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2019 Eddy Merckx 525 teases all-new road bike for a return to World Tour racing

2019 Eddy Merckx EM 525 aero carbon road race bike AG2R La Mondiale team Belgian rider Oliver Naesen
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Eddy Merckx had teased us with the prospect of many new bikes on the way for 2019. But even a couple of months back, all we had glimpsed was new branding on bikes carried over from last year. Now while announcing the return to pro World Tour racing as the bike supplier of AG2R La Mondiale, an all-new 525 has been revealed as the team’s go-to, all-around aero road racing bike.

2019 Eddy Merckx 525 aero carbon road race bike

2019 Eddy Merckx EM 525 aero carbon road race bike AG2R
all photos courtesy of Belgian Bicycle Factory

Just back at Eurobike we got a glimpse of the facelift to the Eddy Merckx bike brand since its consolidation by the Belgian Bicycle Factory group, with the first all-new bike for the brand – the Lavaredo 68 endurance road bike. But even then, the old EM 525 was shown painted up in the new look. Now the new flagship of the Eddy Merckx collection has been unveiled, and it looks to carry over much of the same lines as the original, now in a more sleek, more aero, and more integrated package.

2019 Eddy Merckx 525 aero road bike – Tech Details & Pro Bike Build

2019 Eddy Merckx EM 525 aero carbon road race bike AG2R

Details remain thin on the all-new carbon 525 (note: it is no longer called the EM 525), but we can see plenty of evolution and a lot more integration over the current bike, raced mostly unchanged since 2012. In that time aerodynamics has come to dominate both one-day & stage racing. And Belgian Cycling Factory R&D engineer Toon Wils says the new 525 was optimized in their wind tunnel while still focusing on keeping weight low.

2019 Eddy Merckx EM 525 aero carbon road race bike AG2R

The new 525 still has the distinctive angular look of the previous Merckx bikes. That styling can be divisive, but the super thin, flattened & kinked seatsays promise a comfortable ride without compromising on control. The new bike even drops those stays a bit for even more flex and aero gains. Toon Wils says the new 525 has overall reduced frontal area vs. the previous 525, but increases front end stiffness for more precise handling and maintaining the comfortable rear end.

2019 Eddy Merckx EM 525 aero carbon road race bike AG2R

Another small feature that sneaks in on the aero shaped seatpost is the same F-Surface aero groove that is found on fellow Belgian Cycling Factory bikes from Ridley. In fact, the seatpost appears to be the exact one found on the new Ridley Noah Fast, highlighting some crossover between the two brands, even down to the same style rubber gasket cover over the hidden seatpost clamp.

2019 Eddy Merckx EM 525 aero carbon road race bike AG2R

Up front the new 525 features an integrated headset top cap smoothly transitioning into the stem spacers, and a fork crown transition into the downtube. Cable routing is of course all internal, with even the team’s mechanical shift drivetrain routed inside the bar+stem, directly into the frame. Again these aero integration solutions look similar to those on the new Noah Fast, while retaining distinct styling and a less aggressive approach to aerodynamics.

2019 Eddy Merckx EM 525 aero carbon road race bike AG2R

AG2R La Mondiale will race a rim-brake version of the new 525 with a Campagnolo Super Record 12-speed drivetrain and Rotor’s direct mount 2INPower power meter crankset. Deda will supply the team with the new Alanera integrated aero cockpit, wheels will be by Mavic wrapped in Vredestein tires, and power laid down through Look pedals.

2019 Eddy Merckx EM 525 aero carbon road race bike AG2R

There’s no official word yet on the new frameset’s weight, but the AG2R bikes weigh on the nose at 6.8kg without pedals for a medium complete bike.

2019 Eddy Merckx 525 aero road bike – Availability

2019 Eddy Merckx EM 525 aero carbon road race bike AG2R

The new Eddy Merckx 525 looks like it will be pro-only for at least half a year. Eddy Merckx says AG2R will be racing on their new flagship bike from the start of the 2019 season. Interestingly enough, even though this new team bike is sporting a UCI approved sticker, the new 525 has not yet been approved by the UCI according to the latest communiqué from the governing body issued less than two weeks ago. There is still plenty of time to earn their stickers before the start of the race season, but it is not that common to see a new bike revealed before it has already received approval.

2019 Eddy Merckx EM 525 aero carbon road race bike AG2R cafe

In any case, consumers will have to wait until July when the bike will become officially available, timed with the start of the Tour de France in Brussels. That also happens to be the 50th anniversary of the man himself, Merckx’s first Tour victory. We anticipate that by then we might get official work on an expected disc brake version of the new Eddy Merckx 525 as well.

EddyMerckx.com

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Matt
Matt
5 years ago

I just find all these kinked and curvey tubing selections to be hideous. There is really no flow to this bike and and looks completed disjointed. The simple form of a bicycle is much more aesthetically pleasing. Simple is better.

Morten reippuert
Morten reippuert
5 years ago
Reply to  Matt

At least it has a mechanical drivetrain instead of motor assisted… and from Campy 🙂

mud+rock
mud+rock
5 years ago

Beautiful bike. When direct mount rim brakes came out a few years ago I figured it would quickly be adopted by most racing brands, but I guess not. So maybe there isn’t the stiffness advantage that I assumed.

Also the path that rear brake cable has to take looks like an it would create a lot of drag.

JBikes
JBikes
5 years ago
Reply to  mud+rock

I’m of the opinion that “modern” internal routing is designed for electronic drive trains and hydraulic disc brakes. Mechanical is an afterthought. Yeah, they ensure it works, but I don’t think cable friction and shifting quality are paramount. Plus they can just blame it on being mechanical.

Big assumption here, but I think people spending easily $6k+ on a bike and wanting high end mech groupsets are probably going custom (of any material). Those that aren’t going custom…I’d wager mech sets are a minority of sales at that price level and rim brake sales are already waning at all levels.

Crash Bandicoot
Crash Bandicoot
5 years ago

Ugly bike and the paintwork seems like a complete failure at doing a simplistic design, the logo font makes me want to take a shower. Eddie deserves better.

J
J
5 years ago

It’s so ugly!

K.B.
K.B.
5 years ago

Strangely enough the more I look at it, the more it grows on me. Some oddities on this team bike are the rotor crank on an otherwise full Campy mechanical? groupset, and the slightly cheap looking headbadge logo. Otherwise I like. Put some electronic shifting on it and another crank and I would ride it. 🙂

JBikes
JBikes
5 years ago
Reply to  K.B.

With a campy crank I think it’d look way better. The rotor one is way too busy.

SJC
SJC
5 years ago
Reply to  K.B.

I don’t think Campy makes 12-speed EPS yet, which is why they’re running mechanical.

O. Tan
5 years ago

I still find Factor bikes looks way better for AG2R

msironen
5 years ago

What the devil is going on with the rear triangle…

cyclingpassion
cyclingpassion
5 years ago

A 2019 road bike without disc…is a step back in the past.

The artwork is simple but ok. The Merckx (font) logo indeed deserves better.

Logan
Logan
5 years ago

Too much whining about lack of disc brakes, it’s just another carbon frame from the silk highway, and why display a bike with a 140mm stem it looks ugly.

Vintage man
Vintage man
5 years ago

Where’s the vintage steel frame in the line up. Even De Rosa got with the act this year.

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