BMC’s Carbon Nanotube Bikes to Challenge for 2005 Tour de France

BMC, the leading Swiss high-end bicycle brand, has developed for the number 1 Pro Tour Team Phonak a new secret weapon for the Tour de France.

Last year, BMC had already introduced the revolutionary „Time Machine“ during the Tour de France which set the new standard for time trial bikes. This year, we can present another revolutionary bike the BMC “Pro Machine”. The “Pro Machine is the first bicycle frame in the world which is made entirely using the revolutionary Easton CNT-Nanotechnology.

Nanotechnology is the next frontier in scientific research and advanced manufacturing, and has been used until today mainly in medicine and electronics. Nanotechnology deals with the manipulation of materials on an atomic or molecular scale measured in billionths of a meter. By using the innovative enhanced resin system with its carbon nanotubes (CNT) a revolutionary fibre was created that is also called “the strongest fibre that will ever be made”. Nanotubes have a strength-to-weight ratio which is hundred times better than aluminium or ten times better than normal carbon fibre.

BMC is the first frame builder in the world that has built a complete bicycle frame with Easton CNT-Nanotechnology. By using the CNT-Nanotechnology we are able to build a frame with minimal weight and maximal strength. Our engineers did not just use a revolutionary frame material but have also developed new engineering and manufacturing processes to build this state of the art frame. High investments in special moulding technology allow us to build an easy to manufacture frame with excellent performance. The BMC “Pro Machine” frame weight is not only below one kilogram, but has also excellent stiffness and strength characteristics. Beside the innovative BMC Crosslock-Technology frame design a lot of innovative details were integrated in this frame. The bottom bracket threading is the only alloy part on this frame. That means that also dropouts and headset surface are entirely made with CNT technology. Also revolutionary is the fact that none of those parts have to be machined after production. Normally machining destroys carbon fibres and results in a damage of the fibre structure. Cable guides are not glued in the frame but are part of the frame structure. Special tube shapes in the steering tube, in the chainstay area and the bottom bracket area result in a high performance frame that is extremely efficient in transferring the riders force into immediate acceleration.

The CNT-Nanotechnology frame not only performs better, but its radical look also differentiates the BMC “Pro Machine” from the rest of the pack.

We from BMC are convinced, that we have built a frame that will set a new trend in the bicycle industry. We are extremely proud to offer this frame with Easton CNT-Nanotechnology exclusively to the Phonak Cycling Team. We are sure that we can motivate the Team with this performance advantage for even better results.

Posted June 25^th, 2005