Broximo Prestige Steeds proudly stocks this Eddy Merckx EMX-1 Carbon Road Bike

Italian firm Cinelli provides the frameset for a build that’s as Mediterranean as olive oil. So often, bike firms slap an Italian flag on something and double the price, hoping people will see the red, green and white stripes as a mark of quality.  Billed as an all-rounder with the capacity to race, and a penchant for climbing, it also undercuts most of its direct rivals by as much as a kilo.

Sporting the gorgeous Campagnolo Veloce groupset, the shifts are lovely and braking is nice and sharp.  If you’ve never ridden a Campag-equipped bike, you’ll be amazed by how much more ergonomically correct the brake hoods are compared to Shimano systems!

The bike rolls on a pair of Khamsin wheels. Asymmetric lacing of the rear spokes, with twice as many on the right as on the non-drive side is intended to increase lateral rigidity. Continental Gatorskin tyres are belters, promising long life with little given away in terms of grip. 

The Eddy Merckx really is a dark horse, possessed with a love of climbing, an eagerness on flat and rolling roads, and a direct response to input that shames some high-end racing bikes.