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TECH NEWS

5 cool new bikes we've spotted this week from: Merckx, Brompton, Argon 18 + more

Brand new models from Marin, Argon 18, Brompton, Eddy Merckx and Pashley

New bikes have been coming thick and fast this week, mainly because the huge Eurobike show is currently taking place in Germany. There have been so many launches that news of each one gets bumped off the road.cc homepage in no time, so here's a quick roundup of some that you might have missed.

Click on the heading (where appropriate) to go to our full stories.

Brompton Explore

Brompton Explore (12)

London-based Brompton has announced a new Explore edition of its folding bike, including a 28L roll-top bag, a spares pouch and lower ratio 6-speed gearing to tackle challenging terrain and deal with increased kit weight

Brompton says it set out to create a bike that was purpose-built for adventure. 

"The Brompton Explore is loaded with essential accessories, to ensure you have everything you need to keep your adventure on track," says Brompton.

Brompton Explore (16).jpg

"[It] is finished in earthy hues inspired by the landscape, tan wall tyres and a Brooks Cambium C17 All Weather Saddle to offer both function and form."

The Brompton Explore is available with an M or H Type handlebar with prices starting at £1,525.

For more info visit www.brompton.com

Eddy Merckx 525

Eddy_Merckx_525_Black_Bike_03_Copyright_Eddy_Merckx

Eddy Merckx has launched a brand new flagship race bike in the shape of the 525. It’s an update to the bike we first saw at the London Olympics in 2012.

The latest 525 boasts an integrated cockpit and a claimed weight of 7kg, matching some of the lightest aero bikes launched this year.

The new bike comes with either rim brakes or disc brakes, the frames coming in at 860g and 925g respectively. Whichever you choose, it'll have clearance for tyres up to 28mm wide.

Eddy_Merckx_525_Black_Details_12_Copyright_Eddy_MerckxA key focus has been on the front of the bike, where the company says it tried to balance the demands of stiffness and aerodynamics.

The new 525 in its disc incarnation will be ridden by the AG2R La Mondiale team in 2020, alongside the current Stockeu69.

The new 525 will be offered in three finishes, including an AG2R replica design. You’ll also be able to spec your own finish through the MyMerckx customiser

For more info visit www.eddymerckx.com

Argon 18 Krypton ProKrypton_Pro

Canadian bike brand Argon 18 has launched its new Krypton Pro, a disc brake-only road bike aimed at endurance cyclists wanting a comfortable ride and capable of tackling Paris-Roubaix cobbles in the hands of the Astana Pro Team.

The Krypton used to be a race bike but has morphed into an endurance bike. With this new model, Argon 18 has focused on optimising the carbon fibre layup, moving towards increased integration and improving aerodynamics. The Krypton Pro frame weighs a claimed 870g for a size medium, painted.

Argon 18 has developed a fully integrated cable system using a proprietary stem and steerer tube. There’s full compatibility with all current groupsets.

Argon 18 says the integrated stem still permits easy bike dismantling for travelling. The entire handlebar and stem can be removed as one piece.Krypton_Pro_Detail_haubans

The system still provides a range of fit adjustment, including Argon 18's clever 3D+ system that lets you adjust the stack by swapping out integrated head tube extensions.

Argon 18 claims that removing all the external cables results in the equivalent of a 2.5 watt saving when riding at 300 watts (in other words, you'll go faster by an amount that would usually require you to put in an extra 2.5 watts). Further aero savings come from the truncated airfoil profile used for the down tube, fork blades and seat stays.

The Krypton Pro has space for tyres up to 32mm wide, or 28mm with mudguards.

For more info visit www.argon18bike.com

Marin Headlands 

MY20 Marin Headlands 2P Final.jpg

Marin has announced highlights of its 2020 range, including the all-new Headlands bikes.

"The Headlands takes what we have learned with the alloy Gestalt X line, and brings the spirit into an all-new, full carbon-fibre frameset," says Marin.

For those who don't know, the Gestalt X bikes are rough and tough adventure/gravel bikes. 

The Headlands bikes are endurance models that are designed for gravel and less well surfaced roads as well as asphalt. 

MY20 Marin Headlands 2 PS Final.jpg

You get a full unidirectional carbon frame that's 1x specific, so you get short (420mm) chainstays that still have clearance for 50mm-wide tyres (if you go with 650B wheels; 45mm with 700C). 

With a lengthy top tube and short stem, the Headlands takes cues from trail mountain bikes. It has disc brakes, eyelets for mudguards, and is available in two complete builds.

The Headlands 2 (£2,595) is based around Shimano’s new GRX-800 1x11 drivetrain and comes with a dropper seatpost, while the Headlands 1 (£2,195) uses a SRAM Apex 11-speed setup. 

For more info visit www.marinbikes.com

Pashley-Morgan 110

Pashley Morgan 110 - 1 (1)

Britain's Morgan Motor Company and Pashley Cycles are marking Morgan’s 110th year with the launch of the Pashley-Morgan 110 Limited Edition bicycle. 

Just 110 examples of the Pashley-Morgan 110 Limited Edition will be made, each hand built at Pashley’s factory in Stratford-upon-Avon. A headset cap engraved in the style of a car’s speedometer will display each bike’s individual Limited Edition number.

Pashley Morgan 110 - 5 (1)

The Reynolds 725 steel frame is fillet brazed and incorporates a custom-formed top tube, distinctive S-bend seatstays and unique dropouts with etched stainless faces.

It is finished in a Satin Champagne coating with Morgan 110 graphics and subtle livery.

Other features include hand-stitched black leather grips, Morgan switchgear- inspired aluminium end caps, and a Brooks Black Cambium C15 vulcanised rubber saddle with organic cotton surface. Colour-matched aluminium mudguards with stainless steel hardware complement the frame. 

Pashley Morgan 110 - 3 (1)

The Pashley-Morgan 110 Limited Edition features a 1x10 drivetrain and hydraulic disc brakes. 

The bike will be priced at £1,750 with the first deliveries scheduled for November 2019.

For more info visit www.morgan-motor.com

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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