You may have seen advertising pictures in this months cycling magazines, it is the new Racemaster SLX frameset. The frame shape is an adaptation of the current lines that BMC use. So what can I tell you about it, well is it is an alloy/carbon mix, which may surprise you from the picture. The headtube, top tube and seatstays are all Easton CNT carbon. The rest of the bike will be made out of Easton Alloy, and it goes without saying that the fork is carbon, but with an alloy steerer.
As I write this I am unsure of the design ethos that lay behind the shape and the mix of materials. You may remember a few years back LeMond and Specialized have both used a similar concept in melding a metal with carbon in a top half bottom half configuration. Some people raved about the ride combination, while others commented on a flexy feeling, especially when hitting corners. Thankfully the technology has moved on a lot since these original forays, with Cannondale being the most successful with the Six13 concept.
My best guess is that it'll offer vibration damping in the upper part that uses the carbon, and the lower section will offer a stiffer platform for hard efforts. What you can't see from the picture is the geometry, so I have no clear idea of the bikes intended use. It sounds like it'd work equally well for criterium race or a sportive, I'll update this as I get more news. A frameset will retail for £1499.00.
