BMC claims the new Speedmachine is the fastest time trial/triathlon bike in the world
(Image credit: BMC)
A brand new BMC time trial bike, to be known as the Speedmachine, has today been announced by the Swiss brand.
The most striking feature of the new time trial/triathlon bike is the very wide stance of the fork legs and the seat stays, which are reminiscent of the Hope x Lotus track bike ridden by Team GB and indeed, BMC’s own Trackmachine which we spotted at the UCI World Championships in Glasgow last month.
The front of the Speedmachine is designed to produce downforce to aid stability (Image credit: BMC)
BMC says that the development of the new Speedmachine has been a five year project, with the prototype released in 2022 and spotted being ridden by the BMC-sponsored Tudor Pro Cycling in the 2023 Tour de Romandie prologue time trial.
It worked on the new bike alongside Red Bull Advanced Technologies, which has a background in Formula One car development. As witnessed by the Red Bull logo on its down tube, the company has also been instrumental in the development of BMC’s latest, yet-to-be-launched aero road bike, which we covered ahead of the 2023 Tour de France Grand Départ in Bilbao.
BMC reports that Red Bull Advanced Technologies contributed its know-how in Formula One “driver feel”, which was translated into a design that helps the rider feel more at one with the bike, better understanding how it will react when riding and so better able to maintain speed.
The development of the new Speedmachine centred on increasing the bike’s stability, to allow its rider to ride faster in real world conditions. BMC says that meant a reappraisal of the bike’s geometry, particularly around the head tube angle and the fork rake and trail.
The bike includes fewer parts, which BMC says has resulted in a 500g weight reduction from its previous generation Timemachine 01 Disc, while the extent of the bike’s integration has been increased.
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The new Speedmachine has been designed so that airflow over the frame produces downforce, which BMC says contributes to its stability. It’s another feature borrowed from Red Bull’s Formula One expertise.
BMC has also increased the range of options available for the base bars and extensions, so it’s easier to configure these to the rider’s requirements. There are two base bar options, a range of extensions and compatibility with Profile Design cockpits for even greater adjustability.
This has allowed it to reduce the number of frame size options it offers from the Timemachine's four to three for the Speedmachine, but still provide reach and stack adjustment to suit a wide range of riders and ride positions, with significant overlaps of fit between frame sizes.
One of the pre-production testers was Ben O’Connor of AG2R-Citroen, who says: “The main positive point is the manoeuvrability and stability, which are significantly improved, especially on the descents. But this is also the case on the climbs, because it is more rigid and responsive – very important for a good time-trial bike where the courses often include technical turns with more rolling descents and climbs.”
The bike has also been tested in Lanzarote by BMC’s professional triathletes, who again commented on the stability at speed, on climbs and in crosswinds.
The base bars merge into the top tube and also help to develop downforce (Image credit: BMC)
Triathlon and time trial configurations
The Speedmachine can be set up for both triathlon and UCI-legal time trial use.
In the triathlon configuration, the integrated 1.2 litre hydration unit is placed low down, just above the bottom bracket shell, where BMC says that it improves both handling and aerodynamics. The drinking tube is routed internally, but is still designed to be easy to clean.
Tri users also get a storage and light unit placed behind the seat tube, where it is designed to improve aerodynamics.
As well as the triathlon hydration unit, BMC supplies the bike with a smaller, UCI compliant, 400ml bottle, designed to be reachable when on the aerobars. There's also a time trial-specific seatpost available.
The rear light/storage can be removed for time trial use (Image credit: BMC)
With triathletes in particular often travelling with their bikes, BMC has designed the Speedmachine for faster, easier disassembly and reassembly. It says that only four bolts need to be loosened to turn the bars for packing, while the seatpost has also been designed for easy removal.
The new BMC Speedmachine will be on sale from November 2023, with two builds and a frameset on offer.
The top 01 LTD is priced at $16,999 / €16,999 and equipped with SRAM Red eTap AXS and Zipp 858 NSW wheels.
The 01 TWO priced at $10,999 / €10,999 has SRAM Force AXS and DT Swiss ARC 1650 wheels.
Finally, the 01 MOD module costing $6,999 / €6,999 includes the frame, fork, cockpit, seatpost, hydration module and rear storage unit.
Paul has been on two wheels since he was in his teens and he's spent much of the time since writing about bikes and the associated tech. He's a road cyclist at heart but his adventurous curiosity means Paul has been riding gravel since well before it was cool, adapting his cyclo-cross bike to ride all-day off-road epics and putting road kit to the ultimate test along the way. Paul has contributed to Cyclingnews' tech coverage for a few years, helping to maintain the freshness of our buying guides and deals content, as well as writing a number of our voucher code pages.
