1,150g with triple-butted tubing, internal routing, and smooth double-pass welds
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Eddy Merckx Cycles has decided to launch a new high-end aluminium platform called Blockhaus 67 instead of offering a cheaper carbon frame(Image credit: James Huang/BikeRadar)
All Eddy Merckx bikes use smooth headset caps, which provide a more finished appearance while hiding the conventional preload bolt underneath(Image credit: James Huang/BikeRadar)
All of Eddy Merckx's bikes are named after key victories in The Cannibal's illustrious career(Image credit: James Huang/BikeRadar)
The internally routed derailleur cables look to be very easy to feed through the frame. The rear derailleur line is externally routed aft of the bottom bracket shell(Image credit: James Huang/BikeRadar)
The triple butted aluminium tubing is mechanically formed, which Eddy Merckx says allows for thinner tube walls - and thus, lower weights - than more conventional hydroforming(Image credit: James Huang/BikeRadar)
Double-pass welds provide a relatively smooth look without grinding, which Eddy Merckx says can compromise the strength of ultra-thin tubes(Image credit: James Huang/BikeRadar)
Some might lament Eddy Merckx's decision to use a PF86 press-fit bottom bracket shell but it does allow for wider chainstay spacing. The PF86 format has also proven to be less prone to bearing issues than PF30(Image credit: James Huang/BikeRadar)
The internal cable routing looks to be quite well done although the system is limited to mechanical drivetrains only (Image credit: James Huang/BikeRadar)
The asymmetrical chainstays are wide, tall, and squared off, suggesting a very rigid rear end(Image credit: James Huang/BikeRadar)
The seatstays sport a rather novel shape that the company claims improves ride quality. Perhaps more importantly, it sticks to the corporate design philosophy on the higher-end carbon frames(Image credit: James Huang/BikeRadar)
There's nary a round tube to be found on the new Eddy Merckx Blockhaus 67 frame. The seat tube, for example, is flared and ovalized at the bottom bracket shell(Image credit: James Huang/BikeRadar)
Eddy Merckx builds the new Blockhaus 67 frame with triple butted, mechanically formed 6069 aluminium alloy tubing. It's a bit of a shame that this raw, brushed finish won't be offered, however(Image credit: James Huang/BikeRadar)
With a claimed frame weight of just 1,150g (medium, painted), the aluminium Blockhaus 67 frame can easily compete with cheaper composite chassis at least in terms of mass(Image credit: James Huang/BikeRadar)
The non-driveside dropout is relieved to shave a few grams. Every little bit counts, right?(Image credit: James Huang/BikeRadar)
Rather than develop a cheaper carbon frame to anchor the value-minded end of its lineup, Eddy Merckx has instead made the bold decision to unveil an all-new, high-end aluminium platform called Blockhaus 67. It's light, supposedly rides quite well, and certainly offers better value than what you'd otherwise get with a carbon fiber frame.
The Blockhaus moniker derives from Merckx's first Grand Tour stage victory at the Giro d'Italia in 1967, a mountaintop finish that he didn't expect to win. Not surprisingly then, the new frame is admirably light with a claimed weight of just 1,150g for a medium painted sample thanks to triple butted 6069 aluminium alloy tubing, which the company says is as much as 30 percent stronger than standard 6061. According to Eddy Merckx, the mechanically formed tubes are also lighter than more conventionally hydroformed ones.
Virtually every tube on the new Eddy Merckx Blockhaus 67 is heavily shaped. Claimed frame weight is just 1,150g
Other features include double-pass welds for smooth-looking joints that don't have to be ground, internal (mechanical only) cable routing, a tapered 1 1/8-to-1 1/2in integrated head tube, a flared and ovalized seat tube, uniquely twisted seatstays that supposedly enhance rider comfort, and a PF86 press-fit bottom bracket shell that allows the big asymmetrical chainstays to be pushed further apart. Going along with the new frame is a 350g all-carbon fork with a built-in crown race.
Eddy Merckx says the Blockhaus 67's mechanically shaped 6069 aluminium tubes are lighter than hydroformed 6061 ones
The new Blockhaus 67 will be available starting in September with two complete build options: one with Shimano Tiagra for US$1,499 and a higher-end version with Shimano 105 for US$1,999. UK and Australian pricing is currently unknown
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