one ain't one of them. I've now done well over 7000 kms, and not a creak from the BB, and not a whisper from anything that even remotel looks like it is going to fail. I'm a freight train sort of rider- time trials, pacelines,out of saddle bursts and sprints, sort of riding. I hate hills, ad generally my weight and power and hills means bikes are squeeking and trashed in no time. This bike rules. It just keeps on taking the punches. What can I complain about - Mmmm. The bike ain't aero. It's a block. So if you want CERVELO type aero, this is no good. And also the easton ec90 fork. The bottom section of headset is wider than the top of the fork crown. So all that dirt and grime from the road gets flicked up straight into the bottom bearing & race. I've had no less than one almost seized bottom bearing replaced cause it was cactus. The ec90 is an aftermarket fork, so designed for everything. The bmc frame and that fork, just don't fit exactly. The fork itself is spectacular, so no need to replace it. You just gotta be a bit more maintanance focused thats all. A cut-up MTB tube as a sleeve/sock over this spot will reduce the problem a little - so try it, and pack it with plenty grease. cable rattle - don't know what the other reviewers are talking about - no problems there. But those consealed cables are THE BEST !. This is one tough frame, but damn comfy. average weight. Overall - I simply just can't find anything better to replace it with. So its staying !!!
Similar Products Used: TRIED EVERTHING THERE IS IN THAT PRICE RANGE, AND THIS WAS ABOUT AS GOOD AS IT GETS.
Bike Setup: AMERICAN CLASSIC MAG300 WHEELSET ( THESE THINGS ARE CRAZY FAST & CRAZY LITE), SRAM FORCE GROUP, SAN MARCO SKN SADDLE - THIS IS ONE GREAT COMFY SADDLE IF YOU HAVE A BIG BUTT LIKE MINE. FSA CARBON AERO BARS/STEM COMBO. MICHELIN PRO 3 RACE TYRES .
Strengths: Super lightweight. Even with my heavy tires and a full load of accessories, the bike is less than 16 lbs.
This bike begs for punishment and taunts me when I can't push it like it wants to be.
Super soft on the bumps. Coming from aluminum, riding this bike on bumpy roads is like walking on the red carpet. But it's not so damp that you can't feel the road like other carbons I've tried.
And this bike oodles sex appeal. Now if only I could say as much!
1 to 2-year old models can be had for very cheap relative to the posh Cervelos, Pinarellos, Treks, etc.
Steering and descending are pure gold. Like being on a rollercoaster tightly bound to the track.
Weaknesses: Frames run larger than expected. I rode a 56cm Trek and opted for a 55cm BMC. And even though it fits, it simply feels large. Thankfully this feeling passed after the first month.
Having ridden a BMC, you'll be at a loss in 5+ years when deciding on which latest model to upgrade to.
And of course, your family will begin to miss you as you spend more and more time pounding the pavement.
Bottom Line:
I'm relatively new to bicycling and multi-sports in general. At the suggestion of a coworker I signed up to ride in the 2007 Tour de Okinawa here in Japan and bought an aluminum Trek as a cheap commuter/training/beginner bike. After showing my dedication and completing the 200-mile, 2-day tour, my wife agreed to let me buy a high-end bike. Being a personal Floyd Landis fan, I soon fell in love with the look of the BMC the more I saw it in pictures and videos. Through a lot of research, bargain hunting, and patience with our military base mail system, my BMC finally arrived.
This bike absolutely screams. From the first clip in, this bike has been a pleasure to ride and I can truly say that I am spoiled to ride such a bike.
Strengths: #1 is Look. You won't find another frame out there that looks like the BMC...very distinct features that gets stares each time I'm on it. But it's not a case of design over function...the bike is like a Swiss watch; beautiful but more importantly functional.
Weaknesses: It's not the lightest Carbon frame out there...but still, you can easily get it around 16.5 pounds without spending too much on the lightest-weight componets
Bottom Line:
Having previously ridden on Aluminum...I didn't want something that absorbed too much road vibration...I like to 'feel' the road when I'm riding, but not so much that I'm aching at the end of a ride.
Enter the BMC SLT01 Team Machine. It's the perfect balance of rigid and absorbing.
It truly is a machine; and expects a lot out of its rider...demands to be ridden fast, especially out of the saddle.
