Eddy Merckx Cycles has just launched the new 525, an all-rounder lightweight bike with aero details. It’s the bike ridden by the AG2R La Mondiale pro team and was announced almost a year ago when the team’s switch from Factor bikes was made known, only now being officially launched.
Why's it called the 525? Because that's the number of race wins in Merckx's pro career.
As you’d expect, the design has majored on aero features, with the Flanders Bike Valley wind tunnel used to hone the front end aerodynamics in particular. So there’s an aero integrated cockpit, that’s still designed for ease of maintenance. At the rear of the bike, the seatpost has an aero profile and there’s a top cap to the seatpost/seat tube junction designed to smooth airflow.
Despite the aero details, the Eddy Merckx 525 has a claimed weight of under 7kg, matching the best lightweight pro bikes, like the new Scott Addict RC and the Wilier Zero SLR. Eddy Merckx Cycles says that its fork is both aero and lightweight, while the seat tube shape shifts from aero at the top to a rounder, lighter section lower down. There's clearance for 28mm tyres. Quoted frame weights are 860g for the rim brake frame and 330g for the fork, 925g and 360g for disc.
>>> All AG2R La Mondiale riders on Strava for the 2019 season
To aid compliance and comfort without sacrificing frame rigidity, the seatstays have a wide, flat profile, with a vibration absorbing kink in them. Eddy Merckx Cycles says that the carbon lay-up in the whole frame has been designed to dampen road vibrations.
Available in disc and rim brake variants, the Eddy Merckx 525 retails for €6,499 for the disc brake bike with mechanical Shimano Ultegra and €7899 with Ultegra Di2. Swap to rim brakes and prices are €4999 for Ultegra mechanical and €7399 for Ultegra Di2.
You can also use the MyMerckx Dream Builder app to configure your own bespoke build.
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