I've recently bought this bike after a long search and I've been genuinely amazed by it.
My full experience of the buying experience can be read here: http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12714907 however a few weeks on what are my thoughts now?
Well, I've got nothing but a huge amount of praise to heap on this bike. Indeed it has, and continues to exceed my expectations in every way.
Looks wise I think this bike is stunning. I wasn't too sure from the pictures on the Evans or BMC websites, but when they wheeled this bike out at the shop I was genuinely taken aback. The red is so bright that in sunlight it practically glows and this is nicely matched by the red seat and bar tape.
The build quality is superb. Whilst you can just about see the welds in some places (but not all), they are very neatly finished. The only other bike that I saw in this price range that does a better job of hiding them was the Cannondale CAAD9, however I would counter that by saying that the finish on the paintwork on this BMC is superior. All of the decals are perfectly positioned and simple things like clear film chainstay savers have been applied already. Indeed I didn't notice them until I got the bike home - a really nice touch! As for the other components on the bike, they all match the fit and finish of the frame, which results in a high quality product overall.
On to the ride, and from the link I've provided above you will see that I directly compared this bike to some of the very best bikes out there at this price point. Whilst bike fit is most definitely a very personal thing, the feel of this bike was so much more solid than the others. That's not to say that it's heavier, it's not, it's just that the overall feel was one of high quality and great workmanship. The 105 groupset is clearly (and surprisingly to me) a massive step up in terms of slickness, feel and also once again solidity over the Tiagra groupsets on most other bikes at this price point. The fact that it's also a 10 speed system now means that future upgrade options are much more extensive than a Tiagra groupsets without the need to change significant parts of the groupset (i.e. the shifters) to accommodate such upgrades. The weak point in the componentry is probably the brake callipers in that they are not matching 105 parts (TEKRO parts were used instead). It's hard to believe that the proper 105 parts were significantly more expensive and would give the appearance of a more complete bike but to be honest I'm not sure that any performance advantage would be gained, and if there was one, it would almost certainly not be detectable. Changing pads to high performance alternatives would most likely yield a better performance step up.
The wheels (Shimano R500s) and tyres (Continental Ultra Sport) are pretty standard at this price point and feel responsive and solid and it's hard to believe that a significantly better wheel/tyre combo could be expected on an off-the-peg bike without paying substantially more money (i.e. more than double).
To top it all off, I find that the seat, bars and bar tape also prove a really comfortable ride which only make me want to get out and ride more!
So what's it like out on the road? Well, "amazingly fast" is probably the best way of describing it. You get the feeling that there isn't any loss of energy in translating your pedal power into forward motion and this is matched by an amazing agility and stability (last second swerves around a couple potholes whilst travelling at significant speed downhill have shown this to be the case!). Does that mean that the bike is excessively stiff and therefore uncomfortable? Surprisingly no. I had looked at the previous years’ model where this was mentioned in a few online reviews as a weakness, however the inclusion of a carbon fork this year (compared to the alloy one from last year) seems to have really added a level of compliancy that was missing before. I'm sure that full carbon or titanium bikes could absorb even more but I certainly don't feel that this bike is in any way uncomfortable and I wouldn't hesitate in riding it all day in a sportive (in fact I will be doing just that in a few weeks). There is an almost complete lack of road buzz. The matching of stiffness where it’s needed with a certain amount of compliancy elsewhere to keep some level comfort has been met perfectly in my opinion.
All that said, it also provides a racy geometry that would meet the needs of someone more interested in short, sharp blasts for fitness or possibly racing (the reason why I was looking the models I did rather than sportive specific bikes).
Overall, I’m extremely happy with the bike and I’m certain that I made the right choice. I’d highly recommend anyone looking in this price range to take the BMC out for a test ride and see for themselves what a great machine it is.
Whilst not strictly part of the bike review itself, a major thing for me was the service that I received from the staff at the Evans Gatwick store. I had booked in for some test rides and ended up with one and sometimes two members of staff with me for the entire time (nearly 3 hours!). Nothing was too much trouble, and even making subtle changes to seat, bar and stem position, and trying different pedals out with each different bike to match what I would actually be using was done. I was able and indeed encouraged to take the bikes out for as long as I wanted (and many different times in some cases) to make sure that I would be completely happy with my choice. Everyone I spoke to was incredibly helpful and friendly, nothing was too much trouble and there wasn’t the slightest pressure on me to choose one bike over another, or even buy a bike at all that day! Even when something wasn’t known, instead of guessing at the answer, other members of staff were consulted. It’s the way that one hopes customer service should be but it’s extremely rare, so it’s a really nice surprise when someone does make the effort. A huge thank you must go Rachel and her colleague (who’s name escapes me) for all of their help. It made my time at Evans a pleasure and as a result you can guarantee that I’ll be back again soon!
£949.99
(3 reviews)
(135 reviews)
United Kingdom
