Competitive Cyclist

BMC ROAD RACER SL 01

The face lift performed to the Road Racer SL 01 for 2009 was so thoroughgoing, that we sometimes wonder why BMC didn't give it a brand new name. It bears virtually no resemblance to the original generation of the Road Racer -- one of our all-time best selling framesets, a real favorite to riders looking to extract maximum value for their money. And perhaps, in fact, this is why the name didn't change. Even though its design is all-new, the Road Racer is still THE standout model for ROI.

The silhouette of the Road Racer is all-but-identical to the Race Master SLX 01. The reason for this, of course, is its use of the BMC Streampost, a design detail first introduced on the Race Master. From a distance it might look like the same sort of integrated seatpost commonly seen on high end Ridley, Scott, and Giant frames. It's not the same thing, though. While it offers the beauty, the stiffness, and the aerodynamics of an integrated post, it has the adjustability of a standard post.

You'll be surprised by the thinness of the carbon walls used on the Streampost. This thinness is a function of the fact that no clamping forces are put on the Streampost. At the bottom side of the post is a wedge (not unlike an old quill stem) with a small bolt you pretension to put outward pressure on the seat tube, thereby giving the post some grip inside the frame. A carbon fiber cable connects this wedge to the locking bolt at the top of the post. Once the wedge is pre-tensioned you can still adjust the post up and down. And once the post is perfectly positioned you simply turn the locking bolt to hold everything in place. This locking bolt is literally an on/off bolt. It puts no tension on the frame. The first time you use it you'll be surprised at its elegance and its ease to use.

Other details give it great similarity to the Race Master. It uses the same seat tube and CNT carbon fiber chainstay, which provides the same stiff-under-power ride quality you get on the Race Master. The critical difference between the two frames is what gives you your cost savings here. The Race Master is a "mixed material" frameset -- a way of saying that BMC makes extensive use of carbon fiber in the main triangle to shed weight. In contrast, the main triangle of the Road Racer is made completely from hydroformed, triple-butted, 7000-series aluminum.

The down tube and seat tube of the Road Racer are as wide as the bottom bracket where they mate to it. Ditto with the chainstays -- they're as tall as the bottom bracket shell where they connect. This massive surface area is all about power transfer. Hydroforming is the only technology that allows BMC to morph the shape of the aluminum tubes into different profiles along their length. This gave BMC the ability to put stiffness where it's needed without forcing the Road Racer to ride like a jackhammer. Stiffness here doesn't translate into harshness. It's also why the seat tube can be built with such oversized dimensions at the BB shell, but then transition into a wind-cheating airfoil profile for the bulk of its length.

The Road Racer is available in 6 sizes and in two colors. It comes standard with an Easton carbon fiber fork built with an aluminum crown and steerer. It comes with an FSA threadless headset and the Streampost carbon fiber seatpost. It requires the use of an English bottom bracket and a braze on front derailleur.

 Share this Page

2009 BMC Road Racer SL 01 Pricing