BMC roadracer SL02 or Streetracer SR01?

[pug_ant]

Hi Everyone,

I was just wondering if anyone had an opinion on these two BMC's? I'm currently looking at these two bikes but unfortunatly the shop doesn't have my size so I can't testride without a deposit. I was hoping there might be someone out there who already had the 2011 model of either of these that might have some feedback? I'm basically going to be using it for a 30k one way commute to work, and for some longer weekend rides (100-150k). I'm currently in Switzerland, hence why I like the idea of getting a BMC over here, and with these hills a triple is a must.

Also, I've only had aluminium bikes before, is there anything I need to be aware of for carbon in terms of care and maintanence compared to the aluminium? Do I need to be extra careful handling it etc? It'll need to be carried up a narrow staircase nearly daily, so if an accidental bump can do some significant damage, I might be better off with the streetracer.

thanks for any advice/feedback.

Cheers

 

[swampy1970]

There's not much different in the general care and maintenance of a carbon rather than aluminum bike. You have to be a little more careful about dinging it and watch how tight you tighten accessories with bikes of either of those materials than you would a steel bike. Just read the "owners manual" for all the model specific items that you need to take care of like the use of locking compounds, grease or silly paste that some makes request that you use in the seattube to stop corrosion or slipping... but apart from that they're pretty much the same as any other.

Personally, I'd go out of my way to test ride the bikes you're interested in. I must have travelled quite a few hundred miles driving around the SF Bay Area test riding bikes when I was in the market last year. The actual difference in performance between most mid to highend road bikes is often pretty minimal but the differences in ride quality can vary greatly and it's the latter that you'll pick up on almost immediately.

 

[pug_ant]

Hi, thanks. I'm a bit bigger than the general population over here, so in the 5 bike shops I've visited, not one has had my size in stock in any brand. I managed to testride a felt, and I wasn't a fan of it. So the deal is with these guys that I put 10% down and they'll get it in, if I don't like it I've done my 10%. Which I'm ok with, just trying to decide which one I get in first, if I like it, I'll just keep it.

the new roadracer has the new BMC seatpost adjustment mechanism, seems like it removes the need for the seatpost clamp to avoid people overtightening. Not sure how well it works, but it seems like a good idea. I'm leaning towards the roadracer, my two main issues are if I want the carbon, as I've always been perfectly happy with alu, and if the geometry of the roadracer might be a bit more aggressive than I'd like. Hard to tell that without sitting on it though.

 

[swampy1970]

Originally Posted by pug_ant .

Hi, thanks. I'm a bit bigger than the general population over here, so in the 5 bike shops I've visited, not one has had my size in stock in any brand. I managed to testride a felt, and I wasn't a fan of it. So the deal is with these guys that I put 10% down and they'll get it in, if I don't like it I've done my 10%. Which I'm ok with, just trying to decide which one I get in first, if I like it, I'll just keep it.

the new roadracer has the new BMC seatpost adjustment mechanism, seems like it removes the need for the seatpost clamp to avoid people overtightening. Not sure how well it works, but it seems like a good idea. I'm leaning towards the roadracer, my two main issues are if I want the carbon, as I've always been perfectly happy with alu, and if the geometry of the roadracer might be a bit more aggressive than I'd like. Hard to tell that without sitting on it though.

Wow, that's quite the little "earner" they have going there.

If you're just looking to avoid overtightening - a $40 torque wrench will do the same thing on a regular seatpost binder bolt and it'll work on more than one bike too. You'll find that you should have said wrench to stop yourself from over tightening the bars/stem/fork steerer bolt combo and water bottle cage bolts too...basically anything that's clamped or screwed into or onto carbon should be tightened with a torque wrench.

I'm not exactly the smallest rider on the planet, inseam of 34.5" and arms like an ape. I chose to find shops that had what I was interested in, sometime travelling upto 90 miles to check a bike out. The bikes I were looking at were high-end and there was no way I was sticking $500 to $700 down as a non-refundable deposit to have a looksie at a bike. On the upside of travelling around to lots of different bike stores I and also got too take a looksie at some bikes that I hadn't considered and put on my initial "shortlist".

 

[mike66geneva]

Did you get your BMC? I own an SL02 and live in Geneva. Am looking to sell as I just went nuclear with a new Pinarello Dogma. I own a size 57. Am 6' 94kgs and I can tell you carbon frame rocks. Contact me if you want to save some cash.

Happy riding.