ZURICH (Switzerland) – The truck of the Tudor Pro Cycling Team It's the perfect shelter from the rain. We are here for the presentation of the new BMC Teammachine R MpcThe acronym identifies the MPC technology, an acronym for Masterpiece. On the stools to present it, the host Fabian Cancellara, but also Stefan Christ, head of the Research and Development departmentIt's a sort of talk, which revolves around the bicycle and the philosophy that created it.
Four key points
«I think that essentially – says Stefan – there are four things that make MPC very special. The first is the accuracy of the layup and this is really the keyBe 100 percent accurate with every carbon fiber patch you place. This allows us to give each fiber portion a function so that it can actually handle the load.. And this is the main reason why the frame can actually be lighter.
«The second thing, which we somehow always forget but is still very special, is that with Mpc technology we have tools that allow us to produce the entire frame in a single pieceThere are no glues, no joints on the frame. And this, once again, allows us to save weight.
«The third thing is that we can skip all the finishing steps – Stefan continues – whether it's sanding or painting. What you see here is the product as it comes out of the mold. So there's no need for any tricks, because we don't have to trick anything. And of course, not having to apply the finish also saves weight.
"In the end the fourth thing is that this frame is produced in a place quite close to Switzerland And this brings us back to the name Masterpiece. To make a frame like this, you need people with very specific know-how and skills, even manual dexterity. At every stage of work we strive to achieve perfection and this would not be possible in a mass production context.The frame is made in a place where the mentality is very similar to ours. I mean: people who know Switzerland and what Switzerland is famous for."
Zero paint
The bike is black and unpainted and looks great. We were able to take a closer look and photograph it while we waited for its arrival. Cancellara, who had the privilege of developing it with BMC technicians. Except that he then had to return all the samples, and he laughs in despair as he says so. It's clear that Fabian and his team have become privileged partners in the development of new products.
“We live together,” says Fabian, “we collaborate and don’t waste time on nonsense. Let's really move forward and dare when we're in the runningI think that on the performance front, we are committed and support each other. There are good people in the BMC family who support us and challenge each other and then find the right path to help us win cycling races. BMC is synonymous with performance and I think the Masterpiece is where performance, engineering and manufacturing come together in the best possible way.They use a truly unique production method, which allows them to increase performance to truly extreme levels.
"Of course, when I tried it, I felt a difference, even now that I'm a little heavier. But I think the sensitivity is still there, and I think I still have it. That's why, When they call me and ask me if I would like to try a bike, I always say yes. Because I like it and it excites me. Of course, giving feedback is a responsibility."
Four days of work
Stefan takes the floor again. The questions follow one another and this time the curiosity of the person leading the meeting focuses on the production techniques that make this bicycle, created in collaboration with Red Bull Advanced Technologies, something rare. It will be produced in a few hundred per year, because everything related to it takes longer.
“Overall,” he says, “we saw the opportunity to create something exceptional. We have been able to eliminate the constraints that you have in normal carbon production. Not looking at mass production, but focusing on perfection, was a big step and a new starting point. We were able to do very different things because we knew we wouldn't do many of them, but each of them had to be perfect.
«To give you an idea, Producing a frame like this requires about two days of work by a single worker. In these two days, an entire one is dedicated just to putting the fibers in the right placeIn traditional production, this takes about four to six hours and is done by several different hands. So the work is divided among several workers. Furthermore, in standard production, a lot of time is spent on the finishing and making the frame a beautiful product. Of course, here it's a little different."
Stiffness, weight, comfort, aerodynamics
And then Christ goes on to say that at BMC they dedicate more time to the accuracy and precision of the carbon layup, thus saving a lot of time in finishing. And then we move on to the objectives of this creation, which must reconcile multiple needs in a single bike.
«The challenge – explains Stefan Christ – is to to build a bicycle that scores high in all types of performanceI mean stiffness, weight, comfort, and aerodynamics. Four aspects that somehow conflict with each other because it's not easy to combine them. I think we all know how easy it is to make a superlight bicycle by making compromises elsewhere. The same goes for making a very aerodynamic bicycle, but weighing 7,5 kilos. We tried to get a very high score in all performances. It took a lot of simulation data to combine lightness and aerodynamics. I think this is where we made the biggest step forward.
«Stiffness, on the other hand, is something that everyone in professional cycling wants for power transfer and steering precision. It has always been an integral part of the recipe for our racing bikes, we never compromise on this.The real challenge was the optimization between lightness and aerodynamics, which we achieved thanks to many simulations. So I would say that The Teammachine R really stands out from the crowd and is excellent on any terrain».
The limit is in the weight
Cancellara talks about his feelings about the various prototypes he tested. He says he wouldn't be surprised if his riders were to ask him one day and one can imagine that for a Alaphilippe or Hirschi himself, such a bike could be the sugar that stimulates ambition. The bike easily weighs 6,8 kilos, and the Swiss emphasizes that the weight limits and the quality of the bikes they already own mean the riders only have to worry about going fast. The meeting is coming to an end, that bike is beautiful, and all we're left with is the desire to try it. It has been available at retailers since September and the price of the frame kit is 8.999 euros.It's still raining outside. Meanwhile, the junior competition has begun.
