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3. Story & Photos by: Klaus / cyclinginquisition.com out, is just fine by him. “He knows geometry, and I’m simply
not going to argue with him, he really knows these things.”
Luyckx goes on to explain that the company’s thinking about
bikes remains fully grounded in the values that Eddy Merckx
always held: a bike should be stable, and inspire confidence
through its handling. This means that weight is not the main
priority, with the emphasis being placed on geometry, handling
and overall performance instead. “This is what Eddy wants his
bikes to do, and that’s what our goal as a company remains.”
A one-track mind
Luyckx holds a degree in aerospace engineering, and previously
worked at Toyota Europe as a materials engineer in plastics
and composites. He also had a short stint at Musseuw Cycles,
a company known for their creative use of flax fibers in their
carbon frames. Despite his highly technical background, he’s
always been passionate about bikes. He’s Belgian after all. It’s
for this reason that he says it’s an absolute joy to work with such
a legendary and passionate figure in the sport as Eddy Merckx.
“When Eddy comes into the office, and he sees me, he doesn’t
even say ‘hello’ at first. The first thing he says, and wants to
know is, ‘what’s new?’” So to this day, cycling’s most feared
competitor still wants to know about the latest frame designs,
prototypes, and every aspect of Luyckx’s work, though he now
owns only a minority share in the company. Regardless, Luyckx
works closely with Merckx, and despite this, he admits that he’s
still a bit in awe of the man he grew up admiring. This is clearly
something that remains true no matter how closely you work
with a legend of his stature.
As Dave Luyckx, R&D Product Engineer at Eddy Merckx
cycles gives me a tour of the company’s facility in Zellik,
Belgium, it becomes obvious that the storied bike maker is
well aware of its impressive history. One that is embedded in
its corporate DNA, as a result of having such an iconic name
on the down tubes of their bikes. Black and white portraits
of Eddy Merckx greet visitors, along with perfectly preserved
steel bikes in Molteni and Faema team colors. But look past
the bits of memorabilia, and you’ll quickly discover a company
that is heavily invested in the future. There are prototypes for
upcoming models in a backroom, a secret lair of sorts that lays
behind two locked doors, and connects only to Dave Luyckx’s
office. In that room, you’ll find fruits of his labor, as well as
those of collaborative efforts with local universities, who are
working with Luyckx in an effort to optimize carbon layups and
thus overall performance and handling of future models. As I
begin to hear Luyckx explain his work and research, I wonder if
the steel bikes in the lobby are merely for show. Has a company
with such an enviable history lost its links to the past through
its recent push toward modernity? As Luyckx takes me into the
headquarters’ basement all my fears are put to rest.
As we make our way down the steps, I’m told that the first
prototype of any new frame is always a size 56 (Luyckx’s size),
but the second is always a 58 (Eddy’s size). “He’s a legend, if
anyone’s going to get hurt on a prototype, it should be me,
not Eddy,” he jokes, while pointing out that Merckx’s feedback
is still the driving force behind all of the company’s frames,
including all of their geometries, which Luyckx is quick to point

4. and the company benefits as a result. In the end, Luyckx’s
explanations seem to appease the five-time Tour de France
winner’s concerns. With that, he grabs his bike, and he
rides effortlessly through the cramped loading dock. He’s
gone as quickly as he went, leaving Luyckx and I to speak
about the company’s past, present, as well as its future.
A fresh start
Eddy Merckx Cycles was founded in 1980, and rose
in popularity quickly due to its name, and its owner’s
fastidious eye for detail. Sponsorships of teams like
7-Eleven and Motorola gave the brand further caché,
but as carbon fiber took over the industry, they began to
lag behind. “The company became reliant on sourcing
products, and there was no development or R&D being
done here. Zero. We produced alloy frames in-house,
but that was it. Because there was no development, and
frames were being sourced, prices went up.” As Luyckx
explains, Merckx Cycles sourced frames from high-end
manufacturers, and Eddy himself had close relationships
with the engineers, but no one at the company proceeded
Luyckx as head engineer or manager of R&D. It’s when
he says this that it suddenly dawns on me: Eddy Merckx
Cycles is actually a young company, a new company
in fact. One that has only recently pressed the “restart”
button, and wiped the slate clean. I ask Luyckx if this is
accurate, and he agrees. “We are now in the final stages of
re-launching the company, of re-launching the brand.”
Part of the company’s need for a fresh start came about
due to the seismic shift that went on in the industry,
as carbon production shifted to the East. Large brands
were able to source existing frames, in part because their
buying power was large (since many brands have mountain
bikes, commuters, and children’s models). That, however,
was not the case for Merckx Cycles, who always chose
to concentrate on racing bikes. “It’s no secret that the
Merckx bikes that Quick Step raced with [in 2010-2011],
were sourced from other manufacturers.” While the
partnerships with outside manufacturers and engineers had
their creative upsides, that business model began to put a
squeeze on Merckx’s financial bottom line. “They weren’t
going to sell us their very best technology. Additionally, the
mark-up was substantial.”
As this became clear, management realized that something
had to give. To that end, they decided to bring development
in-house in order to have the company’s bikes match the
gravitas that came with their name. Shortly thereafter,
Luyckx was hired due to his expertise in composites, as
well as his background in bringing products through
manufacturing pipelines. With that, Luyckx began work
on the first real carbon Eddy Merckx bike, the EMX-525,
now the company’s flagship. A substantial task, but one that
he took on happily. At the same time, Merckx Cycles saw
almost complete turnover, as all but five employees (four of
them being mechanics) left the company, and new blood
was brought in. With that, one of the most storied brands
in cycling history was reborn, and everything about it was
rethought. Well, almost everything, since Eddy’s vision and
feedback remains a vital part of all development, and no one
at Merckx Cycles would have it any other way.
As we arrive into the basement level, which houses a
warehouse, bike assembly, paint and welding (all rather
quiet during my visit, as a result of Easter holidays), I see
a dark figure emerge from behind a truck in the loading
dock. It’s Eddy Merckx. He moves swiftly toward Luyckx,
ignoring me and everyone else. He doesn’t do so in a
rude manner, but rather in a hyper-focused way that is
exemplary of a man with his long list of achievements.
Once he’s within earshot of the engineer who he now
works closely with, he begins talking, almost as though
he’s already been speaking for minutes, if not hours. There
are hand motions, and then a few gestures from Merckx
as he talks. Luyckx listens closely, and then responds.
The conversation goes on for a few minutes, only to start
again as he catches us at the other end of the warehouse.
Unable to speak or understand Flemish past the standard
pleasantries, I ask Dave what Merckx wanted to speak
about, as I could see him pointing to his bike’s down tube
and seat stays.
“He barely said hello, and asked me what was new.”
We both laugh. Merckx’s one-track mind, it seems,
is as predictable as his wins were during his years as a
professional. “He also wanted to discuss something he’s
been thinking about. The potential for water getting into
a frame prototype through the seat collar.” As Luyckx
says this, and I realize just how much this detail has been
bothering Merckx, I suddenly remember a relevant fact:
Merckx had a pace maker put in less than two weeks
earlier, and yet it’s the seat collar in a prototype frame that
he’s been thinking about. The man has a one-track mind,
48 ROAD Magazine