Merckx

EMX-5 Road Bike Frame - 2012

Once considered to be the workhorse race frame in team Quick-Step's arsenal, the Merckx EMX-5 was built to provide a lightweight, rigid, and stable platform for the strongest riders in professional cycling. The frameset was fine-tuned from previous EMX versions, blending a large BB86 bottom bracket, a 1-1/2in lower headset bearing, and fully internal cable routing into the package. It's no wonder that Boonen and his buddies used this secret weapon to take on everything from the Spring classics to the three-week-long grand tours. Once again, nice work, Mr. Merckx.

Starting with the frame itself, Merckx's EMX-5 was constructed using a full Carbon Laminate + layup. Essentially, this technique involves layering the carbon fiber sheets together in ways that maximize the strength and rigidity of the frame. This layup was combined with Merckx's Optimized Structural Reinforcement (OSR), which, as the name suggests, places high modular (50HM/HS) stiffness fibers in strategic areas for added reinforcement. These fibers were used in conjunction with high-strength fibers at force-load-heavy zones, such as the BB86 bottom bracket and head tube junctions. By using these methods together, Merckx engineers were able to add material where it's needed for increased rigidity, while removing material at less flex-prone areas to keep the overall weight as low as possible. This is the same technique that's used for all of Merckx's top-end carbon road frames, as it yields the ideal combination of stiffness, low weight, and vertical compliance.

The EMX-5 provides a comfortable ride, yet it still possesses the race-tuned characteristics that are necessary for competitive road racing. Aside from the frame's optimized layup schedule, the fork has also been designed to deliver maximum stability and speed. The carbon blades, made from OSR 50 1K carbon, flare to a wide, aerodynamic shape toward the 1-1/2 to 1-1/8in steerer, which works to both cut aerodynamic drag and to provide precise handling up front. Similarly, at the rear end of the frame, both the seatstays and chainstays were designed with handling and power transfer in mind. Their slender shapes provide the ideal blend of comfort and transmission of power directly to the rear wheel.

The Merckx EMX-5 Road Bike Frame - 2012 includes an FSA K-Force seatpost, and it also features internal cable routing. It's available in the sizes 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, and 60cm and in the colors Matte Black, Red/white, and White/black.