GCN -Original 7-Eleven Merckx Team Bike
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09-29-19, 09:35 PM
#2
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Cool video. 11-34 rear cassette with an extended dropout and 7800 long cage RD mounted to it. Certainly a mix of components that the matchy-matchy part of me would wish there were more cohesion with, buuuuuuut, it's a vintage race bike living on with solid, helpful, and capable upgrades. All of GCN goes "OMG this is so rare and new!" while BF C&V goes "Dude, we've been doing this for a long time and it's fantastic. Welcome to the club!" My Davidson Impulse is this thought process in existence. It is very good.
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09-29-19, 10:04 PM
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I love how he says 20 pounds like that's a boat anchor lol Great bike and cool to hear him talk it through. I bet it gets more looks than his modern bike 
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09-29-19, 11:43 PM
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09-30-19, 04:46 AM
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Now I don't feel so bad about putting modern stuff on mine
No steel bike I've ever ridden or raced handles like this one.
No steel bike I've ever ridden or raced handles like this one.
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09-30-19, 12:05 PM
#6
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Old school: Here's your 1 bike. Don't say I never gave you anything. Don't come back for 4 years. I coat my chain in tar. Damn flies. Ehhhh, the headset is fine, it's not grinding yet. Form follows function. It must handle great cuz I can ride no hands
New school: No way. That's soo cool. Nice. No way. What's a quill adapter ? I thought extender was a pill you bought from a late night tv ad. Columbus tubing isn't carbon ? No way. Nice. I need that in my life if I can figure out what friction shifting means and how to shift those downtube thingies. No way.
Old school: Way.
New school: No way. That's soo cool. Nice. No way. What's a quill adapter ? I thought extender was a pill you bought from a late night tv ad. Columbus tubing isn't carbon ? No way. Nice. I need that in my life if I can figure out what friction shifting means and how to shift those downtube thingies. No way.
Old school: Way.
Last edited by sdn40; 09-30-19 at 12:26 PM.
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09-30-19, 12:09 PM
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My 753 Motorola weighs a LOT more than 20 pounds...those team bikes were by no means light.
09-30-19, 01:19 PM
#9
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- TRUE! It's not exactly a weight weenie build...Even that said, it's a pretty heavy frame. I remember reading something about it where they went very conservative after the Serotta True Temper frames fiasco.
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09-30-19, 01:27 PM
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The bike is still running its original headset; that's impressive.
Simon Richardson, the GCN commentator, said that he needed to do a project like this bike. Maybe someone needs to send him a link to this
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...i-s-ergos.html
Simon Richardson, the GCN commentator, said that he needed to do a project like this bike. Maybe someone needs to send him a link to this
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...i-s-ergos.html
Last edited by bikemig; 09-30-19 at 01:31 PM.
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09-30-19, 09:38 PM
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Great interview.
Interesting Alex mentioning that in 1987-88, yet on toe clips as sponsor Shimano was lagging decent clipless pedals. Guess I could watch the vid again but thought Belgium Merckx were supplied 1989+.
Also, most of the team members, each only got one bike - to train and race. Hampsten however had a good number of test set-ups/ train bikes, something like 20 of them per Eddy wanting perfection from Hampsten.
Interesting Alex mentioning that in 1987-88, yet on toe clips as sponsor Shimano was lagging decent clipless pedals. Guess I could watch the vid again but thought Belgium Merckx were supplied 1989+.
Also, most of the team members, each only got one bike - to train and race. Hampsten however had a good number of test set-ups/ train bikes, something like 20 of them per Eddy wanting perfection from Hampsten.
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09-30-19, 10:15 PM
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10-01-19, 04:54 AM
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Great interview.
Interesting Alex mentioning that in 1987-88, yet on toe clips as sponsor Shimano was lagging decent clipless pedals. Guess I could watch the vid again but thought Belgium Merckx were supplied 1989+.
Also, most of the team members, each only got one bike - to train and race. Hampsten however had a good number of test set-ups/ train bikes, something like 20 of them per Eddy wanting perfection from Hampsten.
Interesting Alex mentioning that in 1987-88, yet on toe clips as sponsor Shimano was lagging decent clipless pedals. Guess I could watch the vid again but thought Belgium Merckx were supplied 1989+.
Also, most of the team members, each only got one bike - to train and race. Hampsten however had a good number of test set-ups/ train bikes, something like 20 of them per Eddy wanting perfection from Hampsten.
10-01-19, 06:35 AM
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Shimano put a titanium nitride coating on the crown race of those Dura-Ace headsets, which increased the hardness and, apparently, improved longevity. I'm not aware of any other headset with that feature.
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10-01-19, 06:42 AM
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Both Shimano and Campagnolo were unprepared for the success of the Look pedal. The first clipless pedals from both Shimano and Campagnolo were made by Look for them. Neither company liked that arrangement particularly, and went to work on their own clipless designs. Campagnolo came up with SGR, which pretty much flopped in the market. Shimano came up with SPD, which was much better received.
10-01-19, 01:54 PM
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Beautiful bike. I have a thing for Merckx bikes.
I have the very last iteration of the MX Leader with lugged steel frame and it came with a threadless headset from the factory so this actually does not look weird to me.
I have the very last iteration of the MX Leader with lugged steel frame and it came with a threadless headset from the factory so this actually does not look weird to me.
10-01-19, 04:24 PM
#19
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Interesting that he is running 11s friction. I have never gone over 8 but seem to remember others saying that over 9s gets pretty touchy.
10-01-19, 06:27 PM
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A 7-Eleven Merckx is my grail bike. I already have the Hoonved jersey. I'd be down in a heartbeat for a frame in 56 or 57. 'May go to my grave lusting for one.
Dean
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