booze and cake
probably out cycling
My Eddy https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/eddy-merckx-team-panasonic-1985-a-classic-reborn.228912/ has just discovered it has a sibling from an overseas relationship Eddy senior had in the 1990's.
Apparently Eddy Merckx had a custom Pino Morroni titanium stem on the Colnago built bike he rode to beat the hour record in 1972. https://cyclehistory.wordpress.com/...1-objects-no-3-merckxs-hour-record-bike-1972/
The first Merckx branded frames featuring titanium I can find are here in this 1994 catalogue. Care must be taken typing this into google or your search results will be a world away from what you were expecting
According to the Merckx expert 'cyclesmakaron' on Bikeforums.net who advised me on the history of me other Merckx, this material was laminate sheets consisting mostly of aluminium with steel and titanium additives that were formed into tubes. This material was also used to build ski poles and masts. The problem is that the material had a tendency to "return" to its natural shape, i.e. to... spread on the weld! The material was produced by AMAG, frames for EMC were produced by Hagan - 93/94, the number of frames is unknown. I've never seen or even heard of these before, and suffice to say they were not a success, as it was gone from later catalogues, and by 1995 Eddy Merckx started using Litespeed to built their titanium frames. Litespeed at the time were owned by the Lynksey family, who sold the company in 1999 and later on set up their own brand again making titanium bikes under the Lynksey brand name.
The Litspeed built Merckx frames were not simply re-badged Litespeeds, and were built with the same 'century' geometry as Merckx' steel bikes. Eddy Merckx started making titanium frames in house in Belgium with the Titane model in 1997, so Litespeed made Merckx' titanium frames from 1995-97. The AX frame was made from 3/2.5 ti, and the EX featured over sized *new word discovery klaxon* biaxially ovalised seat tube and down tube, made from higher grade and apparently stiffer 6/4 ti.
I didn't know any of this until I recently stumbled upon and fell for a 61cm EX frame on Ebay, and an impulse purchase was made. This mid life crisis is officially turned up to 11.
I know its popular with titanium frames to strip all the decals for a cleaner look, but there's no way I'm doing that with this, I love these decals
, I think they are brilliant and they totally remind me of some TV shows from my youth.
I contacted Litespeed to verify the exact age of the bike, and they confirmed it was built in November 1996. All my steel bikes are lugged so its nice to see the welding work and obvious time, care and skill needed to do this kind of work. I have to keep reminding myself the frame is 23 years old as it still looks great, even up close.
These bikes did not come with titanium forks back then, most I've seen had early carbon forks, and that it what I got with the frame, some old Kestral EMS forks. Most titanium bikes I see these days still have carbon forks, and though I can't argue with their weight savings over steel forks, I just don't like the look of them. As we know carbon frames quickly took over as the frame material of choice in the pro peloton. It was obviously a transitional time for some components too. The Aheadset had not yet taken over, and so my frame came with a 1 inch threaded fork for a quill stem, and though the legs are carbon, the fork steerer itself is steel, which seems to counteract any weight savings the carbon offers. I'm not a weight weenie so am not bothered by this, but it is a bit odd. It also means choosing a nicer, prettier fork is limiting as nearly all forks these days are 1 and 1/8, not to mention the carbon ones nearly all look bland and rather dull. I like stuff that shines in the sun. The other slightly strange thing on a US built bike in the late 90's is the frame has an Italian threaded bottom bracket. Despite reading of issues with these in the past, my Simoncini has an Italian threaded BB and I've done 15,000+ miles on that bike with no issues so I'm not bothered by it, but it was a bit of a surprise discovery.
I do have some old steel forks and offered them up in the frame, but the fork blades looked too skiny against the over sized frame tubes, so it didn't look right in my opinion. My long term aim is to get some steel oversized forks as used on the Merckx MX Leader, and as my frame has the same geometry as the MX Leader it would be a perfect fit. I've been looking for some on eBay, or other similar oversized Columbus Max forks, but finding such forks with an approx 24 cm long steerer I need for my large frame is going to prove an ongoing, lengthy and maybe impossible mission. I did look into getting some made but I think Columbus Max fork blades only come in straight blades these days, and again I don't think straight forks will suit this build, and I'm trying to achieve a cheaper solution. So with that in mind I decided to build the bike with the Kestral fork for now, and hope to replace it, if and when I can find a suitable steel alternative. I want this bike to be a total carbon fibre free zone, and on that theme I'm going to avoid the all to common all black groupsets/ti frame combo, and go for a shiny silver Campagnolo groupset.
From my parts bin I already had a chainset, front derailleur and wheels, and could swipe a saddle and seatpost off another bike for now. And I have a lovely gunmetal 3T quill stem I've been meaning to use on a build for ages that I think will look great on this frame. For everything else I hit ebay with gusto and spend the next few weeks accumulating all the remaining bits I need. Yesterday the final part arrived, so after work it was.....
Alas there was no sun shining on those silver parts when the photos were taken, the weather was wet and windy, how very Belgian. At least I know the frame won't rust
.Here's the result.
Those cool decals up close
I saw some street art with a very similar effect recently
Shiny chainset
I do like the bullet like stay ends, and note the Merckx logo stamped on the dropout.
Rear brake bridge detail
And some nerdy finishing touches, Merckx bar ends.
And Merckx finishing tape on the oh so sleek and shiny cockpit.
The bike may be weather proof but I am not, and the weather today is grim, so the bikes maiden voyage and proper test ride is scheduled for tomorrow.
Apparently Eddy Merckx had a custom Pino Morroni titanium stem on the Colnago built bike he rode to beat the hour record in 1972. https://cyclehistory.wordpress.com/...1-objects-no-3-merckxs-hour-record-bike-1972/
The first Merckx branded frames featuring titanium I can find are here in this 1994 catalogue. Care must be taken typing this into google or your search results will be a world away from what you were expecting
According to the Merckx expert 'cyclesmakaron' on Bikeforums.net who advised me on the history of me other Merckx, this material was laminate sheets consisting mostly of aluminium with steel and titanium additives that were formed into tubes. This material was also used to build ski poles and masts. The problem is that the material had a tendency to "return" to its natural shape, i.e. to... spread on the weld! The material was produced by AMAG, frames for EMC were produced by Hagan - 93/94, the number of frames is unknown. I've never seen or even heard of these before, and suffice to say they were not a success, as it was gone from later catalogues, and by 1995 Eddy Merckx started using Litespeed to built their titanium frames. Litespeed at the time were owned by the Lynksey family, who sold the company in 1999 and later on set up their own brand again making titanium bikes under the Lynksey brand name.
The Litspeed built Merckx frames were not simply re-badged Litespeeds, and were built with the same 'century' geometry as Merckx' steel bikes. Eddy Merckx started making titanium frames in house in Belgium with the Titane model in 1997, so Litespeed made Merckx' titanium frames from 1995-97. The AX frame was made from 3/2.5 ti, and the EX featured over sized *new word discovery klaxon* biaxially ovalised seat tube and down tube, made from higher grade and apparently stiffer 6/4 ti.
I didn't know any of this until I recently stumbled upon and fell for a 61cm EX frame on Ebay, and an impulse purchase was made. This mid life crisis is officially turned up to 11
.I know its popular with titanium frames to strip all the decals for a cleaner look, but there's no way I'm doing that with this, I love these decals
, I think they are brilliant and they totally remind me of some TV shows from my youth.I contacted Litespeed to verify the exact age of the bike, and they confirmed it was built in November 1996. All my steel bikes are lugged so its nice to see the welding work and obvious time, care and skill needed to do this kind of work. I have to keep reminding myself the frame is 23 years old as it still looks great, even up close.
These bikes did not come with titanium forks back then, most I've seen had early carbon forks, and that it what I got with the frame, some old Kestral EMS forks. Most titanium bikes I see these days still have carbon forks, and though I can't argue with their weight savings over steel forks, I just don't like the look of them. As we know carbon frames quickly took over as the frame material of choice in the pro peloton. It was obviously a transitional time for some components too. The Aheadset had not yet taken over, and so my frame came with a 1 inch threaded fork for a quill stem, and though the legs are carbon, the fork steerer itself is steel, which seems to counteract any weight savings the carbon offers. I'm not a weight weenie so am not bothered by this, but it is a bit odd. It also means choosing a nicer, prettier fork is limiting as nearly all forks these days are 1 and 1/8, not to mention the carbon ones nearly all look bland and rather dull. I like stuff that shines in the sun. The other slightly strange thing on a US built bike in the late 90's is the frame has an Italian threaded bottom bracket. Despite reading of issues with these in the past, my Simoncini has an Italian threaded BB and I've done 15,000+ miles on that bike with no issues so I'm not bothered by it, but it was a bit of a surprise discovery.
I do have some old steel forks and offered them up in the frame, but the fork blades looked too skiny against the over sized frame tubes, so it didn't look right in my opinion. My long term aim is to get some steel oversized forks as used on the Merckx MX Leader, and as my frame has the same geometry as the MX Leader it would be a perfect fit. I've been looking for some on eBay, or other similar oversized Columbus Max forks, but finding such forks with an approx 24 cm long steerer I need for my large frame is going to prove an ongoing, lengthy and maybe impossible mission. I did look into getting some made but I think Columbus Max fork blades only come in straight blades these days, and again I don't think straight forks will suit this build, and I'm trying to achieve a cheaper solution. So with that in mind I decided to build the bike with the Kestral fork for now, and hope to replace it, if and when I can find a suitable steel alternative. I want this bike to be a total carbon fibre free zone, and on that theme I'm going to avoid the all to common all black groupsets/ti frame combo, and go for a shiny silver Campagnolo groupset.
From my parts bin I already had a chainset, front derailleur and wheels, and could swipe a saddle and seatpost off another bike for now. And I have a lovely gunmetal 3T quill stem I've been meaning to use on a build for ages that I think will look great on this frame. For everything else I hit ebay with gusto and spend the next few weeks accumulating all the remaining bits I need. Yesterday the final part arrived, so after work it was.....
Alas there was no sun shining on those silver parts when the photos were taken, the weather was wet and windy, how very Belgian. At least I know the frame won't rust
.Here's the result.Those cool decals up close
I saw some street art with a very similar effect recently
Shiny chainset
I do like the bullet like stay ends, and note the Merckx logo stamped on the dropout.
Rear brake bridge detail
And some nerdy finishing touches, Merckx bar ends.
And Merckx finishing tape on the oh so sleek and shiny cockpit.
The bike may be weather proof but I am not, and the weather today is grim, so the bikes maiden voyage and proper test ride is scheduled for tomorrow.
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