FlashBazbo

Agreed that this is a terrible and completely unnecessary design. The last few years, it seems that most bike manufacturers have felt the need to introduce meaningless "innovations" that are a lot more trouble than they're worth. My LBS recounted a few current issues by different manufacturers and most of the problems I had not heard of online -- so the absence of complaints online doesn't mean a design works. (Of course, a few of them have been discussed and debated ad nauseum on this forum and others.) The current trend toward recessed / hidden seatpost clamps is a HUGE problem across three manufacturers, including BMC. (Would it be inappropriate to mention the name Specialized here? When Specialized's clamp messes up, the pieces fall down inside the frame and are very hard to fish out.) As for BMC, it's baffling to me that they haven't fixed this issue. They've been selling RoadMachines with this design for at least three years -- and TeamMachines for two. I don't know that it's a universal issue, but it's certainly not isolated. Why alienate racers and high-end customers over multiple production years? It's not good business. They need to create a fix -- even if it's an ugly external clamp -- and I'm going to tell them so.

But will I sell the SLR01? Probably not. It's just about the perfect road bike. It's light. It handles perfectly. It's stiff where you want it to be stiff. And it's an incredibly comfortable ride. The seatpost clamp is a major problem. If it had a conventional seatpost clamp and a T47 bottom bracket, it would be the perfect bike.

Kimmo

I heard the founder of BMC likes to say that it stands for Bring Me Cash...

FlashBazbo

The founder of BMC is dead. Do you troll much?

colnago62

colnago62

Kimmo

No, I don't. That's what I heard. Maybe it's crap, or maybe it just needs to be amended to the past tense.

Dean V

If you look at the cross sections of BMC bikes showing the carbon lay up quality, is it really surprising that they have a seat post clamp that doesn't work well?

Campag4life

Not quite how it works. Design isn't a monolith. Designs are a mosaic. One highly evolved aspect of design...like carbon lay up doesn't necessarily transfer to another facet of the bike frame design like bottom bracket, headset or seat post design. High probability the group of engineers responsible for optimizing the layup and even developing the frame shape with CAE are not the same engineers that developed the seat clamp design. As mentioned a lot of hidden seat post designs...the latest BS trend to save 1 watt at speeds most don't ride anyway can really taint bike ownership experience, not unlike BB. Truthfully Specialized and Trek has egg on its face keeping a saddle in place including crappy 1 bolt saddle clamp.

Take away is, choose your bike carefully for 'gotchas'. They are out there sadly.
Design is so highly nuanced, there maybe some deluded enough to believe the post design is great because its light, aero and saves a watt. Oh, darn, the fact that is won't hold the post in place is only a minor inconvenience. 3 out of 4 ain't bad right? Dumb$h!ts.

Wheever

Campag4life

Trek has such talent but their seatposts suck almost as much as their bottom brackets or perhaps a bit more.
Needless.

Sy Reene

Agree, what I find unfortunate as at least pertains with BMC, is I believe they extended this aero/watt-saving wunderclamp system also to their 2nd tier CF bikes (the Road/Teammachine 02 line). Typically in the past I think you could hope to avoid some of this kind of nonsense by going down one step to "value" proposition tier.

FlashBazbo

The BMC hidden seatpost clamp (and the Specialized and other imitators) are not recessed for aero purposes -- there is no quantifiable aero disadvantage to a conventional clamp. It's pretty well hidden, aerodynamically. The idea behind these clamps is that, by clamping the seatpost farther down (leaving more of it sticking out of the frame), they allow the seatpost to flex more. More flex leads to a more comfortable ride. It works -- but it's not worth it. Plus, it's obviously an aesthetic thing -- there's no denying that they look very clean.

In recent years, it seems that almost all the manufacturers have run off the rails at some point or another. Their marketing departments (and, to some extent, their bean counters) have taken control of their "design innovations." Innovation that makes a positive functional contribution is a wonderful thing. But "innovation" that's functionally inferior ought to be called out.

softreset

When did Bob Bigelow die? Was that recent?

FlashBazbo

Bob Bigelow founded the bike assembler and distributor known as Bob Bigelow Mountain Company (BMC). Andy Rihs founded BMC (Bicycle Manufacturing Company) and started designing and manufacturing road bikes a year after he took over the Bob Bigelow operation. Andy Rihs was the founder of the company now known as BMC.

softreset

Weird, I've never spoken with anyone that associates Andy Rihs as being the founder of BMC, including several staff at the offices in Switzerland. Owner, yes. But not founder.

Learn something new everyday, I guess.

Campag4life

In bold is spot on. They are selling the 'allure' of speed. What some are willing to pay for it and at what level of inconvenience when practicality gets compromised for almost no benefit. Perception.

Campag4life

Well said as usual. Where is the common sense check? Greed is a powerful motivator. Design overreach you have to live with every day.

eja_ bottecchia

Campag4life

My personal view is don't have to have a baby with the bathwater buying philosophy when it comes to bikes. Don't have to ride an old fashioned bike to get modern performance that is reliable. Problem is, you have really be into this stuff to see the forest through the trees. Uber light and stiff and compliant road bikes exist that are utterly reliable taking advantage of modern tech. Bottom line is many of the elite bikes have some serious tradeoffs...because the feathered edge of nth degree high performance has tradeoffs...but not so much only slightly down the pecking order for almost the same performance.

roadwarrior

Maaku

I have both a 2015 TeamMachine 01 (aluminum collar style clamp) and 2017 RaceMachine 02 (hidden wedge-bolt clamp) and the seatpost slips on both bikes despite torquing the bolt to suggested ratings and applying a lot of carbon paste. I find that I either have to tighten the bolts a little above the torque rating or resetting the seat height after every ride. Very frustrating on otherwise good machines. It certainly detracts from the riding experience when I have to be hyper-aware of every hole on the road and I stand on the pedals slightly to reduce the weight on the saddle if I have to go over large bumps (so it won't slip.)

FlashBazbo

I'm surprised you have the problem with your 2015 TeamMachine. I had one and I never had any problems. That one can probably be fixed by a good LBS. It's not inherent to the design. (But that clamp bolt is made of something only slightly harder than butter, I think.)

Chandne

Mine is a 2014 with the D-shaped post. I think they recommend 3.5 nm or whatever. I sent BMC a msg and they said to toque it to 5-5.5. I did and the problem went away. I do use carbon assembly paste

hdg111

Hi,

I have the same problem. What I did was to put a piece of 2 sided sandpaper between seatpost and clamp. It helps, but you can never be sure it lasts. You need to renew this paper on a regular base before it starts slipping. Hope this helps. (Used it in combination with some carbon paste (not on the sandpaper))
Hans

damoryan

I have the same issue now on a recently purchased 2019 Teammachine SLR 01. Did you get any definitive solution ultimately?