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.