In 1961 Eddy Merckx began his cycling career and over the following 17 years became a cycling legend. He is unquestionably the best cyclist ever; having won 5 Tours de France, 5 Giro d'Italia, 3 World Championships, 7 Milan-San Remos (a record unequalled to this day), and having beaten the World Hour Record - to name a few of his victories. In all he won 525 races, an all time record.
Eddy won his fist Tour in 1969: he won six stages, the General classification (yellow jersey), the points (green jersey) and the climbing classification (polka-dot jersey). If the white jersey (best under-25) had been around then, Merckx would have won that, too.
That is why they called him "The Cannibal”
The Eddy Merckx Company was established 30 years ago with a mission to produce the finest cycles in the world. Eddy is still at the heart of the company and his eye for detail and quality pushes the company to ever higher standards. He is an integral part of the design process and always tests each new model himself.
Eddy Merckx was and still is, fastidious about ride position and maintenance of his bikes. Not only would he test the patience of his mechanics before races, he would often stop in the middle of a race just to adjust his seatpost by a fraction of an inch - and still win the race - and it is this almost maniacal attention to the minutest detail that comes through in the development and construction of his bikes today.
The EMX-525 is, as you may have worked out, named after the total number of victories Eddy had during the course of his race career. Both ultra stiff and light, it uses a combination of shape design and a unique carbon fiber mix that barely distorts or twists at all. It means that virtually all of a rider’s power is converted into rapid forward motion, and there is little or no wastage.
Unlike many manufacturers who are intent on making super-light bikes, it is refreshing to see Merckx bucking the trend and focusing on ride and handling and not chasing the title of the lightest frame. Indeed, it was at Eddy's insistence that handling and performance were key goals when designing the EMX-525 as ultimately a more stable, stiff and better handling bike gives the rider confidence and this translates into speed. Ultralight bikes are often skittish to say the least and as a rider and racer, hesitance can cost time.
Much of the stiffness and stability in the EMX-525 comes from careful materials selection and application which are essential to produce top end bikes and Merckx has introduced CL+ and OSR technologies derived from a deep understanding of different fibre properties and based upon very specific material selection. OSR or Optimised Structural Reinforcement is a process of augmenting particular areas of the frame to improve stiffness and strength while reducing weight and adding to the ride 'feel' and similar processes are adopted by other brands like Colnago for example. This optimisation is achieved by using a combination of High Modulus fibres - to reduce weight and increase stiffness - blended with high-strength fibres. The CL+ Carbon Laminate process developed by Merckx is a method of optimising the rigidity of the frame by laying the carbon sheets in specific orientations which in turn yields the best balance of stiffness, comfort and weight.
The EMX-525 is a striking looking bike, the sweeping line of the fork as it meets the headtube is juxtaposed with an angular top tube and dramatically jutting seatstays. It is fair to say that the EMX-525 looks stiff and it is undoubtedly so; the tapered Aero 2 fork runs external ribbing to combine with the oversized lower race to resist steering and braking loads, while a frankly enormous downtube meets a BB86 bottom bracket - one of the widest platforms available and one which allows for a large downtube-BB interface. The asymmetric seatstays do more than lend a reassuringly beefy look to this race-oriented bike, they are designed to resist the very different loads on the rear of the bike. Drive-side they bow to resist splaying loads whilst on the non-drive they are straighter to fight compressive forces.
Constructed from Merckx's highest grade CL+600 OSR Carbon and with Merckx's 'Power under control' as a guiding philosophy, the EMX-525, like all Merckx bikes is built with stiffness, speed, stability and safety in harmony. The frame has almost zero distortion even under the high loads delivered by the pros and this ultimately leads to optimal power transfer and incredible responsiveness. However, in order to safely utilise this delivered power, careful consideration has been paid to the geometry in combination with the use of carefully selected resins and carbon fibres, to give incredible stability and balance to the bike, allowing the rider every confidence be it out of the saddle, cornering or descending, whatever the speed. It is this combination of stability and stiffness which yields Merckx's third 'S' - Speed. The marriage of these key elements yields a strong, rigid bike that is the best guarantee of a safe ride and to this end all Merckx frames come with a lifetime warranty.
The ride of the EMX-525 is incredible. The stiffness is immediately noticeable and it won't be everyone's cup of tea but if you like a bike that offers plenty of feedback you will love the 525. Pick-up when you apply power to the pedals is immediate, the EMX-525 accelerates instantly and will keep you on the wheel should someone go for a break. The reactivity is always there and the bike feels spritely and responsive but Merckx's goal of stability is the most apparent trait; regardless of speed, the EMX-525 is never troubled. It is difficult to get across how much poise and control the EMX-525 offers without listing superlatives, it is quite simply stunning. Cornering while descending at speed is always fun but it is likely that you will be pushing your limits atop the 525.
Available in 7 sizes from 48cm to 60cm and in 2 colours.