A close look at the 2016 BMC TeamMachine SLR01 of Rohan Dennis(Image credit: BikeRadar)
Old vs new(Image credit: BikeRadar)
Sitting on the down tube, the mechanical gear cable ports are covered. Instead, the Di2 wire enters at the front of the head tube next to the brake cable(Image credit: BikeRadar)
With just three letters, it's easy to put the brand's logo all over(Image credit: BikeRadar)
This name is surely one we'll all be seeing plenty of(Image credit: BikeRadar)
More classic angles of the BMC TeamMachine(Image credit: BikeRadar)
A different stem for 2016: the 2cm taller head tube of the larger frame calls for a steeper-angled stem(Image credit: BikeRadar)
The official crank of the BMC Racing Team – an 11-speed SRM Shimano crank (Image credit: BikeRadar)
A new bike size means a slightly modified position. Dennis is now riding a carbon-railed saddle, set up right in the middle of its adjustment range(Image credit: BikeRadar)
With shapes like that, it just has to be a BMC...(Image credit: BikeRadar)
For 2016, Dennis has moved to a larger 58cm frame size(Image credit: BikeRadar)
Dennis often changes between Shimano C35 and C50 wheels depending on the course. Pictured are the lighter C35 hoops(Image credit: BikeRadar)
Dennis' saddle position has certainly changed from 2015 (bottom)(Image credit: BikeRadar)
BMC Racing's Rohan Dennis, the reigning champion of the Tour Down Under, is clearly hungry to win the 2016 edition of his hometown race.
As a multiple team pursuit world champion on the track, Dennis conquered the world hour record last year with an impressive 52.491km (since beaten by Bradley Wiggins). If that weren’t enough, the 25-year-old went on to win the opening Tour de France time trial with a record-breaking individual TT average speed of 55.45km/ph.
We had a look at Dennis’ bike last year, and at first glance thought his 2016 team bike was unchanged bar a few graphic refinements. In many ways we were right: it’s BMC’s well-rounded TeamMachine SLR01 carbon frame at the heart, and the component sponsors of Shimano, SRM, Continental, 3T and Elite all carry over too.
However, pulling out the tape measure reveals that Dennis has gone up a bike size for 2016, refining his position to best tackle the 2016 WorldTour season.
Going from a 56 to a 58cm TeamMachine, Dennis has slightly refined his position. He’s now more forward relative to the bottom bracket and has switched from his 130mm / 6 degree stem to one with -17 degree dump to overcome the taller head tube.
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Looking over last year’s bike, it was clear his saddle was slid back on the extremes of its rails. Now, the lighter carbon saddle is right in the middle.
Being more forward of the bottom bracket, his saddle height has gone up too.
Sliding the saddle forward and post up is possible on the smaller 56cm frame of last year, but such a change would also affect his torso position and weight distribution on the bike.
Reducing his frontal profile from the wind, Dennis appears to have moved to a slightly narrower 3T ErgoSum handlebar too.
Depending on what the stage holds, Dennis is likely to choose between Shimano’s C35 and C50 carbon tubular wheels. When we photographed the bike, it had the shallower 35mm-deep wheels.
Shifting wise, it’s the same generation of 11-speed Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 as seen last year, matched with a SRM Shimano power meter crankset. Dennis rides standard sized 53/39T chainrings up front, and a wider-range 11-28t cassette out back.
Rider's height: 1.82m (6ft) Rider's weight: 71kg (157lb) Saddle height from BB, c-t: 785mm Saddle setback: 77mm Seat tube length (c-t): 575mm Tip of saddle to middle of bar: 589mm Saddle-to-bar drop: 101mm Head tube length: 183mm Top tube length (effective): 575mm Total bicycle weight: 7.06kg (15.56lb) (with SRM Power Control 7 head unit)
