Eddy Merckx riding in the 1969 Tour de France.

 

We just wanted his bike

Eddy Merckx. The greatest cyclist of all time. Even standing still, a bike with his name on it can do things to you.

 People still lust after his bikes from the ’80s. Some ride them. Some give them wall space usually reserved for art. I’ve mentally spent the money more than once.

That’s a powerful place to start designing. And a lot to live up to.

Nobody asked me to do this. The brief I gave myself: take Merckx forward without losing what makes people want one. From the identity to the bike lineup, every choice had to earn its place. What stays? What changes? Where can it surprise you?

Keep what makes your heart go a little stupid. Give the next person a reason to feel it.

Role: All of it.
Strategy, identity, bike concepts, graphics, colorways, imagery, and art direction.

 

Research collage of Eddy Merckx photographs, team graphics, bike details and memorabilia.
A blue and red Merckx road bike. Text reads: “The next chapter starts with the story only Merckx can tell.” Before designing anything, I went back to Eddy: the victories, the colors, the names and the details no other brand could own. Those became the starting point for a new identity.
Original Eddy Merckx wordmarks, logos and cycling graphics arranged on a research board.
Eddy Merckx identity exploration showing new wordmarks, a colorful cycling emblem, and names for bike models.
Cyclist riding a blue, white, and red Eddy Merckx road bike on a mountain road.
Independent Eddy Merckx bike design concept in blue and white with red and blue wheel accents.
FINAL-BIKES-KAA-69FIN
Independent Eddy Merckx bike design concept in white and blue.
Independent Eddy Merckx bike design concept in sand and red.
Pink Eddy Merckx editorial concept combining archival cycling clippings with large type celebrating his 525 career wins and 1969 season.
Woman wearing a gray polka dot cycling cap with a pink bicycle label, part of an independent Eddy Merckx merchandise concept.
Pink Eddy Merckx T-shirt concept with an illustrated portrait and “de Kannibaal” graphic.
FIN-EDDY