Pro bike: Tejay van Garderen’s BMC TM01 Time Machine

Tejay van Garderen set out on the uphill time trial of the USA Pro Challenge in the yellow leader’s skinsuit aboard a BMC TM01 Time Machine with a custom 3T aerobar and new team-only Continental tubulars. Although not exceptionally light at 18.98lb/9.06kg, van Garderen’s Time Machine was chosen for its aerodynamic advantage.

With about 1,500ft of climbing in the 10mi/16.1km time trial, some riders opted for road bikes with aero bars, but all the GC contenders rode full TT rigs.

Van Garderen ran a standard 53/39 ring set-up on his SRM Dura-Ace cranks, with an 11-25 cassette in the rear.

Van Garderen matched a Shimano C50 front wheel with a Lightweight disc, which BMC mechanics have painted over and polished to a mirror-like finish. On the front a 24mm Continental tubular marked Force Comp shared the same tread as the unmarked 22mm rear. Chief team mechanic Ian Sherburne explained that the tires are pro-team only, with a perfectly smooth center tread for ultimate speed matched with file tread shoulders for cornering grip. When BMC riders use a rear PRO disc, which has a wider tire bed, mechanics mount a 24 or 25mm tire to match.

But the most remarkable piece of van Garderen’s Time Machine is the custom-molded aerobar, which integrates not only the bars and the stem but the bayonet fork itself.

The Shimano Di2 wiring is molded into the aerobar, which is drilled for a zip-tie connection for the wiring harness.

Van Garderen’s resulting position is not insanely low by pro standards, but his extensions are quite narrow. The arm-rest pads are 14cm apart (c-to-c) and the extensions are only 5cm apart at the tips.

Click through the photo gallery at above right for all the details.

This story originally appeared on BIkeradar.com.

 

 

 

 

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