ChiapasFixed

i need a fork for an eddy merckx corsa extra, prefferably in black or chrome
any leads?

Old Fat Guy

I could be mistaken, but I have been led to believe that Merckx, among very few others, had specific forks for specific sizes, in contrast to a great deal of other builders who just varied the steerer tube length.

You maybe SOL, unless you are extremely lucky.

ChiapasFixed

56cm 1996 corsa extra

tarwheel 

Keep checking eBay. Old Merckx forks come up for sale from time to time.

moki

If you really want to get the most out of the bike, you may have to get a custom fork. I know that Jacobs cycles build nice forks for a very reasonable price.
maybe check
bulgier for the frameset specs or just email Merckx directly. Even without the specs, if you can figure out the ht angle, you're in business.

ChiapasFixed

the headtube is 12.5cm, same as on my 56cm mark v...
what would happen if I just put a nice carbon road fork on it?

bigbossman 

Your soul would be damned to hell forever, and upon your demise your restless spirit would wander the twighlight between the living and the dead for all eternity.

Go for it.

Old Fat Guy

Bossman is wrong, your soul would not be damned for all eternity, but you would prolly crash after experiencing speed wobbles on your first fast descent, and for goodness sake, don't try a pedal scraping turn at seped.

Seriously, though. It would not handle the same as a Merckx fork made for that frame. Some builders did put thought into their end product.

TysonB

Oldfatguy and Bossman are both a bit off base. I have a MX leader in Team Telecom livery. I'm a poor Okie and don't have the expendable income necessary to build the bike up nice. I have put a Nashbar carbon fork on front. It handles like a Ferrari compared to Mimi, my customized '69 U08 Peugeot. I'd bomb down any hill anywhere.

Tyson

Old Fat Guy

I would think an MX Leader would handle better than an UO-8 if you had a roller skate attached to a 2X4 for a fork

ChiapasFixed

hmm, so this high speed wobble would be tue to the fork angle/rake? does anybody know the rake angle for the Corsa Extra with its OG fork? cant i just source a fork with the same rake??
some expert advice, please!

Old Fat Guy

The speed wobble was meant tongue-in-cheek, sorry.

avenan

Most Merckx forks (Corsa/Corsa Extra) have 43mm of offset, and don't vary based on size afaik.

Old Fat Guy

Does that apply to the earlier Professional models as well?

ChiapasFixed

ok, so any road fork with a 43mm offset should work, right?
ps: how can i measure the offset on a fork?

avenan

Not sure -- I feel like things were less standardized the earlier the bike is. I'd *guess* that an '85 Professional would be the same as a Corsa (I've seen frames with the Corsa decal, a Z datecode, and both a P and a C for the model codes), but I haven't measured every Professional. My Professional's fork is 43mm.

To the OP: fork rake is measured from the centerline of the steerer to the center of the dropout. Easiest way to measure is to lie the fork flat, make sure the steerer is an even amount off the suface (if there's a flat for the brake, it'd easier, measure from the center of the dropout to the surface. Then measure the distance between the front of the brake mount on the crown and the rear. Assuming the thickness of the front + back are the same, divide this number by 2, and subtract that from the first measurement.

There's probably a smarter way to do it, but this should get you in the right ballpark. An L shaped ruler would probably be an easier way to go. I'd recommend watching eBay for Merckx forks, they pop up fairly regularly, and shouldn't cost more than any decent fork replacement.

TysonB

"I would think an MX Leader would handle better than an UO-8 if you had a roller skate attached to a 2X4 for a fork." Oldfatguy

Thanks OFG. You made me chuckle.

Mimi can really give a guy a thrill whether he is ready or not. I had no idea how stiff the MX-Leader was until I rode Mimi and the Merckx back-to-back. Half of my power while climbing with Mimi had to be spent in just flexing the frame back and forth. With the Merckx, it feels like every bit of power to the pedal propels you forward. I'd ridden other modern bikes, but never back to back with Mimi. Here, both bikes are mine so they are set up correctly for me. Mimi, the U08, is 60cm and the MX-Leader is 58. I am 6' and 200lbs (but shrinking).

As to the original poster's question, I'd have NO compunctions about putting on a carbon fork. I am a tri-guy and just a fair cyclist. But with my riding group I am absolutley the fastest downhill, especially through curves. My Merckx carves like it is on rails, with just a hint of "turn-in."

If a Merckx fork with the cool Eddy Merckx inprints is available, by all means get it. If not, buy an aftermarket carbon fork and have fun.

Tyson

ChiapasFixed

ok, so im looking at a reynolds ouzo pro with a 45mm offset. would this just be bad? cant seem to find a fork with 43...

TysonB

Chipasfixed,

I'm not sure that I'd be able to tell the difference between a well matched fork and perfectly matched one.

To be perfectly honest, I just was concerned with finding one with a 1" threaded steer tube that was 200mm long. I bought the Nashbar brand cheap***** carbon fork for $49.99 or so. It works great. I'm happy. I don't know much about rake and trail, etc. I know I still have to pedal hard and fast to stay with the fast guys.

(And it's easier on the Merckx than on the U08! LOL)

Tyson

avenan

I'm inclined to agree w/TysonB. Find something that'll work, and ride the hell out of it. Later, if you come across a proper Merckx fork, you can switch.