Campagnolo-centric build showcases new climbing wheelset

By Oscar Huckle

Published: Wednesday, 19 April 2023 at 12:00 am

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Our latest Bike of the Week is a custom BMC Teammachine SLR01, a test bed for Campagnolo’s new Hyperon climbing wheelset.

The Teammachine platform needs no introduction and has been ridden to victory in some of the sport’s biggest races, by the likes of Cadel Evans, Greg Van Avermaet, Richie Porte and Rohan Dennis.

This fourth-generation model was launched in July 2020 and saw evolutionary updates to make it slightly lighter, more comfortable and more aerodynamic.

So, let’s take a closer look at this Campagnolo-centric build.

Futuristic frame

When it launched, BMC claimed the bike was 6 per cent faster, 9 per cent lighter and 20 per cent stiffer than its predecessor.

The Teammachine SLR01 frame is claimed to weigh 820g in a 54cm, including hardware.

Ever a brand in favour of futuristic design, the Teammachine was designed using BMC’s ACE+ (Accelerated Composite Evolution) technology.

This is essentially a super computer that creates virtual prototypes to help identify the best combinations of tube shapes and carbon layup, for a given set of input parameters.

Oscar Huckle / Our Media

The stealth dropouts are particularly striking, with an in-moulded captive nut bonded inside to accept the thru-axle.

It wouldn’t be a BMC without dropped seatstays (BMC’s 2010 Teammachine SLR01 is often credited with kickstarting the trend for dropped seatstays on road bikes) and the head tube is positively beefy.

The Teammachine uses a proprietary D-shaped seatpost and hidden bolt on the underside of the junction of its top tube and seat tube.

Oscar Huckle / Our Media

The bike features an integrated bottle cage design called Aerocore. First found on the BMC Timemachine Road 01 aero bike, it’s designed to smooth airflow around standard, round water bottles. The cages have a flush-fitting base and integrate neatly with the down tube.

The bike can accept road bike tyres up to 30mm (measured width) and uses a BB86 press-fit bottom bracket standard.

Oscar Huckle / Our Media

The Teammachine uses BMC’s ICS (Integrated Cable System) colour-matched bar-stem, which hides the electronic EPS wires and hydraulic hoses on this build.

What is Bike of the Week?

Every fortnight, we’ll bring you a detailed first look at one of the latest bikes (or framesets) to arrive at BikeRadar HQ – from road to commuting, gravel to enduro, and anything in between.

This is our chance to introduce the bike and everything that makes it unique before hitting the road or trails.

Head to our Bike of the Week hub for previous editions.

A Campagnolo testbed

This particular 58cm build uses a Campagnolo Super Record EPS 12-speed groupset.

It’s a groupset we don’t see very often at BikeRadar Towers and one overdue for an update. In fact, we recently spotted a leak that suggests Campagnolo will be going fully wireless and it may even ditch the brand’s iconic thumb shifter.

BMC specs 50/34-tooth chainrings and an 11-29t cassette.

Oscar Huckle / Our Media

This Teammachine is our testbed for the new Campagnolo Hyperon wheels. Campagnolo’s latest lightweight road bike wheels are claimed to weigh just 1,240g for the set, although they’ll set you back a pricey £3,150 / $4,099.95 / €3,650.

The wheels are constructed from Campagnolo’s H.U.L.C. (Handmade Ultra-Light Carbon) layup, which sees the carbon fibres oriented in a specific angle when laid up in the mould.

They also feature the brand’s mirror-like C-Lux finish, removing the need for lacquer. The laser-etched copper graphics look classy, too.

Oscar Huckle / Our Media

The wheels are wrapped in Pirelli P-Zero Race SL TLR tyres and a Selle Italia Boost SLR saddle is the perch of choice.

We’ve weighed the bike in a UCI weight-tickling 6.95kg without pedals on our Scales of Truth.

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