KORTRIJK, Belgium (BRAIN) — At the Velofollies trade fair here this week, Belgian Cycling Factory is relaunching the Eddy Merckx bicycle line, which has been off the market for several years.
Belgian Cycling Factory is the parent of Ridley Bikes; it took over the Merckx brand in 2017 after the brand had transitioned from several owners. Jochim Aerts, the CEO of Belgian Cycling Factory, said the brand is now prepared for a long-term presence.
"Today is a great day for Eddy Merckx Bikes, and by extension for the Belgian cycling industry," Aerts said. "With this new impulse, we want to solidify Eddy Merckx Bikes' place in the top segment of road & gravel bikes and maintain it in the long term."
In honor of the relaunch, the brand is showing a limited edition "Retrosonic" model at Velo Follies. The model is a tribute to the Panasonic cycling team that rode Eddy Merckx bikes in the 1980s.
The Merckx line includes two carbon fiber oad bikes: the 525 and the Mendrisio, and a gravel model, the Strasbourg. The Strasbourg is available in carbon, aluminium and steel versions. Another model, the Pévèle, is designed for road or gravel and is also available in the three frame materials.
“The bikes are all designed and assembled in Belgium. We are proud of that. Because we also do the paintwork ourselves, customers can go very far in personalizing their bike. Moreover, as a bonus as part of the relaunch, there is no extra charge for this in the coming year,” isa Aerts.
Tribute bike
The Panasonic team featured riders including Eric Vanderaerden, Phil Anderson and Eddy Planckaert. The tribute bikes are a "contemporary interpretation" of the team bikes. They will be available February 24, at the start of the cobblestone classics season.
Luc Doucé, a designer at Eddy Merckx, said, “During the first sketches, it already became clear that a ‘truthful interpretation’ would work very well. Of course, some tweaking was necessary, because the frame of our carbon bikes is simply different from the steel from the original Corsa road bike.”
During 2024, the Merckx range will be expanded by three bikes, including a sporty e-bike model and another performance model. The brand will sponsor the UCI ProTour Team Flanders - Baloise.
Velofollies opens Friday at the Kortrijk Xpo in Belgium and runs through the weekend.
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The Retrosonic bike is a tribute to the 1980s Panasonic team bikes. -
The Corsa. -
The brand has a new logo. -
The Pévèle model will be available in three frame materials.
