Let me start by saying that at just under $3000.00 CAD, it's gonna be hard to find a better true performance bike for the price than the 2011 BMC Roadracer SL02.
I got to test this bike over a two day period a few weeks back;
- Day 1 ride was a hard hill training session with a few of the hardy club racers from CC Rossi Lachine, conditions were very sketchy - temperature around freezing, wet pavement, and light snow.
- Day 2 was an early morning flat recovery ride (with a few necessary sprints since I had to return the test bike that day); clear but still cold, dry pavement, and lactic legs.
First impressions of this bike will get most cyclists heart pounding... even before I got onto the bike, the guys were oooing and awing as I pulled the SL02 out of my truck. It's a great looking bike, and appears much more expensive than it really is - naked carbon black and red frame, streamlined carbon seatpost, white DT Swiss rims with black spokes, and great proportions all around - it looks ready to race and it is. It is equipped with a full 2011 Shimano 105 groupo (a very solid tried and true performer), DT Swiss 1800 Wheels, Scor MKII saddle (which was surprisingly comfortable), and a unique "angle lock" seatpost clamping system which keeps the seat perfectly aligned, makes seat height adjustments a breeze, and eliminates any chance of over-torquing (translation - cracking!) your carbon seat post.
Ok, so this is the part where I get to tell you how all the parts come together. In the day 1 sketchy hill climbing session, I got my 54cm rocket all set up and pretty comfortable with only a few quick seat height adjustments and headed down some major slopes to start our hill repeats. The roads were wet, bumpy, and twisty all the way down. Usually when I get on a bike that I am not familiar with, I take it easy until I adjust to the particular handling of that bike. However, the SL02 is very friendly and extremely capable so we got along immediately and I didn't hold back, even on the steep and twisty descents. The frame felt solid, the steering was responsive but not overly twitchy, the braking was very robust and predictable, and the stock tires (Continental Ultra Race) were incredibly grippy even on the cold wet pavement. (Yes, I have read some reviews that the Ultra Race punctures easily and I can only suggest this: pump your tires to the correct pressure before every ride [that's EVERY single ride!] and then tell me how often you puncture.)
As for climbing, well let's just say the guys in the club like to dish out some extra pain when they see new shiny bikes so they really gave it to me that day! However, the bike performed very well. With a compact crank up front and an 11-28 cassette, there were plenty of good options for me to respond to the changes in grade (ranging from 7% to 13%) and pace up the hills. On the really steep sections under very hard efforts, I didn't feel any frame flex at all and the bottom bracket felt responsive and didn't make a sound. I was even inspired to attack out of the saddle on a few steep sections and the bike just wanted to go on every pedal stroke. I could honestly say that if there is anything this bike really does well, it's climb. Having a stiff frame and those gear ratios really makes the work feel quite a bit easier and the BMC frame geometry also lends itself well to some hard efforts out of the saddle. All in all Day 1 on this bike was a pleasure and I would seriously consider this bike as a great weapon for climbing.
Of course, cycling is very much about the engine too (uhh.. that would be me), and this engine needed some rest after a few weeks of power building on hill reps. I took the SL02 out for an early morning recovery spin with a good friend of mine because my test bike was due back that afternoon. I wasn't expecting much because a stiff performer like this can be a little harsh on the hind quarters. However, I lost myself in some good morning conversation and near the end of the ride realized that while it wasn't quite as compliant as some softer, more forgiving frames, it wasn't uncomfortable at all. Unfortunately, I didn't get to try the bike for a super long ride so I can't say how it will perform in a Century but it was perfectly fine for my flat 60k recovery ride. I also didn't get to race the bike but I did jump to a few sprints to see how it felt and I suspect it would do very well at the local criteriums indeed.
Pros
Price
Great Climber
Solid and Proven performance drivetrain
Superior Looks
Cons
I would maybe upgrade the wheels (only because I don't know too much about DT Swiss wheels over the long haul)
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