As 2016 beckons, Eddy Merckx Bicycles continues its homage to the Cannibal’s expansive list of victories. The next release is the Mourenx 69, named after the location of the Stage 17 finish in the 1969 Tour De France, where Eddy took a massive victory after launching a solo 214.5 kilometer attack from Luchon to Mourenx – a victory he considers the highlight of his career.
He went on to win the 1969 Tour de France by a margin of 17 minutes and 54 seconds over second place. Much like the endurance required for Eddy’s huge effort on Stage 17, this new bike is all about long distance…
The Mourenx 69 features carbon monocoque frame construction, which extends to the carbon monocoque fork. The frameset is available in disc brake and non-disc rim brake varieties.
As alluded to earlier, the Mourenx 69 is designed for endurance riding – meaning, a slightly taller head tube and shorter top tube, which keeps the rider in a more upright and comfortable position for the long haul.
The Mourenx 69 is an ideal endurance racing bike with a nice balance of stiffness and compliance. Disc brake frames tip the scales at approximately 1,050 grams, with the monocoque and tapered composite fork comes in at 380 grams.
Seatstays have a flattened section at the top to offer a bit of compliance.
Chainstays are asymetric in design and also designed to be vertically compliant.
In the case of the Mourenx 69 disc brake frameset, thru axles feature front and rear, with internal disc brake cable routing and flat disc brake mounts.
Standard to both frame types is internal cable routing for mechanical and electronic shifting, and the BB86 bottom bracket standard.
The seatpost is an aero affair with 20mm of seatback which matches the Mourenx’s sharp looks, even down to the integrated seatpost clamp.
Adding to this goodness is clearance for 30mm tires, though you’ll find 700×25 tires spec’d.
Pressfit BB86 rounds out the package, fitted inside a shell that transitions the wide, shapely downtube past the flared seat tube and into those chainstays.
The Mourenx 69 is available in a variety of builds:
Grey / Red / Silver colorway RIM BRAKE with Campagnolo Chorus mechanical groupset, 50 / 34 chainrings, 12-29 cassette, Campagnolo Vento wheelset, Vittoria Rubino Pro 25mm tires, Deda handlebar and stem, FSA headset and Prologo New Nago EVo STN saddle.
Blue / Black / White colorway RIM BRAKE with Shimano Ultegra mechanical groupset, 50 / 34 chainrings, 11-28 cassette, Fulcrum Racing 5 LG wheelset, Vittoria Rubino Pro 25mm tires, Deda handlebar and stem, FSA headset and Prologo New Nago EVo STN saddle.
Black / Anthracite / Silver colorway DISC BRAKE with Shimano Ultegra Di2 hydraulic brake groupset, 50 / 34 chainrings, 11-28 cassette, Fulcrum Racing 5 Disc Brake wheelset, Vittoria Rubino Pro 25mm tires, Deda handlebar and stem, FSA headset and Prologo New Nago EVo STN saddle.
Black / Anthracite / Red colorway DISC BRAKE with Shimano Ultegra mechanical hydraulic brake groupset, 50 / 34 chainrings, 11-28 cassette, Fulcrum Racing 5 Disc Brake wheelset, Vittoria Rubino Pro 25mm tires, Deda handlebar and stem, FSA headset and Prologo New Nago EVo STN saddle.
Red colorway DISC BRAKE with Shimano 105 mechanical hydraulic brake groupset, 50 / 34 chainrings, 11-28 cassette, Fulcrum Racing 5 Disc Brake wheelset, Vittoria Rubino Pro 25mm tires, Deda handlebar and stem, FSA headset and Prologo New Nago EVo STN saddle.
Not shown is the Black / Silver colorway RIM BRAKE with Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset, 50 / 34 chainrings, 11-28 cassette, Fulcrum Racing 5 LG wheelset, Vittoria Rubino Pro 25mm tires, Deda handlebar and stem, FSA headset and Prologo New Nago EVo STN saddle.
Framesets are available in six sizes sizes in both variants. Pricing is yet to be announced.
While the Mourenx 69 and others in the 2016 Eddy Merckx Bicycles range are a homage to Eddy’s victories of the past, in no way are these bikes lacking in modern design features. With additional bikes scheduled for release in 2016, expect to see more of what you see here soon.
