Bicycles
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Parent Category: Bicycles
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Category: BMC
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Published on Thursday, 21 October 2010 07:54
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Written by Luca Salvatelli
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The new BMC Team Elite is based on a monocoque frame in carbon fiber high and high modulus. The head tube is very short, while the tubes, as tradition BMC, have angular sections and a generous size. Characteristic of the cross tubes of the rear with the pipe vertical and horizontal, the latter with a sloping profile accentuated. The bottom bracket has a traditional standard, while the down tube has a striking curve in the area of the head tube, to make room for the front wheel. The bike is then assembled with the group Sram X0, adopted in full, with double crankset 42/28 and sprocket 11-36, 10 speed. The fork is a Fox FRL with 100 mm of travel. The wheels are EA90XC Easton, Easton EC70 is the handlebar, the stem is Easton EA70, as Easton is the seatpost. The saddle is Selle Italia, the tires are Schwalbe. So assembled, the bike weighs 10.2 kg, including heavy pedals you see in the picture.
The road test
Like all new BMC Team Elite is also made with a precision "Swiss"; carbon perfect, excellent finishing, assembly successful. Too bad that there is an assembled version XX or XTR. Good, considering the heavy pedals, weight, though not a recondite. In the saddle you can appreciate the good performance in the rigidities of the frame, compared to some competing high-end, are only limited by the total weight. With this assembly, in fact, the Elite Team must leave at least 1 kg of benefit to more aggressive competitors, although most remain behind. Excellent rigidity of the rear and the ability to maintain traction on the rear wheel. Good wheels, maybe not very light, but rigid and sliding. The tires could be smoother, but they can always be replaced. Effective brakes, have good power and are flexible. Good overall, SRAM X0, has passages of gear fast and accurate, with a crank on the good fluidity and rigidity, good range of gear that you can choose. The geometry of the bike is geared to the highest safety and control, thus presenting a precise steering, but that does not propose entry of the corners fast, as well as changes of direction can be considered slightly slower than the competition. This behavior, however, rewards with increased security and control at high speeds, where the bike is stable, controllable and safe. Also good fork, smooth and well able to copy the bumps of the ground. In general, a frame more than just, stable and secure, whose absolute performance may partly be mortified by an assembly not on top. The price of the bike test is about 4500 Euro, well away from the top range in which it was compared and a price more than fair for the quality of assembly and performance expressed in the frame, if they do not reach the absolute top, do not however, are so far apart.
