bykemike 

I'm looking, pretty seriously, at a 2022 BMC Teammachine SLR TWO. Disc brakes,Sram AXS, upgrade wheels. I like the bike. The reviews call it harsh riding, actually "very harsh riding" so there is that to consider.

The other is I'm trying to get a feel for the sizing (this is an internet purchase) I'm a scant 5' 10" with a 32 inseam so, it appears, using their data, I am in between 54 and 56. If there is anything that causes me stress it is bike sizing
when you can't ride the actual bike. It will have a conventional stem assembly so I can change the reach.

And the Sram AXS..lot of love and a bit of hate about that groupset. Currently I am riding a Domane, 56, Di2 Ultegra , smooth as can be is all respects but there is no harm in having two (8) bikes right?

Any user comments about this bike would be much appreciated, I don't know anyone in my circle that has one.

Thanks in advance!

Barry2 

To answer your only question…. N+1 is OK

Some advice….. N+(that)1 = you get to decide.

🙂

Barry

DaveSSS 

If your inseam is only 32 inches, your saddle height should only be about 72cm, like mine, but you're 4 inches taller. The team machine has a tall stack height, much taller than I would want, even in the 54cm size. I'd need a 51cm with no spacers and a -17 stem to get the bars low enough.

No one wants a harsh ride. One way to avoid that is to use wider hookless rims and 28mm tires. I have 25mm internal width rims with 28mm tubeless tires so I can run 52/56 psi. With that setup, I'll never have a harsh ride.

That's why I never buy a prebuilt bike.


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Barry2 

There are two way to measure inseam.
1. For pants.
2. For a bike.

This is a link for a bike inseam.

All the best

Barry

Iride01 

I have a 56 cm Specialized Tarmac that is close to the same geometry. I'm 5' 11 with a 34.5" (87.6cm) inseam. I sometimes wish I'd tried out the 54cm frame. Though in a 54 cm frame I might have rather gone for a Roubaix to get about the same saddle to bar drop that I currently ride on the Tarmac.

The 54 cm BMC appears to have a 15mm lower frame stack. So assuming the same amount of spacers under the stem you'll be 15 mm lower on the smaller frame. The 56 will have you stretched out a tad more but with less bar drop. So that's your big consideration.

If you don't like being aero and prefer to sit up, that's really the wrong bike. Find a different model bike with a higher stack.

As for reviewers saying a harsh ride, were those professional reviews? If just customer review you have to consider what they had prior experience with. And for some this may have been one of their first bikes and they had unreasonable expectations of how smooth a bike should be. But though I've never ridden one, I've had some questions about BMC too and would definitely have to ride one for a dozen mile or so before purchasing.

bykemike 

Iride!
Thanks so much for the very informative response. I've learned a lot here and this was what I was hoping for.I'm going to perform step one and properly measure my inseam and go from there.
I am looking for a performance style bike that I can raise the bars a bit higher to get more comfort for my ageing self.

Can you give me a little more info on what the term "stack height" means?

The reviews I have read concerning ride stiffness were from professional reviewers.

DaveSSS 

Here's a link with a drawing that shows all dimensions. Stack height is the length of a vertical line from the center of the bottom bracket to the top-center of the upper headset bearing. There's always a headset top cover that adds 10-15mm. Spacers under the stem add more to the total stack height. I can determine the saddle to bar drop with a known saddle height and stack height.

https://www.bmc-switzerland.com/intl...lr-one-22.html

The ICS01 stem has a -12.5 degree angle that will lower the bars a little, compared to more common 6,7,8. Most likely, it could be replaced with another brand, if needed.

bykemike 

Thanks for all the information Dave! I especially like this:

" I can determine the saddle to bar drop with a known saddle height and stack height."

I build my bikes, ride them, measure them, take them back apart, set it back up again, the long 'way round I would say.

At least I have something to do when I'm not riding

Iride01 

Your saddle height will pretty much be controlled by the length of your legs. So from one road bike to the other road bike that saddle height will need to be virtually the same regardless of the frame size. Usually the smaller you go in a frame size for a particular model of bike, then stack height gets less. So a smaller size of that model will give you more bar drop from the saddle height.

Another has already showed you about stack height. And realize that is properly more properly frame stack. But we almost always just refer to it as stack. While other things like spacers under the stem, the angle of stem and the type of handle bars will affect how much drop you have from the saddle to the handle bars, frame stack of a bike will quickly let you assess whether you are looking at a sporty bike requiring a very aero race position or a more relaxed fit that allows for a more upright position.

Sounds like you want a more relaxed position, and if that is so, then this isn't the bike for you. You'll wind up frustrated with your handlebars being so low that you'll resort to making it look dorky with steerer tube extenders and weirdly angled stems. And then you ruin the aesthetics of the bike that is probably the big reason you picked that bike to consider.

A Specialized Roubaix will be that performance bike that will let you ride in a more relaxed position. A Specialized Diverge if you want to ride wide tires and gravel or just wider tires than most road bikes will be able to ever mount in their frames on bumpy paved roads. I'm not sure what the BMC equivalents would be if they even make them. Giant and Trek have equivalent geometry bikes with higher stacks too.

If you let your eyes do the selection, then you are probably going to be drawn to the bikes with lower stack as they just look more aesthetically appealing and racier.

bykemike 

Iride, You are correct on all points. The bikes I find attractive are bikes I cannot put the miles on that I like to ride without feeling pain in my neck and back, this isn't getting easier as the years go by. My Domane is a bike I can ride all day with almost no issues, looks great, sits and fits me perfectly, I find myself looking for a sportier appearing bike for the shorter days, I guess I am hoping to find a bike that looks like I like, and maybe I can massage the fit a little closer to what I need without turning it into the dorky looking rides I see all the time with the 12 degree upturned stems and the bars twisted up until the drops are pointless.

I learn so much from the brain trust on this forum, always an adventure for sure!

DaveSSS 

I perform a specific exercise to help reduce the neck and shoulder pain that I get in the early season on rides in the 3-4 hour range. I clasp my hands behind my head, then bend my neck forward and apply resistance with my hands as I straighten my neck up to a normal upright position. Repeat 5-10 times.

I'm old, but never have back pain, even with my 10cm saddle to bar drop. I'm flexible and have no problem touching my toes.

With my 72-73cm saddle height, I know that I need a total stack of 540mm, with the headset top cover and spacers with the lowest -17 degree stem. One of my bikes has a 509mm frame stack, so I use a special 30mm headset top cover that's 30mm tall and use no spacers. A stem with a -6,7 or 8 degree angle would only require a more common 15mm headset top. I have two new Yoeleo frames with 505mm stack with -7 degree integrated bar/stem with 20mm of headset top cover and spacer. The next larger size frame has 16mm more stack, so only the 10mm headset top cover would be needed.

bykemike 

After soul searching, eBay searching, facebook searching, I have located and purchased a 2018 BMC Roadmachine SLR1 with Sram Red eTap group, a set of Enve 3.4 disc wheels.
. All sorts of extras come with including a power meter (no clue what to do with that)

Its running a set of 30 tires and room for 32 it appears. Good price and I am expecting to have it here about the 16-19 this month. The seller is including some ICS cockpit parts in case I want to raise the bar a bit. Can't wait to ride it, I'll end up making some mods but that's half the fun. Pictures soon!

That's to all who pushed me towards a less aggressive fit bike!