BMC Roadmachine 02 TWO - First Look

StoopidUserName wrote:

Nearly bought one of these a couple years ago. The mudguards mounts will only fit special bmc mudguards....that cost £150...unless they've changed things in the last 2 years? Might be good to mention in the review

I bought one of these a couple of years ago. Latest model looks almost identical except for colour and stem. There are mudguard mounts and you can fit standard (e.g. SKS Chromoplastics) mudguards to it. Looking at the video the 'hidden' mounts are all in the same place as my model (in fact the frame looks identical). At the time it took me hours of searching online, calls to Evans (good response), emails to BMC (no response) until I eventually found where the mounts are. At the time the BMC mudguard set wasn't available anyway.

On the front there is a hidden threaded hole up inside the fork crown and a pair of similar holes on the inside of each fork leg. These are a little high for my liking but with suitably stiff stays (i.e. the thicker SKS ones) you can still get a nice rattle/flap free setup.

On the back there are two threaded inserts inside the seat stays - you can just see these in the video. Into these holes fits a small black aluminium bracket, which in theory replicates a normal seat stay bridge. The only problem was, there was absolutely no way the bracket supplied with my bike was going to fit in this space. My frame is a small and the bracket supplied was clearly for a larger frame. After many many calls with Evans, calls from Evans to BMC, months of waiting, I was sent another 'set' of brackets which only included the one I already had - which it turns out was for the medium frame - plus another which was for an even larger frame. More calls with Evans and more communications from BMC ensued and in the end I gave up and manufactured my own bracket out of some stainless SKS brackets. As it happens this looks nice a neat and hasn't budged since installation but the support from BMC was woeful. They basically didn't give a rats ass about trying to help customers with smaller frames fit mudguards! They even stated that 'most owners of these bikes won't fit mudguards' thus somehow exonerating themselves from any  responsibility in trying! The main reason I went for this bike was because I wanted to fit mudguards! Evans tried their best and offered a bodge that one of their mechanics had done which was very similar to mine but using brass picture hanging brackets. They even sent me a set of SKS raceblade stealth clip-ons to 'get me going' but I didn't use these as I didn't want to ruin the frame/fork finish.

The traditional chainstay bridge mounting point is replaced with another insert part way down the rear face of the seat tube - again a little high for my liking but the bottom of the mudguard sits snugly between the chainstays and two rubbery frame protectors I have put down there to stop it rubbing the frame.

The 'hidden' mounts at the bottom of the seat-stays are again two threaded inserts but facing rearwards/upwards (so the wrong orientation to bolt straight into with a normal mudguard stay). Again, in the bag of bits there are two little threaded 'eye-end' parts with locknuts and you just screw these into the frame and then the mudguard stays into the threaded eye-end.

You have to make sure these bags of bits are supplied though. The first bike I received from Evans (online) was basically used/second-hand (it was still dirty for christs sake!) and whilst I was waiting (the first of many long waits) for my size to come back into stock I found out from my local Evans branch that all the mounting hardware for mudguards should have come with the bike. The one I had been sent was clearly a demo/trial bike and no such parts were included. I nearly cancelled the order completely at this point but decided to hang on in there.....

So you can fit normal SKS mudguards - I have 35mm ones fitted anyway, over 25mm tyres (might fit 'small' 28s?) - without rubbing the frame and it is rattle free. Its only a little bit more of a faff than the usual SKS setup but worth it.

The bike was worth the wait too. Its not the lightest carbon bike (not surpisiring with mudguards and discs) but it is super comfortable, stable, but quick handling response when you need it (potholes). It is now my go-to all-year all-weather long-ride bike(!) When my Ultegra components start to wear out I may well upgrade to Di2 as I also have all the frame ports to convert.  I also changed my front disc from 160mm to 140mm (rear was 140mm anyway) quite early-on as being small/light I always find 140mm ample (looks nicer too). BMC have a nice simple flat mount solution on the front fork which does away with the normal mounting plate and blends nicely with the carbon leg, whether you are using 140mm or 160mm discs.

Only one possible negative is the kammtail shaped seatpost - could be a right pain if I ever had to change it as it is bespoke. Hopefully I won't have to change it. I think my 'growing' days are over and I've never broken a carbon seatpost (touches wood!).