Eddy Merckx's bike
08-13-09, 08:51 AM
#26
car dodger
wow that was a great story.
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1989 Schwinn Paramount OS
1980 Mclean/Silk Hope Sport Touring
1983 Bianchi pista
1976 Fuji Feather track
1979 raleigh track
"I've consulted my sources and I'm pretty sure your derailleur does not exist"
1989 Schwinn Paramount OS
1980 Mclean/Silk Hope Sport Touring
1983 Bianchi pista
1976 Fuji Feather track
1979 raleigh track
"I've consulted my sources and I'm pretty sure your derailleur does not exist"
08-17-09, 08:25 AM
#31
Newbie
1973 Eddy Merckx bike
Here's my pic of the 1973 Merckx team bike. This bike is almost certainly a Kessels-built bike. I took a very close look at this bike in 1974. It's identical in every detail to mine, except for this: no chrome, three circular cutouts in the BB instead of two, and the small cutouts in the lugs and fork crown.
From this, and pictures of Merckx around this time, I believe that he used Kessels bikes for stage races and one-day classics, and Colnago and later De Rosa for time trials, criteriums or Kermesses and of course track, including the famous hour-record bike. That's not a hard and fast rule, of course. Eddy was very particular about his bikes, and the fact that he stayed with Kessels longer than any other builder does say something about the quality of the brand.
From this, and pictures of Merckx around this time, I believe that he used Kessels bikes for stage races and one-day classics, and Colnago and later De Rosa for time trials, criteriums or Kermesses and of course track, including the famous hour-record bike. That's not a hard and fast rule, of course. Eddy was very particular about his bikes, and the fact that he stayed with Kessels longer than any other builder does say something about the quality of the brand.
