De Rosa Merak

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Having said all that, back in the real world electronic shifting comes with a pretty hefty price tag, enough to buy a decent bike or a top set of wheels, and whilst mechanical shifting can be a pain to set-up and you have to keep adjusting it to keep it ‘just so’, rocket science it ain’t!

As for the frame, I actually had to go back to i-ride and re-ride the Merak, as I couldn’t recall a stand-out feature (likely excuse!). At first I thought this was a little damning, but riding it the second time (again too short) I realised why. The Merak is a smooth operator. Once I had sorted out my position – I was riding too low the first time – the Merak showed it’s true nature.

The Merak has some interesting tube profiles that produce that smooth ride

It’s comfortable and smooth; silky smooth in fact. Riding over the usual B-road corrugations, it even sounded smooth. There was none of the usual rattling and banging you normally get on a carbon bike. The fact that the Merak was equipped with Campagnolo Athena EPS probably had something to do with this; no cables clattering and twanging about.

Campagnolo Athena EPS on the Merak; luxury or necessity?

It felt like I could ride this bike all day, but it was no wet noodle ‘comfort’ bike. Spin your legs and the Merak responds instantly, that massive BB30 cluster and the Athena carbon cranks ensure your energy is going where it’s needed. Climbing Ditchling Beacon in the saddle was, well not exactly a joy, but the Merak tackled it with aplomb. Not a hint of brake rub or as much as a creak. The Athena EPS handled deliberately-mistimed gear changes under pressure without missing a beat.

Merak rear, curved seat stays and aero seat tube

Once the top was reached, it was time for a quick U-turn and a chase down of a couple of other riders who should have been at ‘work’, just like I was… Catching and passing them in the curves was no problem for the Merak; steering is precise and predictable thanks to the deep fork blades and massive head tube junction. Late braking with Campag’s Athena brakes posed no problems, the smooth power available through Campagnolo’s 4th row groupset was an eye opener.

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[rps-include blog=127.0.0.1 post=30120]