Eddy Merckx Strasbourg Carbon Review: Merckx bikes are again with a spread of customized choices

Eddy Merckx bikes arrived again with a bang in January this 12 months when the model was relaunched. A brand new vary of bikes was introduced together with street, all-road and gravel choices out there in metal, aluminium and carbon fibre.

Merckx bikes hadn’t disappeared utterly from the biking panorama however the previous a number of years had been quiet for the model after being acquired by the Belgium Cycling Factory father or mother firm which additionally owns Ridley bikes. This means Merckx bikes keep based mostly in Belgium, absolutely the model’s non secular house.

Belgium ProfessionalTeam Team Flanders – Baloise has raced on Eddy Merckx for the previous couple of years, however the announcement in January represented a much bigger, official launching of a bigger Eddy Merckx vary. I spent a while within the earlier a part of this 12 months driving the brand new Eddy Merckx Strasbourg carbon gravel bike to see the way it formed up. I’d by no means ridden a motorbike with that well-known title on the downtube, and while I respect instances have modified and Merckx is not behind the model anymore, it was nonetheless good to lastly swing a leg over a Merckx-branded bike. 

The bike in query, the Strasbourg C (carbon) is, in accordance with the model, made for ‘extraordinarily difficult terrain’ and is the suitable companion for tough and difficult off-road rides. It’s no secret an enormous vary of driving sorts and terrain falls beneath the gravel bike umbrella now, and it appears the Strasbourg is aimed on the extra aggressive finish of the spectrum.

Part of the Eddy Merckx vary providing is customized spec choices through the model’s website configurator. Customers can select from a carbon frameset priced at £2,157, six off-the-peg construct choices, or a spread of customized construct and paint choices to go well with preferences and necessities.

The precise bike I examined featured a RockShox Rudy suspension fork and as I rode it the bike priced at €5,498 (+ €499 for the fork possibility over a inflexible Carbon mannequin) That’s an honest lump of money, and I used to be eager to see how the brand new bike rode and if it warranted the value tag. 

Design and Aesthetics 

The Strasbourg mannequin is in accordance with the Merckx web site an ‘ode to an unforgettable stage victory within the 1971 Tour de France through which Eddy Merckx confirmed his class throughout a dash in opposition to Roger De Vlaeminck on a mud monitor.’ It’s a faint hyperlink, however a hyperlink nonetheless. 

Interestingly the Strasbourg is presently the one gravel bike within the Merckx lineup however is obtainable in metal, aluminium, and the carbon model we’re taking a look at right here. It’s additionally I think a barely simpler and/or cost-effective manner of doing issues when you’re rolling out a brand-new bike vary. Although the identical mannequin in title, the fabric properties themselves and spec choices on provide ought to present an honest quantity of distinction between every model of the bike and produce out totally different experience and efficiency qualities. 

Merckx despatched me a check construct of the Strasbourg to experience which was fitted with a RockShox Rudy suspension fork, the opposite possibility is a 4ZA Oryx carbon disc fork. The Strasbourg as I perceive will probably be out there with a suspension fork possibility in time, however that is nonetheless unavailable on the web site configurator.

There are as talked about six off-the-peg spec choices to select from with a spread of digital and mechanical parts. Prices begin at £2,799 for a Sram Rival 11-speed construct and rise to £4,999 for a Shimano GRX800 di2 mannequin. 

My check bike construct is available in at €5,498 with the Rudy fork possibility, which provides €498 to the overall worth. Build-wise, my bike featured Sram Rival AXS 12-speed groupset with a 42T ring up entrance and 10-44T cassette. Forza Levanto carbon wheelset, Vittoria Terreno Dry 47mm tyres, Ritchey Venture Max Comp bars rounded out the ending package together with a San Marco saddle. 

The Strasbourg body options 48mm tyre clearances and refreshingly a 27.2mm spherical seatpost and normal seat clamp, together with exterior brake hoses and a non-proprietary handlebar and headset association. This means headset companies will probably be good and simple; helpful after muddy driving and bike washing. But additionally it means altering out issues like handlebars, stems, and seatposts, ought to that you must, is cost-effective and simply achieved.

I rode a dimension 54cm Strasbourg and geometry-wise the stack and attain numbers for the bike are 568 and 376 respectively. The stack quantity is precisely the identical as on The YT Szepter Core 4 dimension small mannequin I examined again in 2022 and that may be a comparable aggressively positioned gravel bike with a suspension fork that I obtained on nicely with driving onerous off-road. 

The Strasbourg incorporates a 71.5-degree headtube angle and a 73-degree seat-tube angle. A contact slacker on the seat tube and steeper within the head angle than the YT, making it really feel a bit of extra sprightly on the street. I really feel the Strasbourg geometry numbers strike a mix between off-road aggression and effectivity on milder terrain. It’s additionally value remembering this bike can and will probably be specced with a inflexible carbon fork so there must be a stability within the numbers I really feel. Stem choices for the bike additionally vary from 90-120mm. Given the shorter body attain numbers I feel this works out on the cash, although prospects, in fact, may spec a distinct size stem of their very own simply. 

The Strasbourg body itself options three bosses on the down tube, two on the highest tube, , two on the seat tube, entrance and rear mudguard mount factors, and the inflexible carbon fork possibility additionally has three bosses per leg. Adding additional water bottles, baggage or mudguards for winter duties would not be a difficulty. There can also be a two-year guarantee, which extends to 3 with product registration.

Aesthetics-wise, I preferred the gloss camo inexperienced and orange paint job my bike arrived with and it felt pretty on development gravel-wise. There are a number of inventory paint choices to select from or you’ll be able to go full customized paint at no additional price. The body strains and tube shapes are fairly traditional wanting general, there are no dropped seat stays or aggressive profiles and I like the best way the body presents general. The kinked seat stays could divide opinion and created a debate amongst my driving mates however I do not take a lot subject with them. 

Performance 

My first off-road experience on the Merckx concerned some sometimes muddy and slick British winter circumstances and I in all probability tried to chew off a bit greater than the Merckx, in its present guise, may deal with in my native woods. Wet and really muddy circumstances proved a bit of an excessive amount of for the 47mm Terreno Dry tyres and I struggled with a severe lack of grip. My native driving options some XC mtb trails and loads of muddy woodlands and if I used to be driving the Strasbourg by a British winter and speccing a suspension fork, I’d need some aggressive rubber so I may take pleasure in issues extra off-road.

In dryer spring climate I additionally tried to sort out as a lot technical off-road driving as I may on the Strasbourg. Unless it is a no-compromise race bike, I like a gravel bike to have the ability to cope with this type of terrain and it additionally importantly exams what this bike is about. Steeper trails and technical terrain had been handled nicely and within the tackier, dryer circumstances the Terreno tyres supplied extra grip.

I examined the bike repeatedly on a quick minute-long descent which begins open and quick and culminates in a steep, slim rocky gulley which requires a few fairly particular line selections to get arrange for. I rode this descent a number of instances in a row pushing the bike onerous every time and it felt steady at velocity and hooked into the drops I felt assured on the technical decrease components of the descent. 

A tarmac climb leads again to the highest of this off-road descent and it made for a helpful off-road/on-road comparability. The Merckx feels sprightly sufficient on the climbs, but I felt assured I may get caught in and hammer it again downhill. It additionally served as a reminder I really feel that gravel bikes with 40mm suspension forks actually do not feel as sluggish on the street as lots of us would possibly assume they do, myself included. Every time I experience one, I realise that except all-out velocity is your aim, it would not really feel prefer it’s holding you again an excessive amount of. 

The Merckx hums alongside nicely on the tarmac too. Longer, road-only rides had been check for this and the bike climbed nicely. I did not really feel the non-lockout possibility on the Rudy fork detracted from out-of-the-saddle climbing or velocity on the flat notably, within the context of a normal street experience, not going onerous. The tyre and wheel combo on my bike make for a quick mixture and the Vittoria Terreno Dry tyres zip alongside rapidly at increased pressures on the street.

I additionally discovered it simple to hook into an aero place on the Sram hoods, which had been angled in to comply with the flare of the Ritchey bars. I obtained extra used to the Ritchey flared bars as time went on they usually go well with a spread of driving, however for me, a narrower, unflared bar feels extra confidence-inspiring when driving technical terrain. I’d look to swap this and it could possibly be simply finished at buy utilizing the configurator. 

The Merckx would not have the all-out stiffness or racy feeling of a number of the quickest gravel bikes on the market so when you’re out there do not anticipate it to really feel like a race bike. I felt it was nonetheless nippy on the street and lighter gravel and supplied an entertaining experience, however the geometry and efficiency had been as much as the duty once I pushed issues off-road. 

Value 

Despite liking the bike and having fun with its experience qualities I am unable to assist however really feel it is a bit of bit on the costly aspect at €5,498 as reviewed. For some comparability as it is a equally positioned bike, the top-spec YT Szepter Core 4 with top-spec Rudy Ultimate fork, Force AXS and AXS dropper (however no carbon wheels) is obtainable for €4,000 in the mean time while a bunch of Canyon Grizl choices, some with Rudy forks sit beneath the €5,000 mark. 

That mentioned, I acknowledge Canyon’s direct-to-consumer mannequin specifically permits for very aggressive pricing. But Merckx does provide a big seller community for assist and aftermarket care through Belgian Cycling Factory and a spread of customized spec and paint choices at buy which helps. 

It’s a strong bike, but when individuals are procuring round they could nicely discover extra competitively priced choices. Aside from the great efficiency, if the attract of a Merckx-branded bike and customized choices does it for you, perhaps it will swing it. 

Verdict 

I preferred the Strasbourg and have loved driving it, it is a strong all-around gravel bike and handled aggressive off-road driving nicely. It was steady at velocity and handled steep, difficult terrain with confidence. With street tyres and mudguards which you even have the flexibility to suit, it could additionally make a strong winter bike including additional worth to the acquisition. 

The bike is billed as being for aggressive off-road driving although and given the USP I feel issues may head within the aggressive path a bit extra to additional align efficiency with the Strasbourg mannequin description. 

For the bike to totally stay as much as its aggressive billing, I feel a number of part tweaks to take issues additional on this path would assist. I’d be plumping for the Vittoria Mezcal tyres on the configurator for a begin – you possibly can, in fact, match totally different or extra aggressive rubber of your individual. It would even be good to see a Sram AXS dropper add-on possibility which might be helpful for aggressive driving and would assist the bike measure up in opposition to different aggressive off-road gravel bikes available on the market. The suspension fork possibility is coming quickly as an possibility, so maybe some extra aggressive spec selections will be a part of it. 

The man himself might not be heading up the operation anymore, however I like seeing that title on the down tube stay on. If potential shoppers really feel the identical then the Merckx Strasbourg could also be a gorgeous proposition regardless of there doubtlessly being cheaper, equally specced bikes on the market. It’s not the precise spec I’d select if I used to be utilizing the bike for aggressive off-road driving, however there’s a good body and geometry on the coronary heart of the Strasbourg carbon which feels at house each on the street or driving aggressively off it, the particular path you need to take your construct in is totally as much as you.