Well, apologies...yesterday was a bit hectic so we'll make up for it with 2 bikes of the day!
Bikes of the Day #3 and #4 - Museeuw MF-5 Di2 and MF-1 Super Record
The Story: Johan Museeuw is still the man behind this company, testing all prototypes and demanding ride quality befitting of a Belgian cobble-eater. Using proprietary flax fiber technology to smooth road micro-vibrations, Museeuw believes he has built the ideal bike - ultra-smooth, stable and comfortable, yet still stiff and agile when called upon.
Bike of the Day #3 – 2011 Museeuw MF-5 Vantage Di2
The Details: 2011 Museeuw MF-5 Vantage - 14.1 lbs with Tune - AX Lightness tubulars
The Build: Dura Ace Di2 with Pro Vibe components, Museeuw carbon seatpost, and Speedplay Zero Titanium pedals with custom Ti butterflys
The Ratings…
Ride-quality/Comfort: 10/10
Front-end Stiffness: 8/10
BB Stiffness: 7/10
Style/Aesthetics: 8/10
Technology/Weight/Value: 7/10
Total = 40/50
The Good: Lots of technology (BB30 + tapered headtube), very stable geometry, 80% flax fiber content might sound technical but the result is the smoothest, most comfortable race bike we have ridden. Oh, and yes those AX-Lightness wheels will blow your mind.
The Bad: Flax fibers weigh a bit more than carbon, making this bike a poor weight-weenie candidate, and steering is on the slow side, so there are better crit racers out there.
The Skinny: We'll let BikeRadar say it - "Combining a velvety ride with stable handling...this is one machine you could happily team up with for an all-day assault on Franco-Belgian pavés...this is by a fair margin one of the most comfortable frames money can buy, short of getting your hands on Museeuw’s full-suspension Bianchi used in his legendary 1994 Paris-Roubaix attempt."
Bike of the Day #4 – 2011 Museeuw MF-1 Lugano Super Record
The Details: 2011 Museeuw MF-1 Lugano - 14.3 lbs with Lightweights Special Editions
[In honour of Johan's amazing World Championship win: click here for the video]
The Build: Campy Super Record, Deda Zero 100 bar and stem, LW GEN III wheels, Veloflex Carbon tires (awesome), and some cool WCS spacers
The Ratings…
Ride-quality/Comfort: 9/10
Front-end Stiffness: 8/10
BB Stiffness: 8/10
Style/Aesthetics: 9/10
Technology/Weight/Value: 7/10
Total = 41/50
The Good: Same technology as the MF-5, but with a higher carbon content for added stiffness and lower weight, plus integrated seatpost and World Champion paint scheme.
The Bad: White is tough to keep clean, ISP's scare some customers, and, er, um...we LOVE this bike. Lightweights are a bit stiff, but the Museeuw helps temper that.
The Skinny: Still ultra smooth, but a bit lighter and stiffer than the MF-5? Yes, please!
If you are in the Toronto area, check out Gears Bike Shop in Leaside for a great collection of Museeuw bikes. Otherwise, contact info@stage-race.com for dealer or consumer inquiries.
The Details: 2011 Museeuw MF-5 Vantage - 14.1 lbs with Tune - AX Lightness tubulars
The Build: Dura Ace Di2 with Pro Vibe components, Museeuw carbon seatpost, and Speedplay Zero Titanium pedals with custom Ti butterflys
The Ratings…
Ride-quality/Comfort: 10/10
Front-end Stiffness: 8/10
BB Stiffness: 7/10
Style/Aesthetics: 8/10
Technology/Weight/Value: 7/10
Total = 40/50
The Good: Lots of technology (BB30 + tapered headtube), very stable geometry, 80% flax fiber content might sound technical but the result is the smoothest, most comfortable race bike we have ridden. Oh, and yes those AX-Lightness wheels will blow your mind.
The Bad: Flax fibers weigh a bit more than carbon, making this bike a poor weight-weenie candidate, and steering is on the slow side, so there are better crit racers out there.
The Skinny: We'll let BikeRadar say it - "Combining a velvety ride with stable handling...this is one machine you could happily team up with for an all-day assault on Franco-Belgian pavés...this is by a fair margin one of the most comfortable frames money can buy, short of getting your hands on Museeuw’s full-suspension Bianchi used in his legendary 1994 Paris-Roubaix attempt."
Bike of the Day #4 – 2011 Museeuw MF-1 Lugano Super Record
The Details: 2011 Museeuw MF-1 Lugano - 14.3 lbs with Lightweights Special Editions
[In honour of Johan's amazing World Championship win: click here for the video]
The Build: Campy Super Record, Deda Zero 100 bar and stem, LW GEN III wheels, Veloflex Carbon tires (awesome), and some cool WCS spacers
The Ratings…
Ride-quality/Comfort: 9/10
Front-end Stiffness: 8/10
BB Stiffness: 8/10
Style/Aesthetics: 9/10
Technology/Weight/Value: 7/10
Total = 41/50
The Good: Same technology as the MF-5, but with a higher carbon content for added stiffness and lower weight, plus integrated seatpost and World Champion paint scheme.
The Bad: White is tough to keep clean, ISP's scare some customers, and, er, um...we LOVE this bike. Lightweights are a bit stiff, but the Museeuw helps temper that.
The Skinny: Still ultra smooth, but a bit lighter and stiffer than the MF-5? Yes, please!
If you are in the Toronto area, check out Gears Bike Shop in Leaside for a great collection of Museeuw bikes. Otherwise, contact info@stage-race.com for dealer or consumer inquiries.
