BMC teamed up with Red Bull Advanced Technologies to develop their next-generation Speedmachine prototype, calling the brand new TT & Tri bike the “World’s Fastest Race Bike”. Set to debut this weekend on the delayed Ironman World Championships, this primary true “Formula One-style” race bike consists of most of the wind-cheating aero options we’ve seen on different aero street, time trial, observe & triathlon bikes, taken to a subsequent degree within the particulars…
BMC Red Bull Speedmachine World’s Fastest Race Bike prototype
all pictures c. BMC
BMC’s Swiss R&D Impec Lab has been working intently with Red Bull’s Advanced Technologies division for 4 years on this mission to develop the subsequent ‘world’s quickest race bike’. BMC brings to the desk a long time of aero street and race bike improvement experience, plus the precise bike racing expertise by the use of their lively ambassador and TT legend Fabian Cancellara. The Red Bull Advanced Technologies staff then again, brings unmatched aerodynamic simulation capabilities that embrace extra full whole-bike & race surroundings modeling than standard bike design CFD, developed for the complexities of Formula One motorsports racing.
BMC Impec Lab x Red Bull Advanced Technologies improvement
Together, BMC’s Head of R&D Stefan Christ describes a complementary improvement course of that allowed their design & engineering staff in Grenchen, Switzerland to maneuver extra rapidly from simulation to constructing their very own prototypes in-house, to check the next-gen bike on the street.
BMC Impec Lab improvement prototype
Along the best way, Cancellara has been concerned in each step of the method, from refining the adaptable match & positions on the bike to dialing in journey high quality to keep up an aero tuck throughout very long time trials and full-distancer triathlon racing. Cancellara described the BMC x Red Bull improvement collaboration as “amazing” from a rider’s perspective, saying “The finished prototype is incredible, and I look forward to what’s next” because the Speedmachine strikes from a proof of idea triathlon bike now, ideally to a race-ready time trial bike.
UCI Approval pending?
triathlon (left) or time trial (proper) setups
As of now, this next-gen BMC Speedmachine prototype has not but acquired UCI approval for time trial racing – though admittedly, the latest updates on the UCI List of Approved Models of Framesets was from again in March 2022.
BMC hasn’t made any feedback suggesting that’s within the playing cards for this prototype. But Cancellara’s feedback (and private bike place setup, proper above) trace that could be the path the mission is headed. And its body shaping appears to be like to remain inside the extra just lately relaxed UCI design tips.
We’ll simply have to attend and see.
Tech particulars
BMC additionally hasn’t shared any technical particulars in regards to the new Speedmachine prototype in any respect both.
In reality, they haven’t even named it formally, regardless that they did paint Speedmachine onto the toptube.
That new title is sensible although, because the evolution of aero street bikes has adopted the Time Machine title that started off as a TT bike greater than a decade in the past.
BMC x Red Bull Speedmachine prototype availability
As of now, this “World’s Fastest Race Bike” exists solely as a time trial/triathlon bike solely accessible to BMC’s professional riders to check out in real-world racing. Red Bull Athlete & BMC Pro Triathlon Team Member Patrik Nilsson will race the Speedmachine prototype on the ‘2021 Ironman World Championship‘ which confusingly takes place this coming weekend in St. George, Utah after COVID delay final yr.
Patrik Nilsson tri (left) & Fabian Cancellara TT (proper)
After that, primarily based on the extra standard TT place on Fabian Cancellara’s prototype, we anticipate to see the BMC Speedmachine make its transition to street time trial racing, as properly.
