For several years we have seen Team Dimension Data riding Cervélo, but we got hints of change when they auctioned off their S5s raising money for Qhubeka. Now starting tomorrow with the new year, Dimension Data gets a new bike sponsor and will be riding a fleet of disc brake road bikes like the BMC Teammachines which debuted last year. ENVE remains a core sponsor, and shared a first look at Edvald Boasson Hagen’s new ride…
BMC Teammachine SLR01 Disc of Dimension Data
BMC pulled out of BMC Racing earlier this year, getting renamed & reorganized as the Polish outfit CCC who will now be racing on Giants. So the move to sponsor Dimension Data keeps BMC in the pro peloton.
Even with Dimension’s change of bike sponsor to BMC, much of the rest of the Teammachine SLR01 Disc team bike setup remains unchanged. The big deal though is that the team is now said to have fully adopted disc brakes. When we last caught up with Dimension Data in person at 2018’s Giro there wasn’t a disc brake to be found. Now it looks like stage racing, one day races and even time trials will be aboard disc brake BMCs in 2019.
Enve SES 3.4 Disc wheels with prototype carbon road hubs
Of course moving away from rim brakes to discs is a big deal not only for the frame supplier, but also long-time wheel sponsor Enve. Lighter rims and a more aero transition from rim to tire are big benefits of the move to disc brakes according to Enve. That’s no big surprise as the Utah company has put a lot of optimization work into their carbon SES rims.
It also seems to be good motivation to at least train tubeless as well. Edvald Boasson Hagen has his Enve SES 3.4 Disc wheels set up tubeless here with 25mm Vittoria Rubino Pro training tires. Interestingly, it also appears that Boasson Hagen’s wheels are spinning on a prototype set of Centerlock Enve Carbon Disc Brake Road Hubs, something Enve has not yet announced.
The front hub uses a multi-lobed flange configuration pairing spokes on both driveside and disc sides of the hub, like the newest rim brake Carbon Road Hubs use for the rear hub only. We only really get a glimpse of the rear hub which looks to use similar flanges. But both front & rear wheels use 24 spoke lacing.
Dimension Data BMC Teammachine SLR01 Disc complete build
Drivetrain remains unchanged. Dimension Data continue to ride Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 (attached with a direct mount rear derailleur hanger), although now they move to the R9170 build that pairs hydraulic disc brakes to the electronic shifting. Rotor continues to provide 2InPower power meter cranksets, now in their latest modular spider versions which the team has set up with four-bolt, round NoQ chainrings, plus a set of Dura-Ace pedals. And everything is connected by a shiny gold ti-nitride KMC X11SL chain, which has been around for closing in on a decade now!
A little name badge decal on the seattube lets us know who is riding on this Teammachine. And even though there are no DT hubs on this bike, the DT RWS thru-axle is still hard to beat for a reliable, easy-to-use way to keep those fancy prototype Enve wheels in place, with a lever that can be positioned for the least aero drag.
For now Boasson Hagen’s team bike looks to feature an almost stock race grey paint job, albeit with higher visibility white logos. We’ll have to wait and see the team’s new kit design in the new year and whether (when) custom team paint will show up too.
The Teammachine uses its own D-shaped carbon seatpost & special two-piece semi-integrated stem for hidden cable routing. Stock versions of the ICS 01 Integrated Cockpit Design stem only go up to 120mm, but it looks like Boasson Hagen gets a much longer one here. He’s also sporting the BMC integrated GPS mount off the stem faceplate. Thanks to a standard 31.8 clamp, Enve still provides their standard carbon compact road bar for the team, and a Selle Italia SP-01 saddle tops it all off.
