I love the thrill of veering off onto a quiet dirt road. It always feels a little mischievous, like I’m getting away with something – and I’m clearly not alone. Most brands offer an option like the Strasbourg 71 Alloy, with features meant for comfort and control on gravel (like disc brakes, wider tyre clearance, and compliance-oriented frames), all of which are making dirt adventures even more accessible than ever.
The Strasbourg 71 Alloy from Eddy Merckx has angles similar to those of many cyclocross race bikes: a slackish head tube angle (71.5 degrees) paired with a steeper seat tube angle (74 degrees), which, along with a shorter rear triangle, tucks the rear wheel under the seat for added traction without shortening the wheelbase. The Strasbourg 71 also has less bottom bracket drop compared to a standard road bike, for better clearance and a more nimble feel on rougher roads.
Overall, the geometry is designed to put the rider in a versatile performance position, somewhere between that of a typical road bike and ‘cross bike. This offers more stability, predictable steering, and increased traction on loose, steep climbs.
On pavement, the Strasbourg 71 Allow feels light and responsive enough, but it really comes to life on the dirt. As soon as I started pedalling, I felt like I was riding in the bike rather than on it, which made for a natural, stable feel, especially in the drops. I dove into rutted fire roads with abandon, mashed my way up loose climbs without losing traction, and even sampled a bit of singletrack, which was the only time I started to miss my mountain bike.
The aluminum frame felt a little unforgiving at times (especially on dreaded flat washboards), but I also worried less about a stray rock punching a hole in the down tube than I would have on a carbon frame. Ultimately, the Strasbourg can take a beating, efficiently helping you get up to whatever off-road mischief your heart desires.
Copyright © 2016 Rodale Inc.