One last shot of the Merckx: it uses the TRP TTV brakes, which seem to be growing in popularity among frame designers ... but no one seems to notice that using these brakes virtually requires that you have some kind of crazy ugly cable routing - either a horrible loop of cable coming in from the side (as most are using), or an asinine routing through the steerer tube (as used on the Cannondale Slice RS). Again, I have a big bias here because I sell the TriRig Omega. But I'm definitely not the only one who thinks these things are a poor choice for a front brake. They make a LOT more sense in the rear, where the cable can be hidden in the much wider bottom bracket envelope. But Merckx STILL didn't do that here - they put a TTV in the rear, but not at the bottom bracket - they put it in the traditional rear brake location, and then used another big loop of cable. One thing is for sure: they did not consult me when designing this bike.
Our second day on the Interbike showroom floor was another great harvest of gear photos and new info. Today we looked at a variety of things, from Campagnolo EPS all the way down to a simple BTA bottle from Profile Design. There's plenty of great stuff in the gallery - have a look, and check back in tomorrow for our final gallery.
True to its name, this race by the ocean had an expo right on the beach. We're here covering the race, so be sure to check back for more as the weekend rolls on.
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