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BMC Roadmachine TWO

7
£5,700.00

VERDICT:

7
10
Great fun and won't let you down for performance, but it might be too firm for some
Great performance
Well balanced handling
Awesome groupset
A firm ride for UK road surfaces
Low spec wheels for the money
Weight: 
8,360g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The BMC Roadmachine TWO may be part of BMC's endurance line-up, but it's very much in line with what many brands would consider a race bike. With a stiff frame and fork combination, a reactive feeling and geometry that allows an aggressive position the Roadmachine has plenty of performance for the amateur racer, club rider or weekend warrior. It's black paintjob and angular carbon profiles makes it look the business too.

Say endurance bike, and thoughts of upright ride positions, slow handling and soft, comfortable frames come to mind, but BMC's take is slightly different.

The Roadmachine has a firm ride, even with BMC's Tuned Compliance Concept (TCC) in the frame design, which makes it feel very much like a full-on race bike. Stamp on the pedals and everything feels tight all along the bottom part of the frame and right the way up to the front, where the tapered head tube and stiff fork deal with the handling and braking loads.

2023 BMC Roadmachine TWO - riding 4.jpg

The whole thing has a feeling of directness, a no-nonsense delivery of the power, and while I wouldn't say it oversteps the comfort mark, it sails pretty close to the wind when compared to many other bikes of this ilk.

I like that though. I enjoy a ride quality that transmits loads of information up from the tarmac in minute detail, and the Roadmachine Two certainly does that.

It's an involving ride between rider and bike, and with so much feedback you can really push this thing through the bends wet or dry, as you can feel everything that is going on.

2023 BMC Roadmachine TWO - riding 3.jpg

That doesn't mean that you can't go long on it. I did plenty of long-distance rides on the BMC without feeling beaten up, and if you did want to increase comfort, you can swap the 28mm tyres for up to 33mm offerings and run them at lower pressures.

It feels fast too. The BMC is one of those bikes that urges you to keep getting out of the saddle for a little dig on the pedals. At 8.36kg it's not the lightest road bike to pass through road.cc Towers, but that doesn't hamper it on the climbs or when sprinting. A lighter wheelset than the DT Swiss E 1800 Splines found here would help, mind.

2023 BMC Roadmachine TWO - riding 2.jpg

Having a head tube angle that's slightly slacker than that of a peloton-ready race machine just reins the speed in a touch. It's quick enough you can chuck it through a string of technical corners on a descent without it feeling out of its depth, yet neutral enough to not feel like a challenge if you're not the most positive of descenders.

On the whole, it's a well-balanced bike, and ideal for those who want to ride fast without the challenges of twitchy handling.

Frame and fork

BMC uses its TCC technology throughout its lineup, with each range getting a slightly different variation.

The Roadmachine features TCC Endurance, which adds compliance to the seatstays, seatpost and fork. It seems to do the trick, and as I've said in the previous section the ride isn't harsh. It's firm, but without that high frequency road buzz coming through.

2023 BMC Roadmachine TWO - fork.jpg

While all of the tube profiles are very angular the frame itself still follows a similar theme to most, with everything being overbuilt where it is likely to see high loads, such as in the front end and the lower half of the frame. Meanwhile the other parts – like the top tube, seat tube and most prominently the seatstays – are slender to provide comfort.

2023 BMC Roadmachine TWO - seat stays.jpg

It's a clean-looking frameset with the hoses running through the fork leg and down tube. The latter takes any cables too, though the wireless electronic groupset here obviously doesn't have them.

BMC hasn't gone as discreet as some though, and the cables/hoses run outside the head tube rather than inside from the stem.

2023 BMC Roadmachine TWO - stem.jpg

The seatpost uses a D-shaped profile and is held in place by an internal clamp, the better to keep things smooth. I'm not saying it's an aero bike per se, but the Roadmachine certainly has some windcheating tweaks in its design.

2023 BMC Roadmachine TWO - seat post bolt cover.jpg

There are six sizes in the lineup, starting with a 47cm with a 522mm effective top tube length, and running all the way up to the 61cm with a top tube of 583mm.

For my height I sit somewhere in the middle of the range, spanning both the 56cm (https://road.cc/content/review/bmc-roadmachine-amp-one-299309 which I rode here in AMP ONE ebike guise) and the 54cm frame we have here.

The test bike has a top tube of 546mm, a head tube of 156mm, and a seat tube length of 500mm. Stack and reach come out as 562mm and 386mm respectively.

2023 BMC Roadmachine TWO - front.jpg

As for angles the seat tube sits at 74.2° for a forward, aggressive position for getting the power out, while the head angle is a little more relaxed at 72°.

BMC has given the fork a road-bike-typical rake of 45mm, while the wheelbase on this 54 comes in a smidge under a metre at 997mm.

Finishing kit

The TWO is fitted with a SRAM Force eTap groupset which, in my eyes at least, is an excellent setup. It's simple to use with just a single button on each shifter; one moves the chain up the 12-speed cassette, and the other drops it back down. To shift from one chainring to the other, you press both buttons together.

2023 BMC Roadmachine TWO - drop bar.jpg

The best things for me though are the gear ratios, with the TWO getting 46/33t chainrings mated to a 10-36t cassette. These give you the best of both worlds; a bunch of low climbing gears, yet lots of top-end speed from the 10t sprocket and 46t chainring too.

With the biggest chainring being smaller than you'll find on Shimano or Campagnolo's road groupsets, I tended to find myself staying on it for the majority of my time. That makes it feel much more efficient too, like using 1x system, especially if you like to spin a high cadence.

2023 BMC Roadmachine TWO - crank.jpg

The only downside really are the large jumps they leave between the bigger sprockets, as they can interrupt a smooth cadence. If you're like me and only use those gears for climbing, though, it's not really a big issue.

2023 BMC Roadmachine TWO - rear drop out.jpg

SRAM's braking is impressively powerful and easy to modulate, so it was no surprise to get that from the BMC's 160mm setup front and rear. This bike stops impressively well, and if you manage to lock up the wheels then you're doing it wrong.

2023 BMC Roadmachine TWO - rear disc brake.jpg

The handlebar and stem are both BMC branded and look good. As we see on pretty much every road bike these days, the handlebar has a shallow drop.

2023 BMC Roadmachine TWO - bars 3.jpg

Sitting above that D-shaped BMC carbon seatpost is a Fizik Taiga saddle. It's a comfortable place to be, if not my personal favourite. I prefer a few more curves.

2023 BMC Roadmachine TWO - saddle.jpg

The wheels are DT Swiss E 1800s with 32mm-deep aluminium alloy rims and DT Swiss' 370 Spline hubs.

I've ridden these wheels on loads of bikes over the years, and they are decent performers. They're stiff and very reliable, and the weight isn't too bad for the build either. Should we be seeing them on a £5,700 bike though? I'm not so sure...

2023 BMC Roadmachine TWO - rim 2.jpg

The tyres are Rubinos from Vittoria in a 28mm width. Like the wheels they are decent all-rounders, and offer plenty of grip plus good durability and rolling resistance. They don't excel in any one discipline, but they are tough enough that you can ride them through the summer or winter without switching. They're fit and forget.

2023 BMC Roadmachine TWO - tyres.jpg

Value

As mentioned, the Roadmachine Two will set you back £5,700. The Handsling A1R0evo – which we tested in its £5,400 Shimano Ultegra Di2 guise – is a bit more racy from a geometry point of view, but with a great ride quality it's a bike you can ride quickly over a long distance, like the BMC.

With a SRAM Force build it costs £5,499.99, and that includes a set of deep-section carbon wheels.

Merida offers an Endurance model of its Scultura race bike (I previously reviewed the 7000-E), which offers performance with a slightly more relaxed riding position and greater comfort. It also has capacity for 35mm tyres, though if you want to run full mudguards that's restricted to 32mm.

The Scultura Endurance 9000 model comes with an Ultegra Di2 groupset and you get a set of Reynolds carbon wheels too, all for £5,200.

The Defy is Giant's endurance/race bike and I was impressed overall with the Advanced Pro 3 when I rode it... well, I was apart from the tyres.

The Advanced Pro 1 has an Ultegra Di2 groupset and Giant's carbon wheels for £5,599.

Overall

While it struggles a bit on price, I really like the Roadmachine a lot for the way it behaves and its ride quality. I love the fact that BMC haven't softened it – it's still 'on it' when you want to get the power down, yet you don't need to be a seasoned pro to live with the handling or position.

I'll always put fun and performance over comfort when it comes to road bikes, but if you want a bike that'll insulate you from the roughness of the UK road network above anything else, you'll probably want to look elsewhere. This is a stiff bike, and the ride quality reflects that.

Verdict

Great fun and won't let you down for performance, but it might be too firm for some

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road.cc test report

Make and model: BMC Roadmachine TWO

Size tested: 54

About the bike

List the components used to build up the bike.

Gear Shifters: SRAM Force Etap AXS, Hydraulic

Chainset: SRAM Force

Chainrings: 46-33T

Rear Cassette: SRAM Force 12 speed, 10-36T

Chain: SRAM Rival 12 speed

Front Derailleur: SRAM Force Etap AXS

Rear Derailleur: SRAM Force Etap AXS

Bottom Bracket: PF86 bottom bracket

Rims: DT SWISS E 1800 SPLINE Disc - 32mm

Front Hub: DT Swiss 370 Spline Disc

Rear Hub: DT Swiss 370 Spline Disc

Front Tyre: Vittoria Rubino, 28mm

Rear Tyre: Vittoria Rubino, 28mm

Brakes: SRAM Force HYRD, centerline x rotors (160/160)

Handlebars: BMC RAB 02, ergo top shape, compact bend

Handlebar Tape: BMC tape

Headset: Sealed Bearing

Stem: BMC RSM01

Saddle: Fizik Taiga

Seatpost: Roadmachine Premium Carbon D-Shape Seatpost 15mm offset

Tell us what the bike is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about the bike?

BMC says, "The Roadmachine's frame and fork are constructed in our Premium Carbon with all the benefits of the built-in TCC Endurance technology. Internal cable routing gives a clean aesthetic to this road bike, whilst the Premium Carbon D-Shape seatpost ensures next-level compliance in the saddle. The SRAM Force eTap AXS 12-speed groupset has a col-crushing lowest gear, specced alongside the DT Swiss E 1800 Spline Disc wheelset and its 28mm tires, and controlled by our conventional aluminium cockpit."

It's an endurance bike with a racy edge to it.

Where does this model sit in the range? Tell us briefly about the cheaper options and the more expensive options

There are six Roadmachine models in the line-up, named ONE to SIX to keep things simple. Above those are the Roadmachine 01 models, which come with fully integrated cable/hose routing, integrated cockpits and deep section wheels.

Frame and fork

Overall rating for frame and fork
 
8/10

Tell us about the build quality and finish of the frame and fork?

The frame and fork are built to a very high quality, and are finished to the same level.

Tell us about the materials used in the frame and fork?

Frame: Roadmachine Premium Carbon with Tuned Compliance Concept Endurance

Fork: Roadmachine Premium Carbon with Tuned Compliance Concept Endurance

Tell us about the geometry of the frame and fork?

It's classed as an endurance bike by BMC but it still has quite a racy nature compared to some others.

How was the bike in terms of height and reach? How did it compare to other bikes of the same stated size?

The stack and reach figures are fairly typical of a bike of this nature.

Riding the bike

Was the bike comfortable to ride? Tell us how you felt about the ride quality.

I found the comfort fine for a road bike, but the BMC isn't as plush as a lot of bikes on the market which for some will discount it for use on UK roads.

Did the bike feel stiff in the right places? Did any part of the bike feel too stiff or too flexible?

Yes, the bike focuses a lot on stiffness, and from that point of view it is very impressive.

How did the bike transfer power? Did it feel efficient?

Overall, it feels relatively efficient due to a good spread of gears although a wheel upgrade would drop some weight.

Was there any toe-clip overlap with the front wheel? If so was it a problem?

No.

How would you describe the steering? Was it lively neutral or unresponsive? On the quick side of neutral.

Tell us some more about the handling. How did the bike feel overall? Did it do particular things well or badly?

It sits somewhere between a race bike and what is considered an endurance bike.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's comfort? would you recommend any changes?

Personally I'd change the saddle for something with a bit more shape.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's stiffness? would you recommend any changes?

The DT Swiss wheels have plenty of stiffness for hard efforts out of the saddle.

Which components had the most effect (good or bad) on the bike's efficiency? would you recommend any changes?

The Force groupset gives a huge spread of gears at either end which helps efficiency.

Rate the bike for efficiency of power transfer:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for acceleration:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for sprinting:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for high speed stability:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for cruising speed stability:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for low speed stability:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for flat cornering:
 
8/10
Rate the bike for cornering on descents:
 
9/10
Rate the bike for climbing:
 
8/10

The drivetrain

Rate the drivetrain for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the drivetrain for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the drivetrain for weight:
 
7/10

Tell us some more about the drivetrain. Anything you particularly did or didn't like? Any components which didn't work well together?

SRAM's Force eTap is a great groupset with a great spread of gears, simplistic shifting and long battery life.

Wheels and tyres

Rate the wheels for performance:
 
7/10
Rate the wheels for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the wheels for weight:
 
7/10
Rate the wheels for comfort:
 
7/10

Tell us some more about the wheels.Did they work well in the conditions you encountered? Would you change the wheels? If so what for?

A good quality set of wheels that'll work for all kinds of general riding. The performance of the TWO means it deserves something lighter though.

Rate the tyres for performance:
 
7/10
Rate the tyres for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the tyres for weight:
 
7/10
Rate the tyres for comfort:
 
8/10

Tell us some more about the tyres. Did they work well in the conditions you encountered? Would you change the tyres? If so what for?

Good quality tyres that are thorough all-rounders.

Controls

Rate the controls for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the controls for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the controls for weight:
 
7/10
Rate the controls for comfort:
 
7/10

Tell us some more about the controls. Any particularly good or bad components? How would the controls work for larger or smaller riders?

On the whole, it's good kit for shape and comfort. I'd change the saddle for something that suits me better though.

Your summary

Did you enjoy riding the bike? Yes

Would you consider buying the bike? Yes, especially if I could find a good deal

Would you recommend the bike to a friend? Yes

How does the price compare to that of similar bikes in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

There are quite a few cheaper alternatives out there that we have tested, as mentioned in the review.

Rate the bike overall for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the bike overall for value:
 
4/10

Use this box to explain your overall score

Price wise this finds it tough against some good competition, and the ride isn't as suited to the UK's roads as some either. Aside from that it's great to ride, especially if you want a bike you can ride very hard indeed.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 44  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

Add new comment

5 comments

Avatar
Surreyrider | 6 months ago
0 likes

I've got the 01 FIVE version of the Roadmachine and I swapped out the wheels for the Parcours Ronde wheelset and tubeless tyres at 60psi and it's a really comfortable ride - but it was more than comfortable enough with the stock wheels and tubed tyres. So I think you're going rather too far in saying look elsewhere for a road bike that insulates you from the roughness of UK roads.

I also looked at the Handsling A1R0evo but realised that the geometry was just too racy (much more so than the BMC) and making it fit would be too much of a compromise.

Avatar
Secret_squirrel | 11 months ago
4 likes

At almost £6k I'm struggling to see who on earth would buy this.  Crappy wheels and a old school stem, and not particularly light. It's not got much going for it compared to the big boys has it? 
For 1500 less you could get an Orro Venturi that's both faster and more comfortable in the real world.

 

Alternatively you could get much more classic Italian Bianchi or Pinarello for the same money.

 

Avatar
Miller replied to Secret_squirrel | 11 months ago
0 likes

There's a bit of a tax, ok a substantial tax, for buying BMC. It's a shame because their frames are really excellent.

Avatar
Fluffed replied to Miller | 11 months ago
0 likes

Are they though? They are no Look or Time in their fabrication that's for sure. Overpriced with cheap wheels seems to be what BMC is all about these days.

Avatar
quiff replied to Secret_squirrel | 8 months ago
0 likes

I agree that £6k is a lot, but which "big boys" are you comparing to? I'd say spec and weight are roughly on a par with similarly priced offerings from Specialized, Trek and Canondale for example. The £5,800 version of the Synapse appears to ship with £279 wheels. 

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