BMC Teammachine Masterpiece Frameset
What can be accomplished when no expense is spared? It’s a broad question, but when narrowed down to focus on a carbon road frameset, BMC may have answered it. Twice. The *very* limited edition BMC Teammachine SLR MPC (or “Masterpiece”), along with the Roadmachine MPC have essentially set the bar as far as road bikes for riders where money is no object.
Designed and built in only a select few locations in the world, these bikes are are a passion project of the Head of Research and Development at BMC’s Impec Lab in Grenchen, Switzerland. For those who don’t know, the Impec lab is where all of BMC’s development and testing is done, a closed off operation where very few outside of BMC are ever allowed in. Luckily, we recently had an employee invited to see the lab up close and although photos were prohibited, he was shown how development and testing of frames get done.
The engineer wanted to make the best carbon frame possible, with no expense spared, which comes with the hefty price tag. To do this, countless hours of development went into the frame, refining and redefining what they knew about carbon construction to build this frame. The MPC is the highest level option of their Teammachine SLR and Roadmachine frames.
From a distance, these bikes closely resemble their 01 brothers they were based on, but as you get close the differences start to stand out. Starting with its raw carbon ‘finish,’ finish in quotes because they dont actually finish the frame with anything, the carbon just being polished after it comes out of the mold. This frame is truly a Masterpiece of carbon design, and you may be wondering what warrants its pricetag, especially because it is almost double the cost of their premium 01 framesets.
The biggest difference between the 01 and the MPC is its carbon joints. The 01 frames are 3 pieces of carbon joined together: the front triangle being joined to each stay, resulting in 3 joints in the frameset. The MPC, on the other hand, is one piece of carbon for the entire frame. Being hand-layed into the mold, the frame is manufactured so after it comes out of the mold there is only polishing required, no sanding, or clearcoat is required. This saves weight, improves cosmetics, and limits scratches on the frame.
All said and done this frameset is light, coming in at just 1179g for the Teammachine SLR MPC, down from the SLR 01s weight of 1365g. One thing that happens when you make an ultra-light frame is that you can sacrifice the ride quality, that is not the case here. This bike is still intended to be compliant, so it absorbs road vibrations, not giving a rough ride that you can’t spend a lot of time on. This bike is also 30% stiffer than competitors in its weight class, measured on three different machines in the Impec lab, this bike stands alone in terms of weight, compliance, and quality.
As is fitting of something as special and limited as the Masterpiece, the frameset ships in an industrial-themed and metal-trimmed premium road case. This super cool container looks fitting of the treasure contained within, and makes for an interesting accessory to the Masterpiece frame. Additional accessories that accompany the frame include a Scicon gear bag, Aerocore bottle cages, bike sock, ownership certificate, quality check seal and a custom alloy BMC lunch box. Yes, a high-quality and very stylish alloy lunchbox.
Available (and "available" is used loosely here) as a frameset only, the Teammachine Mpc is intended to be built to customer specifications by the marquis BMC dealer that facilitates each Masterpiece order and purchase. To acquire one of these ultra-limited framesets, one can start the process by visiting an authorized BMC Masterpiece dealer, or contacting BMC to request an appointment to visit their North American office in Scott's Valley, California or their Global Headquarters in Grenchen, Switzerland.
The vetting and ordering process serves to further emphasize how carefully curated these frames are, and how BMC intends to make the acquisition and ownership of a Masterpiece truly special. These bikes are an investment to say the least, and both the purchase process and ownership experience are intended to be anything but ordinary.
This Teammachine Mpc is actually our second Masterpiece build experience here at Contender and we're extremely excited to be trusted to build it up and get it's lucky owner rolling on it. BMC describes each Masterpiece frame as "A work of art that is eager to be ridden", and we couldn't agree more. Watch for more details about the build as well as a video review for an up-close look at this very special, ultra-limited, artistically crafted frame.
If you're interested in starting the process of acquiring your own Masterpiece, we can help! Contender has been with BMC from the beginning and we can help take you from your first inquiry, to your first ride.