2009 BMC Road Racer SL 01/SRAM Rival Complete Bike

BMC ROAD RACER SL 01/SRAM RIVAL COMPLETE BIKE

The silhouette of the BMC Road Racer SL 01 is all-but-identical to the Race Master SLX 01. The reason for this 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.

We've paired up the 2009 version of the Road Racer SL 01 with a 2010 SRAM Rival gruppo. There are only two differences between the '09 and '10 Road Racer framesets: (1) The paint schemes. (2) The fork on the '10 version is full carbon, while the '09 version has a non-carbon steerer tube. Outside of these details, this is essentially a 2010 bike, one that shines in particular because Rival is globally recognized as providing unmatched performance-per-dollar in a race-minded component gruppo. Other details include a Fizik Pave CX Sport Wingflex saddle, an Easton EA70 bar and stem, and Easton EA50SL wheels stout enough for everyday training, but aero and light enough for race day. You'll also get Michelin Pro 3 Race clinchers and Arundel cork ribbon. Don't compare this to other sub-$1,700 bikes in the marketplace. If you want a fair comparison, look at the offerings in the $2,750+ range from other brands. This is the ultimate value if you're looking for a race-worthy bike, and you're keen on keeping the cost well below $2,000.

The Road Racer is available in 6 sizes and 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.

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