Merlin Cycles (United Kingdom) - Press Release: Merlin CX.04 Force 1 Carbon Cyclocross Bike.

The Merlin CX.04 is our super-lightweight carbon cyclocross bike that’s built ready to race. With a carbon frame packed full of technical features the CX.04 has been designed to handle any of the course-conditions thrown at you in a typical cyclocross season; from dry hard-packed racing in early September through to the most demanding, super-muddy conditions you’ll encounter in late December the Merlin CX.04 performs flawlessly.

Key features of the Merlin CX.04 include enhanced mud-clearance in the rear of the frame thanks to its bridgeless seatstays and chainstays, this eliminates the potential for build-up of mud keeping your wheels rolling even in the heaviest races of the season while up front the full-carbon CX.04 fork offers similar levels of mud clearance. Front & rear thru-axles help to ensure that your wheels are always secure, brake rotors are perfectly aligned with the calipers every time and there is no annoying brake rub. The CX.04 thru axles also add stiffness between wheels hubs and frame with a noticeable increase in steering precision from the fork.

The Merlin CX.04 carbon frame and fork features internal cable routing throughout keeping the silhouette of the bike simple and clutter-free while protecting gear cables from getting fouled up with grit and grime. We’ve included a flattened top-tube profile that sits neatly on your shoulder when you’re carrying the bike and have specced the CX.04 with a threaded bottom bracket shell to allow you to quickly and conveniently change the bearings without the need for expensive press-fit bearing tools. Slim seatstays provide a little bit of extra compliance keeping you comfortable on rough surfaces and a large bottom bracket area creates a super-stiff pedaling platform, allowing you to transfer all your power to the rear wheel during those tough standing-start sprints from the line.

Featuring:

The Merlin CX.04 carbon cyclocross bike features Sram’s excellent Force 1 hydraulic disc brake groupset which features a simple single chainring upfront with a narrow/wide tooth profile combined with a clutch-mech rear derailleur to ensure your chain always remains taut and is never unshipped even on the roughest cross courses. With a wide range of gears at your finger-tips and with every gear change being crisp and precise you’ll be able to race more efficiently, leaving you feeling fresher for that inevitable sprint finish. Powerful Sram Force hydraulic disc brakes provide effortless, confidence-inspiring control in any race conditions, ultimately enabling you to ride faster, braking later into corners and maintaining your speed for longer. A choice of finishing components lets you customise the finer details of this great handling carbon cyclocross bike before our Merlin workshop technicians custom build your bike to your own spec. Choose your preferred wheelset, tyre choice, stem-length, handlebar profile and more to tailor your dream cyclocross race bike.

Frame:

• 68% 24 Tons Intermediate Modulus Carbon
• 26% 30 Tons High Modulus Carbon
• 6% High-Impact Strength Liquid Crystal Polymer Carbon
• 12mm x 142mm Thru Axle Rear

Fork:

• High Modulus Full Carbon – 12mm Thru Axle

Drivetrain:

• Gear/Brake Levers: Sram Force X1 11-Speed
• Front Derailleur: N/A
• Rear Derailleur: Sram Force X1 11-Speed
• Chainset: Sram Force X1 42T
• Cassette: Sram Force 11-36T
• Chain: Sram PC1170 11-Speed
• Brake Calipers: Sram Force 1