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Acceleration Problem BMC GF02

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Old 01-20-16 | 11:16 AM
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Thanks everybody for your feedback.

I was hoping my foray into road bikes would be a lot less messy. Special thanks to #jimc101 as I had assumed the same teeth in the Chainset when in fact the BMC does have 4 more teeth. So #Reynolds maybe I was a bit ignorant of gearing. If #jimc101 is right then the 4 teeth extra on the chainset is equivalent to less than an extra half wheel spin for one full pedal rotation in the highest gear (11T cog) and likely less than a quarter more wheel spin in the gear I was kicking both bikes off from. With that said I will test this again tonight and use way more accurate gearing.

If it helps, I am 6"3 and have a 93cm inseam. I like to ride with a low cadence. I rode the Trek again last night and seriously, it just takes less effort to speed up. Its like jumping from a road bike to a full suspension fat wheel mountain bike. Yes you can choose the right gear, but it takes way more power to go as quick, and the drag is not occurring in the wheels, as I have tested them and they spin freely on the BMC with no break rub.

Another thanks to #Jyl for this list.

Originally Posted by jyl
The only remaining possibilities are:
1. The BMC has drag somewhere in the drivetrain, e.g. bottom bracket.
2. The BMC has really excessive frame flex.
3. Your position is substantially different on the two bikes.
4. You're imagining it.
Answers

1. I am taking the bike to Evans tonight to check the bottom bracket.
2. I have no experience in the effects of stiffness, but I hope this isn't what it is.
3. My position is subtly different. Both bikes have similar tube angles but the road bike has lower bars further forward.
3.a Seat heights are the same
3.b Tyre pressures are good on both
3.c Breaks rub on Trek not on BMC

4. This is the easy answer. Of course we can say it's in my head, and I have not ruled this out. But I have ridden other road bikes (that both fit and did not fit) and never experienced this lethargy to moving off and accelerating. The feeling is so distinct it has led me to believe the bike is broken.

I will report back tomorrow after Evans have checked the bike with what I find.

Thanks All!
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Old 01-20-16 | 11:42 AM
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Originally Posted by ryanisjones
the 4 teeth extra on the chainset is equivalent to less than an extra half wheel spin for one full pedal rotation in the highest gear (11T cog) and likely less than a quarter more wheel spin in the gear I was kicking both bikes off from. With that said I will test this again tonight and use way more accurate gearing.
Count the teeth. Since you seem to like the acceleration of some particular gear of the trek, count the teeth used, and then count teeth on the BMC and choose a gearing that has as close as possible a front/rear tooth quotient. Maybe you can even find an exact match, like 50/20=2.5 seems to be an available gearing on the BMC (your chainrings are 'compact' 50-34, and it looks like your cassette offers 11-12-13-14-16-18-20-22-25-28-32), maybe the Trek has like 40/16=2.5 or something. If you can't find a suitable exact equal, round up to the slightly larger on the BMC, because the Trek has larger tires, thus a slightly larger wheel diameter and full-revolution rollout distance.

Last edited by RubeRad; 01-20-16 at 11:45 AM.
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Old 01-20-16 | 11:45 AM
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Originally Posted by RubeRad
Count the teeth. Since you seem to like the acceleration of some particular gear of the trek, count the teeth used, and then count teeth on the BMC and choose a gearing that has as close as possible a front/rear tooth quotient. Maybe you can even find an exact match, like 50/20=2.5 seems to be an available gearing on the BMC, maybe the Trek has like 40/16=2.5 or something. If you can't find a suitable exact equal, round up to the slightly larger on the BMC, because the Trek has larger tires, thus a slightly larger wheel diameter and full-revolution rollout distance.
Thanks #RubeRad Will do exactly this
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Old 01-20-16 | 11:51 AM
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Originally Posted by FastJake
Even though you "only use" that chainring your picture shows the bike in a small/small combination! Something is not right here.
I don't think the picture shows the Trek owned by the OP, there's no way that's a 63cm.
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Old 01-20-16 | 12:02 PM
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Old 01-20-16 | 12:03 PM
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When comparing 2 bikes, if the wheels are different sizes, you need to factor that in when comparing gearing. That's where "gear inches" becomes useful.

If 2 different styles of bike, such as hybrid and road, you might be used to the flat, wider bars, and pulling hard for leverage when starting or climbing, but more tentative on a road bike with narrower bars and different posture.
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Old 01-20-16 | 12:05 PM
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Originally Posted by RubeRad
I don't think the picture shows the Trek owned by the OP, there's no way that's a 63cm.
I thought the same thing, but look at the rear triangle. It's very... big and the seatstay angle is very sharp.
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Old 01-20-16 | 12:15 PM
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Probably just HTFU.. ride harder.

Maybe it because its winter and the town is flooded ?.
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Old 01-20-16 | 12:18 PM
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Originally Posted by ryanisjones
the 4 teeth extra on the chainset is equivalent to less than an extra half wheel spin for one full pedal rotation in the highest gear (11T cog) and likely less than a quarter more wheel spin in the gear I was kicking both bikes off from. With that said I will test this again tonight and use way more accurate gearing.
All this talk is useless... You don't know anything about gearing, or what gear inch you are in. Study it and know it.
Learn about gearing and how to use it!

I have no idea WTF you are doing.
Trek 7.0 as far as I can see comes 48 front, 14 rear... That is a 91 inch gear.
BMC comes 50 front, 11 rear.... That is a 120 inch gear.
Can you verify this, and exactly what gears you are using.

Last edited by trailangel; 01-20-16 at 12:32 PM.
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Old 01-20-16 | 12:19 PM
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There's no way that one of those bikes is a 63 and the other is a 61. There's far more than 2 cm of difference between them. Is it possible that they were measured differently?

If the trek is the right size, the BMC is too small for you. (Or maybe it's the angle of the picture, the BMC still looks very small.) I mean, you have at least 3 handfuls of seatpost sticking out of the BMC, maybe only 1.5 on the trek. I know it has a sloping top tube... but still...

The position on the bike is nowhere near the same. Much more saddle-handlebar drop on the BMC. Something you're probably not used to.

Sorry for the massive pic, it's the OPs.


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Old 01-20-16 | 12:23 PM
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Slow motor? It always is in my case.
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Old 01-20-16 | 12:48 PM
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Originally Posted by corrado33
There's no way that one of those bikes is a 63 and the other is a 61. There's far more than 2 cm of difference between them. Is it possible that they were measured differently?
There are different sizing standards. Geometry from the BMC website lists no particular measurement of 61cm for the frame labeled "61", closest is 621mm 'stack' which is height difference from center of bottom bracket to top of head tube. Seat tube itself is 550 center-to-clamp, so probably more like 53cm center-to-center, which explains the long seatpost.

Last edited by RubeRad; 01-20-16 at 12:52 PM.
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Old 01-20-16 | 12:52 PM
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I seemed to have clicking on my first few new bikes. After about 100 miles or so, that clicking sound went away, and - aside from chain noise when not properly lubed - both bikes only have the whoosh of tires for sound.

That said, I would think that a slower bike would most likely come from fit. Play with saddle height to make sure you're getting optimal power in your stroke.
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Old 01-20-16 | 01:03 PM
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I believe that if the OP would learn to spin at a higher cadence his perception of efforts to accelerate would be rather different. Andy.
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Old 01-20-16 | 05:20 PM
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BMC looks pretty sweet. Can't see the Trek as well. Anyway, mystery solved. Ride safe!
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Old 01-20-16 | 05:26 PM
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Originally Posted by corrado33
There's no way that one of those bikes is a 63 and the other is a 61. There's far more than 2 cm of difference between them. Is it possible that they were measured differently?
This view is on an angle so there's no way to judge their relative size...
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Old 01-20-16 | 05:27 PM
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Originally Posted by jyl
BMC looks pretty sweet. Can't see the Trek as well. Anyway, mystery solved. Ride safe!
Where..?
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Old 01-20-16 | 06:34 PM
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Originally Posted by rmfnla
Where..?
Edit: after reading the thread more carefully, I think I may have jumped the gun in announcing mystery solved. But I'll leave my post below, for what it's worth.

Different gearing used on the two bikes. 50T vs 48T big rings is 4% higher gear on the BMC vs the Trek, even if the same tooth cog was used on the cassette. That's a difference some riders will feel, I would anyway. Especially if you're climbing or accelerating.

It's not always possible to get exactly the same gearing. Suppose you're climbing on the Trek in 48x23 or 2.087. Then you switch to the BMC with the 50T big ring. 50x23 is 2.173 and 50x25 is 2.000. That is 4% difference between each of those gear ratios. (This assumes same tire diameter and crank length.)

Which is, IMO, when you get up out of the saddle.

Last edited by jyl; 01-20-16 at 07:04 PM.
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