reviewing my bmc timemachine road
This is my BMC Timemachine road 01 two. And this bike has rolled 7,500 km in less than 6 months. With me, and only me. And we’ve done it all. We’ve done flats, hills, and mountains. It’s been exposed to sun and heat, rain and cold. We’ve done dry roads, wet roads, and muddy roads. We’ve done smooth tarmac, rough tarmac, cobbles, and compact gravel. I’ve been easy on it, I’ve been really hard on it. I even raced it! So by now, I think it's fair enough to tell you how I like it.
the looks
There’s so much to tell here. But as you just scrolled down passing this first picture, it might make sense to talk about looks first. Just like with the other models of the Swiss brand, you immediately recognise this Timemachine Road as a BMC. It unmistakably is when you check the low seat stays (and yes, other brands adopted), and its angular lines. Also this bike looks clean, fast, and aggressive! And let me say that I think mines looks especially as this 54 is perfectly balanced.
aero module
The very first thing that catches your eye is this remarkable little aero box, right? I mean this small box which unconventionally integrates with the bottle cages. Let me explain. This aero module serves two purposes. One; this modular system improves aerodynamics, as common bottle cages appeared to be one of the main obstacles to the aerodynamic efficiency. Two; this module has its practical use as it also houses a spare tire and tools.
aero cockpit
The other main thing responsible for the bold looks is its killer stem-handlebar combo. This ICS Aero Cockpit is also all about integration. Hiding all cables immediately creates this clean look. It contains a very specific flat top handlebar which is remarkable agile (more about that later) and its stem is wide to gain stiffness, but thin for some comfort. These puzzle spacers totally are the finishing touch to go with it.
aero seatpost
Maybe nothing really special in 2021, but I like how this aero seatpost matches the size of the cockpit spacers. It simply creates balanced looks. Practically speaking, it has this so called Kammtail profile which offers three offset positions so you get a lot of adjustment options.
wheels
Boy, what about these ENVE wheels? The 54mm and 63mm rims totally finishes the picture. More to say about the wheels, so let me get back to those later.
SRAM Force eTap AXS
This SRAM Force eTap AXS 12-speed groupset completes the built. Although I never used anything else than Shimano groupsets (mainly Dura-Ace) I never really liked it that much. It’s more that I took it for granted the way it was. So honestly, I didn't have much comparison, but I was pretty excited when SRAM suddenly entered the market a few years ago. In time I really felt like switching. Nevertheless my latest groupset on my 2013 Canyon Aeroad was the Dura-Ace 11 speed mechanical one. So I don’t think it’s fair to compare based on that. So, let me just talk about this SRAM set and how I experience it without linking it too much to Shimano.
gear ratio
This bike was standerd delivered with 48/35 in front and a 10-28 sprocket in the back. Nevertheless, for climbing I exchange it for a 10-33 which is also the maximum this rear derailleur can handle and that’s really okay for me. That extra sprocket costed me a sloppy 160 euros which was kinda like a shock tho.
electronic shifting
This step from mechanical to electronic shifting was a huge one to me. Shifting never felt so smooth and fast! It really shifts on point!
As the whole technique is fairly new to me it took me some time to feel comfortable adjusting things by myself. But for instance, by now, I also learned to know how to fine-tune the rear derailleur. Easy does it, as you can micro adjust to the left or to the right via a small tip on the shifters.
Although I really had to get used to SRAM's way of shifting, by now I never want to go back to anything else. For me it's really intuitive to shift up with the left handle, down with the right handle and change front rings by pushing both. On top, I like the sequential shifting mode as well, which shifts the front and rear derailleur automatically to the next logical gearing. With use of the SRAM AXS app (Apple and Google) you can connect the groupset with your phone which gives you both configuration options, measuring options and insights including battery conditions.
The CR2032 shifter batteries are still set to green and according to SRAM they last up to 2 years. They say you have to recharge the rechargeable accu’s in the front and rear derailleur every +- 800 km. I honestly never measured but have the feeling it might be 1500 km instead. And the best thing is, these batteries are interchangeable between front and rear derailleur in case.
disc brakes vs rim brakes
I admit, I used to be one of those telling this was just more about new age marketing than actually delivering real improvements. I was wrong. Not just a bit. Totally wrong!
First big one to mention is wet conditions. Even in wet conditions, these disc brakes remain highly efficient. Although there's a change some dirt get stuck between de discs and the brake pads which can produce a bit of a sound, in my experience noises quickly disappears.
Second one to mention is downhill. Especially compared to rim brakes on full carbon wheels, this is such a game changer. I never ever felt so comfortable with braking late in descends at speeds of up to 100 km/h. And the little bit of force you exert for that with your index and middle fingers is almost negligible compared to my rimbrake experiences.
Bit offtopic, but worth mentioning as I hear people complain about brake squeal. I use this Brake Booster by Dynamic Bike Care to reduce squealing, and remove dirt, grime, oil and other contaminants.
Yet, I experience another big advantage with disc brakes. One which is not to be underestimated. These thru-axles are much much more stiffer. That’s actually the real reason why these are invented initially on mountainbikes. No nonsense when I tell you I feel my bike track better trough corners with these thru-axles.
Back to looks again. I love another aerodynamic invention around the disc brakes too. It’s the cap around the front brake calliper which hides a large part to the system there.
on the road
My first ride immediately confronted me with how fast this bike is on these flat roads. Over 35 km/h, aerodynamics really does a job. It actually feels pretty easy to maintain a fast pace. And when sprinting out of the saddle the bike feels admirably solid.
As mentioned earlier, what really strikes me is this fairly agile handler. Don’t know if this in particular was something I really needed to get used to when throwing it into fast corners. It might have been just a whole other bike with different geometry and wheels. However, by now I’m 100% comfortable taking sweeping corners at speed.
In straight lines, it’s just really fast. I must admit, I feel every road seam, pothole, and broken section of asphalt. That was something I need to get used to as well. But the faster, the smoother. This this bike goes on and on and on. It just don’t want me to slow down!
Whether on flats or pushing tempo on a climb, it feels like this bike maintains its speed over nearly all terrain. Despite its weight of 8.1 kg (54 cm), which is not very light by UCI race bike standards, I find this Timemachine Road a surprisingly good climber nonetheless.
ENVE SES 5.6 disc wheels
It’s simply impossible to disagree that BMC has done a great job on a really fast looking bike. That’s being said, these ENVE SES 5.6 disc wheels are absolutely the finishing touch. As a pioneer of deep section carbon rims, ENVE has its record for premium carbon wheelsets. Although honestly, I had no clue before my bike came in.
I’m riding these wheels with ENVE SES hubs as well. With swapping out the DT Swiss internals used previously, ENVE says that their own hubs increase durability while reducing the price. Fine by me. These hubs offer the silky smoothness I like, as well as the clear but understated buzz.
The front and rear rims are different in depths and profiles. The front one is 54mm deep and 29mm wide externally. The rear one is 63mm deep and 28mm externally. Both have 19mm internal width. The rims are tubeless ready but I ride them with tube. Nevertheless the set comes with tape and tubeless valves. Instead of the 25 fully black Vittoria Corsa’s, I set up a set of skinwall Schwalbe Ones. I just like the classic skinwall look on this bike as it makes it a bit more elegant. But, I might come back on that…
The Schwalbe tyres were getting easily enough on the rims. But they didn’t get seated without difficulty. I had to use some lube to slide em in the right position. Later on, when I re-installed the Vittoria’s as a test, there was no problem at all. I just blame the Schwalbes and don’t want to talk about it anymore.
So, how do these wheels like to ride? Well, it’s hard to say much about it as I didn’t compare the BMC with any other wheels. But I can tell they feel fast and without any buffeting or twitchiness. Little thing might be these wheels can be tricky in windy conditions. But even for Dutch standards it should be really, really windy then...
customized
There’s not much I did in terms of customising. As mentioned I installed skinwall tyres instead of the standard black ones. The other two things are saddle and pedals.
Fizik Aliante R1
Originally the bike came with this Fizik Argo Vento R5 saddle. No option for me as my sit bones are very close which makes that I need a particularly narrow one. It used to be the San Marco Regale but San Marco decided to make some adjustments with that model. Not in my favour.
With great help of my bike fitter I managed to find this Fizik Aliante R1 which comes in 143 mm or 152 mm width. Smallest one appeared to be a perfect fit for me. And besides, it looks slick on the BMC.
wahoo speedplay aero
My pedals of choice are these Wahoo Speedplay Aero ones. The most aerodynamic option in the new Wahoo Speedplay series of pedals, and a perfect match with my Timemachine Road. I mean, this aerobike isn’t complete without aero pedals!
I’m riding Speedplay for 10 years now and they offer everything I can’t find with traditional pedals. There are a lot of adjustment options with which makes I can adjust them perfectly for my body to prevent injuries. And because they are really compact, I loved to race these as you have more clearance compared to other pedals to attack corners really tight.
Last but not least, if you keep the cleats clean and lubricate them regularly they seriously last for years.
verdict
What’s there not to like about this BMC’s Timemachine Road. It’s a top notch aerobike and I think it’s hard to beat both in looks as in performance.
I totally love its ride quality and how it generally rolls. But I must say I even more in love with its aesthetics. How it integrates pretty much everything you can imagine. And although I really had to get used to its looks, as this bike is anything but elegant, rather aggressive, this bike is a pure beauty in terms of distinctiveness.
It’s price? A sloppy € 7,499.00 it is…
all specs
Frame: BMC Timemachine Road 01 Premium Carbon with Aero Module
Groupset: SRAM FORCE eTap AXS
Gears: 2x12
Chainwheels: SRAM FORCE AXS 48/35T
Casette: SRAM FORCE XG-1270, 10-28T
Chain: SRAM FORCE 12 speed
Front derailleur: SRAM FORCE eTap AXS
Rear derailleur: SRAM FORCE eTap AXS
Shifters: SRAM FORCE eTap AXS HRD
Brakes: SRAM FORCE eTap AXS HRD and SRAM CenterLine X 160mm rotors
Stem: BMC ICS Aero- Integrated Aero Cockpit Design
Seatpost: BMC Aero post with adjustable offset
Saddle: Fizik Aliante R1, 143 mm
Rims: ENVE SES 5.6 DISC
Hubs: ENVE SES 5.6 DISC
Tyres: Schwalbe One TLE skinwall, 25 mm
Pedals: Wahoo Speedplay Aero
Weight: 8.1 kg
More info: BMC Switzerland