Eddy Merckx Team SC

Price Paid:  $4200.00 at Colorado Cyclist

Favorite Ride:
Highway 200 from Sandpoint, ID to Clark Fork, ID

Bike Setup:
Dura Ace 7800, Mavic Ksyrium SSL's, Easton bar, stem and post, Michelin Pro Race

Summary:
Fabulous bike. Just fabulous. Came off a steel MX Leader, which was a dream and moved up to something even more impressive. Having been a supported rider in the seventies and early eighties, I've gone through a lot of bikes and I've never been so impressed. I echo all the compliments showered on this bike by other reviewers and only want to add some thoughts on setup.

Like others, I was nervous about the "poser" potential of the Domo Lotto paint, but dealt with it by completely stripping the Ksyriums of every decal, running black cable housing (Aztec), black Stella Azura tape and dark blue Pro Race's (a near perfect match for the blue in the frame). The result is a less noisy color scheme that preserves all the class of paint job. The Easton parts pick up the chain stay decal for an appealing, uniform look.

Strengths:
Handling, power transfer, comfort and looks

Weaknesses:
The top cap assembly wants to creep up the steering tube, so cinching down the headset is a bit tricky.

Similar Products Used:
Eddy Merckx MX Leader

Price Paid:  $0.00 at Cyclefit

Favorite Ride:
Surrey Hills

Bike Setup:
Campag Chorus 2004
Campag Neutron wheelset
Deda bars & stem

Summary:
In short - the Merckx Team SC is a fabulous frame. It builds up to an amazing bike with all the qualities you'd expect from a top of the line road bike. This bike is simply an all round Pro road bike. It transfers power to the wheels effortlessly, is stable across any rough terrain, and definitely looks the part. This is my first true top end road bike and is nearly 2 kgs lighter than my existing aluminium frame. Anyone who thinks the Merckx Team SC frame is heavy are kidding themselves. The combination of 2004 Chorus and Neutron wheelset weighs in at about 7.8kgs! I find this bike very comfortable and don't get any major road vibrations. When climbing out of the saddle it propels forward on each pedal stroke. Don't hesitate if your thinking about buying a Team SC as you won't be dissappointed.

Strengths:
Light weight
Stable Frame
Power transfer
Very Fast

Weaknesses:
Having to wait 3 months for the custom frame

Price Paid:  $1650.00 at E-Bay

Favorite Ride:
Anywhere- just not to work

Bike Setup:
2004 Record 10 w/ Record carbon crankset. Campagnolo Eurus, ITM Carbon stem, EC90 bars, Fizik Aliante carbon saddle.

Summary:
Well, this is my second review of an Eddy Merckx Team SC, because it is my second one. That by itself should tell you something.

It seems there is a bit of problems with the interpretation of the Scandium ride. How about another? I have ridden all types of frames including: Steel, Carbon, Ti, and yes of course Scandium.

Recognize on thing, you can't have it all. Sorry, that just isn't reality folks. That said, Scandium is an extremely smooth ride, factoring in the stiffness factor. One other factor seemingly not taken into account by the other previous reviewers who did not think it had a smooth ride, was the wheel types being ridden. I have found the wheel types make a significant difference in the ride of the bike. In some cases, more than the frame itself! Keep that in mind with any bike review.

I also have a 2003 Merckx Carbon GX2. This is still my favorite ride. I take the Team SC on the Sunday club ride every week. The comfort stiffness, liveliness, and overall responsiveness cannot be matched.

That said, buy this frame and fork if you are looking for an excellent, balanced combination of ride quality, stifesfness, relaxed century geometry, lightness, and overall happiness factor.

One more comment about a previous review reference the paint quality. The paint quality is excellent. Merckx puts plenty of basecoat and clearcoat on these frames. If you have a problem with scratching your bike, you probably ought to look past the frame and into how carefull you are. Your paint will only be as durable as you are kind to it!

Strengths:
Light weight
stiff
smooth
excellent ride quality
excellent paint job

Weaknesses:
None

Similar Products Used:
Eddy Merckx, Litespeed, Colnago, Pinarello, Specialized, Klein, Bianchi, and on and on and on.

Price Paid:  $2150.00 at Gita

Favorite Ride:
Eddy Merckx Team SC

Bike Setup:
I have Campy chorus with FSA pro carbon team issue cranks and ultimax bb with all other Easton bike parts.

Summary:
This is hands down the best bike I have ever ridden. It is very responsive, looks great and has the history that everyone knows behind it. I have the 2003 and I think that there is nothing better. When I am at a local race/ride that is held every Tuesday in the summer and we are pushing along at 35mph, this bike gives me the stiffness and accuracy I need to go even faster to breakaway. I love it and I wish everybody else could experience what I have with this bike.

Strengths:
Stiff, responsive, light and best of all sharp looking.

Weaknesses:
The fork could be a little lighter.

Similar Products Used:
Opera Giorgione, same material.

Price Paid:  $900.00 at cbike.com

Favorite Ride:
Through Big Basin Park to the Summit or Emigration Canyon in SLC, UT

Bike Setup:
Campagnolo Chorus throughtout, Mavic Ksyrium SSC SL clinchers w/ Michelin Pro Race, Selle Italia Prolink Gel, Chorus Ti seatpost, Stella Azzurra Brianza/Vice Versa bars/stem, Silva bar-tape

Summary:
PURCHASE PRICE CORRECT, YEAR-END CLOSEOUT FOR $900 ;.) NO JOKE.

I'm a 6'1" rider sitting around 205#, used to riding an old-school (mid-80s) Guerciotti SL frame that really had seen greener pastures; That and 45 mph descents down the SLC Canyons made me cringe at the thought of a fork failure. I was ready for a new bike. Searched the local shops and the web and saw this beauty on last-ditch closeout for $899; Yeah, it is 1 cm smaller than my typical 60cm, but current seatpost and stem combos eased that worry.
I wanted a smoother ride than straight Aluminum and was timid of "new-steel" in larger frame sizes and with heavier riders. Couldn't afford Carbon or Ti at this point. Scandium seemed perfect for my needs.

This bike is a dream for me- great acceleration and cornering, no BB flex, stable in descents, no slushiness with me laying into the pedals on the steepest gut-buster ascents in the Santa Cruz Mountains. I just have to see if over the years of abuse it will stay as crisp. I do agree that the carbon fork really does make the descents stable, but I agree with another reviewer that it and the scandium do not equal "putty-soft."

Yeah, the paint is a bit schizo - but attractive (I feel like a poser just like the other guy down the reviewing line). For the ultra-plush ride I invested in a Campy Ti seatpost and a Selle Italia Prolink Gel saddle (like a Cady baby!)

Despite the radically cheap price, I'd have paid twice as much and still smiled (almost) as big.

Strengths:
Lightweight
Stable at speed
Handles rigors of larger riders
Luxurious ride (for a racing bike)

Weaknesses:
Don't like the idea of only 1" steerer tube for carbon, but that saw remedy in 2003 model

Similar Products Used:
Re-painted mid-80s Guerciotti SL with all the old school goodies (6 speed freewheel, friction shifters on the downtubes, chrome fork and droopouts, white Modolo covers for the Campy Gran Sport, . . .