Eddy Merckx old bike but what ?

MuffinsAP

Hoping the knowledge on here can help. I picked up this frame and wanted to figure out what model it maybe - certainly not a race corsa machine as it has eyelets but it might be nice to restore it to the road once again. Bottom bracket marked as M7L48022
Thanks
A

cyclocross!

Try here. They seem to know lots about it.

https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=243180

Could be a Strada or Multisport. I think the 7 stands for 57cm. Is it a 57?

Quigs Snr

Tough one. Not a lot of pictures to go on. Early glance.. band on shifters, so I was thinking early Colnago Super in Merckx colours.. but doesn't look right.

The serial number doesn't seem to take the Merckx format I am familiar with... where usually and M meant a Strada model. But all of them I have seen are split in two across the BB shell. Usually you would see the logo embossed somewhere too unless its a super early model.

... as with most things vintage steel it could well be anything at all with a Merckx paint job thrown on top. Doesn't look like that easy a restoration either.

cyclocross!

More pictures might help.

iwillhtfu

Quigs Snr wrote: »

Tough one. Not a lot of pictures to go on. Early glance.. band on shifters, so I was thinking early Colnago Super in Merckx colours.. but doesn't look right.

The serial number doesn't seem to take the Merckx format I am familiar with... where usually and M meant a Strada model. But all of them I have seen are split in two across the BB shell. Usually you would see the logo embossed somewhere too unless its a super early model.

... as with most things vintage steel it could well be anything at all with a Merckx paint job thrown on top. Doesn't look like that easy a restoration either.

Did Colnago stamp the Merckx frames? I know they stamped the rear dropouts on some of their frames.

magicbastarder

what's the writing on the top tube? is it at all legible?

Quigs Snr

iwillhtfu wrote: »

Did Colnago stamp the Merckx frames? I know they stamped the rear dropouts on some of their frames.

... they barely stamp their own. I haven't seen a real Merckx Colnago Super bottom bracket shell, I'd say 99% of them in existence are just replicas..

8valve

Looks like one of the Falcon made bikes of the 70s, rather than one produced by the Merckx factory in Belgium. Just like the Trek-made 'Lemond' bikes in the early 90s....that Mr Armstrong put an end to.

From Sheldon Brown:
By February 1973, Falcon produced an Eddie Merckx branded line in Merckx Molteni orange, noted on the catalogue as "Designed by Ernie Clements" and "Approved" by Merckx. These appeared in collaboration with similar Merckx branded frames by Kessel of Belgium. The firms apparently had an agreement on marketing areas, with Kessel getting Europe, and both paying royalties to Merckx.

The Falcon precursor Merckx bikes are often dismissed as poor quality, but they appeared in a similar range of models to the Falcon line. In 1974, Falcon offered a top of the line Merckx Super Competition #102 (All Reynolds 531 DB, long point lugs, oval fork blades, Nuovo Record derailers; Record crank, Campagnolo brakes, Brooks saddle, Cinelli bars and stem, chrome fork crown and tips-virtually the same specs as the comparable San Remo), a Giro D'Italia #104 (Reynolds DB with Prugnat Lugs, Campagnolo derailers, cotterless crank but with centerpull brakes), Kermesse, #106 (plain gauge Reynolds), Competition #100 (same as 102, but w/o the Campagnolo brakes), 2 ladies models, a junior racer (white or orange) and entry level bike (red or orange) with std (not tubular) rims. See http://www.bikebrothers.co.uk/falconeddy.htm

The high end bikes in either the Merckx or the Falcon line were comparable in quality to the other premier marques of their day, British and Italian, offering great handling with a fairly tight stage race geometry with arguably better finish than the Italian competitors.

By no means a bad bike; it just has slightly less provenance, compared to the actual Merckx factory handbuilt machines.

Still worth restoring.

hesker

Merckx licensed his name to a few companies. One of them was Falcon who made a range of frames in the Molteni colours from quite decent to bargain basement. Merckx was none too happy by all accounts.

I can’t be certain this is one of the low end but the seatstay caps have the look of it. Forks don’t look too bad though.

Can you post better pics of the seatstay caps and the rear dropouts

Edit: beaten to it

magicbastarder

huh, that's a man who knows his bike; almost identical paintjob here (yellow and pink strips on the seat tube have swapped position) and the lugs are different. fork is not chrome either:

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage-bicycles-whats-worth-appraisals/1211496-falcon-eddy-merckx-value.html

MuffinsAP

magicbastarder wrote: »

what's the writing on the top tube? is it at all legible?

It is a well worn Giro d'Italia decal

iwillhtfu

Quigs Snr wrote: »

... they barely stamp their own. I haven't seen a real Merckx Colnago Super bottom bracket shell, I'd say 99% of them in existence are just replicas..

That's what I was thinking alright.

MuffinsAP

Quigs Snr wrote: »

Tough one. Not a lot of pictures to go on. Early glance.. band on shifters, so I was thinking early Colnago Super in Merckx colours.. but doesn't look right.

The serial number doesn't seem to take the Merckx format I am familiar with... where usually and M meant a Strada model. But all of them I have seen are split in two across the BB shell. Usually you would see the logo embossed somewhere too unless its a super early model.

... as with most things vintage steel it could well be anything at all with a Merckx paint job thrown on top. Doesn't look like that easy a restoration either.

Band on shifters and dérailleurs, nothing legible on dropouts

hesker

Quigs Snr

8valve wrote: »

Looks like one of the Falcon made bikes of the 70s, rather than one produced by the Merckx factory in Belgium. Just like the Trek-made 'Lemond' bikes in the early 90s....that Mr Armstrong put an end to.

From Sheldon Brown:
By February 1973, Falcon produced an Eddie Merckx branded line in Merckx Molteni orange, noted on the catalogue as "Designed by Ernie Clements" and "Approved" by Merckx. These appeared in collaboration with similar Merckx branded frames by Kessel of Belgium. The firms apparently had an agreement on marketing areas, with Kessel getting Europe, and both paying royalties to Merckx.

The Falcon precursor Merckx bikes are often dismissed as poor quality, but they appeared in a similar range of models to the Falcon line. In 1974, Falcon offered a top of the line Merckx Super Competition #102 (All Reynolds 531 DB, long point lugs, oval fork blades, Nuovo Record derailers; Record crank, Campagnolo brakes, Brooks saddle, Cinelli bars and stem, chrome fork crown and tips-virtually the same specs as the comparable San Remo), a Giro D'Italia #104 (Reynolds DB with Prugnat Lugs, Campagnolo derailers, cotterless crank but with centerpull brakes), Kermesse, #106 (plain gauge Reynolds), Competition #100 (same as 102, but w/o the Campagnolo brakes), 2 ladies models, a junior racer (white or orange) and entry level bike (red or orange) with std (not tubular) rims. See http://www.bikebrothers.co.uk/falconeddy.htm

The high end bikes in either the Merckx or the Falcon line were comparable in quality to the other premier marques of their day, British and Italian, offering great handling with a fairly tight stage race geometry with arguably better finish than the Italian competitors.

By no means a bad bike; it just has slightly less provenance, compared to the actual Merckx factory handbuilt machines.

Still worth restoring.

Bang on I reckon. It definitely doesn't like look a real Merckx or even the Colnago or De Rosa ones... but there was a Giro D'Italia model Merckx in the Falcon range in the early mid seventies or thereabouts. So that fits.

If you are restoring it to pristine its gonna need to be a labour of love I reckon. But that's if you are an insane nitpicker like me who would probably rechrome the fork etc.. If its solid you could probably powder coat the lot cheap enough, get a passable set of decals etc.. and be up and running cheap enough.

MuffinsAP

cyclocross! wrote: »

Try here. They seem to know lots about it.

https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=243180

Could be a Strada or Multisport. I think the 7 stands for 57cm. Is it a 57?

Will get more photos and a measure on it tomorrow

MuffinsAP

hesker wrote: »

Merckx licensed his name to a few companies. One of them was Falcon who made a range of frames in the Molteni colours from quite decent to bargain basement. Merckx was none too happy by all accounts.

I can’t be certain this is one of the low end but the seatstay caps have the look of it. Forks don’t look too bad though.

Can you post better pics of the seatstay caps and the rear dropouts

Edit: beaten to it

Will get more photos tomorrow

iwillhtfu

A budget friendly version of this no doubt.

Some very nice touches on this frame

https://www.ebay.ie/itm/Vintage-Eddy-Merckx-Strada-Columbus-Steel-Frame-Forks-54cm-Molteni-Orange/265084818936

MuffinsAP

Quigs Snr wrote: »

Bang on I reckon. It definitely doesn't like look a real Merckx or even the Colnago or De Rosa ones... but there was a Giro D'Italia model Merckx in the Falcon range in the early mid seventies or thereabouts. So that fits.

If you are restoring it to pristine its gonna need to be a labour of love I reckon. But that's if you are an insane nitpicker like me who would probably rechrome the fork etc.. If its solid you could probably powder coat the lot cheap enough, get a passable set of decals etc.. and be up and running cheap enough.

My first thoughts were a leisure bicycle produced under licence.
I hope to sandblast clean, get it powder coated and rechrome the forks. Once done and until the appropriate parts come along it can be some art in the home office shed suffer central dream cave.
Must have a chat with Daragh at ðŸ cycles
Thanks
A