Until recently BMC was little known outside of Europe. In fact, BMC is one of Europe’s more visible bike makers. But don’t let BMC’s relative popularity put you off: it's not as if BMC is the Swiss equivalent of Trek or Giant in terms of manufacturing prowess. Moreover, BMC is a Swiss company designing superlative Swiss products. And, just like a Swiss watch, these beautifully sculpted cycling machines are functional and supremely efficient works of art.
Andreas Rhis, owner of BMC, is the founder of Phonak Hearing Systems (the world's 3rd largest hearing aid manufacturer). This explains why the former UCI professional racing squad, Phonak, rode the colorful and unique BMC SLT01 carbon frames in the early and mid-2000s. While it remains to be seen whether or not BMC will sponsor of a UCI team in 2008, the BMC brand will be very well represented domestically by BMC by BMC Professional Racing featuring former Swiss National Champion, Alexandre Moos.
For well publicized reasons, Rhis pulled Phonak's sponsorship support of his eponymous racing team prior to the 2007 season. But Phonak's notorietary should not be due only to the ostensible scandals involving Tyler Hamilton and Floyd Landis. In the years Phonak supported the team they garnered an impressive palmares, a fact which propelled BMC's highly visible bikes to the forefront of curious consumers' most-wanted-exotic-bike lists.
In the early 2000s, the BMC SLT01 was at the the most wildly exotic full carbon racing frame in the pro peloton. It was the frame that even pros eyed with lust and those fortunate enough to throw their leg over an SLT01 universally raved about its ride properties: it descended like mad, was buttery smooth, accelerated like a Porsche Turbo, and was amazingly sure footed for its 1.1 kg weight.
Once BMC got their teeth into manufacturing high-end carbon road racing frames it wasn't long before they turned their Swiss eye for precision to improving carbon tubesets. Pairing up with the the American company, Easton Composites, BMC engineered the world's first carbon nano-technology (CNT) tubeset, the tubeset used today on the formidable and race proven SLC01. The carbon tubes of the SLC01 are 400 times stronger than steel and for a size 55 cm frameset the complete ensemble weighs in at a jaw-dropping 1000 grams.
BMC’s innovative design philosophy has always been summed up with the credo, “Innovate or die.” Each year’s design program at BMC is measured by this mandate and BMC’s SLC01, the road bike that Team Phonak rode and which Astana will ride in 2007, bears the fruit of this challenge. One look at the SLC01 frameset immediately sets it apart. Notice the “crosslock skeleton technology,” which incorporates gothic looking butressing for lugs which are interlaced by Easton's proprietary nano-technology carbon fiber tubing. The lugging on the SLC01 is so complex that the top-secret molding process requires 26 different pieces of machinery.
At Cadence, we feel the terms "light" and "stiff" get tossed around with too much ease. Not everyone needs to be on a light bike, and not everyone needs to be on a stiff bike. But, everyone does need to be on a bike that is reactive to its rider, stable and confident at all speeds, and efficient at translating power for each rider's specific physiology. This means a bike that is accordingly stiff and accordingly light to accommodate the strengths, weaknesses, and size of its rider. Unlike so many of the ubiquitous brands on the market, BMC design their bikes with just these needs taken into consideration. The result is a wide range of very high-performance bikes that is suited to meet nearly every rider's needs.
With the phenomenal results of Phonak in 2005 and 2006, and Team Astana in 2007 BMC bikes have become extremely scarce; consequently, the demand has become even higher. Cadence is fully stocked with supply of SLC01 Team and Pro Machines, TT02s, SL01s, and Streetfires. We are also the world's number one resource for the outrageously rare and sophisticated TT01 Time Machine. Stop by or call Cadence to arrange a test ride on these truly unique bikes.