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| Eddy Merckx Strasbourg 80 (Image courtesy of Eddy Merckx Bikes) |
Tuesday of this past week Eddy "The Cannibal" Merckx turned 80 years old. You may have heard of him, but I know younger folks probably have not, or just know there is some old dude that won a lot of road races behind the name.
Today we have dominant racers, one in particular named Pogacar. A great young cyclist, and a consistent winner, to be sure, but even he has a long way to go to become anywhere near to being compared to the impact and historical importance of "Eddy".
You may hate him, love him, or disregard him, but Eddy is a generational talent who was the dominant Pro road cyclist of his time, and possibly of all time. At any rate, celebrating his 80th birthday, the company bearing his name has released two special liveries on a road and a gravel bike in a limited edition. The gravel bike is the Strasbourg C 80. (Shown here) You can check out more on this model at the Eddy Merckx website.
Starting June 25th and running through to Sunday of next week, the Eurobike trade show will feature the latest in cycling trends, technologies, and as a compass for the direction of the cycling industry in the near future.
Gravel cycling is going to be a main focus of the show, according to a press release from Eurobike dated June 10th. In the release a figure from the German Bicycle Industry (ZIV) is quoted and states that in 2024, gravel bikes accounted for a 6.5% total market share in Germany. It is also worth noting figures for e-gravel bikes were twice that of e-road bikes. Although, the press release states the e-gravel bike hasn't "quite kept up" with gravel bike sales.
Expect to hear a lot about gravel bikes from the show then. However; there will be other news, of course, and some of this will be shown here as I have two embargoed press releases sitting in my inbox right now.. I will probably combine those and add a few Eurobike findings of my own in a single post next week.
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| Image courtesy of Shimano |
On Wednesday Shimano announced two new wireless 12 speed MTB groups with the biggest surprise being the new Deore level wireless Di2. You can check out Shimano's presentation on Deore XT 12speed Di2 wireless HERE.
With a slew of new features including an automatically resetting derailleur if impacted, this group set announcement changes the landscape in MTB offerings where SRAM had previously been the only choice for more budget friendly wireless shifting.
Comments: Probably the most noteworthy capabilities of the new Deore Di2 12 speed wireless is the capability for use with Shimano's AutoShift and FreeShift features which allow automatic shifting based on speed and torque and shifting while coasting. While those features are most likely going to be found alongside electric motors, this is a feature set worth noting. Making riding 'easier' and without having to make so many split-second decisions on when to shift may be met with some scrutiny by certain sets of riders while others may embrace these aids to riding with open arms.
As a mechanic I noted the offering of a 12 speed 9T - 45T XT cassette. Nine tooth? Oh boy! I've not seen a lot in my time as a mechanic which would give me much confidence that a 10T or 9T cassette cog is a good idea. Maybe? We will see.
From a gravel rider's perspective you have to think this wireless stuff is eventually coming for GRX. Maybe a 13 speed version will end up as wireless. I'm betting this will happen.
UCI Rules Changes Ruffle Feathers:
Recent news stories in the cycling world have detailed several new Pro road cycling rules being considered or which are changing in the near future. A few of these new edicts being handed down by the UCI are gaining traction in a negative way. One having to do with a handle bar width rule is being taken to task by women riders who think the bar width minimum being considered is too wide for many females and some males as well. That minimum width is reportedly 40cm.
The other rule being discussed, which I find interesting, is a gear rule which seeks to reduce speeds in Pro Men's racing. A great 'nerd-out' covering this is over at Cyclingnews.com. (Here)
Comments: While it is easy to dunk on the UCI's edicts, the gearing ruling is something I find is a subject the UCI is stuck in a bad place despite having good intentions for rider safety.
While training tactics, material technologies, and nutrition have all advanced and made riders faster and with less differences than ever before in speed, the UCI has been kind of caught flat-footed. The UCI has not addressed this soon enough. It is something which should have been looked at and taken care of years ago. At least they are looking to make changes now.
Some folks will cry foul, but with bad crashes and speeds on the rise, I don't think the UCI can ignore this any longer. It may mean some "innovations" will become obsolete, and it may hurt certain companies, but rider's safety should trump this, in my opinion. And yes - course design should also be a big part of the discussions as well.
Read the linked article and comment if you feel led to. I'd love to read your takes on this.
That's a wrap on this week. Have a great weekend, be safe with this heat, and ride your bicycles.
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