Few names have an impact like Eddy Merckx. He's a true legend of the sport, racking up innumerate victories over all imaginable terrains, on the road at least. Given that we've just seen the relaunch of the Eddy Merckx bike brand, nowadays owned by Ridley's parent company, Belgian Bike Factory, it seemed as good a time as any to knock up this gallery.
The bike is an Eddy Merckx that Merckx himself raced back in the day. Early in his career, Eddy Merckx frames were repainted Colnago Super's, but the 'EM' monogram on the fork crown is the giveaway that it's an original Eddy, in this case in Molteni livery. The year is unknown, but the late '70s to early '80s is the best guess I've got. In '75, the team was still on Colnagos, and later in the '80s, the tube shapes and lugs changed, especially the fork blades, which became deeper and more aero (by the standards of the day).
While I was visiting the Belgian Bike Factory HQ for other reasons, I couldn't resist snapping a gallery of one of The Cannibal's actual bikes.
I'm not saying he's got an ego, but he does have a portrait of himself on his headtube... Also note the marker pen on the stem to get the bar height just so.
The vintage branding is bordered by the rainbow bands of a former world champion
A pink stripe for a pink jersey from the Giro
EM monograms on the fork crown indicate this isn't a rebadged Colnago Super
All Campagnolo everything back then. Headset and brakes here.
The campagnolo front derailleur is incredibly skeletal compared to modern electronic units
A chainstay protector would have added unnecessary weight
While the components are all Campagnolo, the bars are from Cinelli, another Italian brand
Even the seat post is a Campagnolo unit
Too many watts, or perhaps a rogue weight saving tactic?
Downtube shifters have long been retired to vintage builds and niche bikes, but they don't half look good still
It's a far cry from the wide range 13sp cassettes on offer from Campagnolo Ekar today
It's been a while since these tyres, tubular units, held any air
A yellow stripe for a Tour de France victory
Campagnolo Nuovo Record. Super Record hadn't come around just yet.
We suspect the zip ties are modern, but the pump peg isn't something you see on any modern race bike
No clipless pedals here, just toe clips and straps
23mm cotton tubulars... tyres have come a long way but the Vittoria Corsa is still a model seen in the peloton today
While cotton tyres remain, cotton bar tape is definitely a thing of the past, as are classic round drop bars for the most part
Grease ports in the hubs, now that's a throwback!
The tubeset in question isn't known, those we can at least tell it's Columbus.
Merckx was apparently a real stickler for saddle height, so the line of tape is so his mechanics could keep things just so.
I think we'd all agree that brake hood ergonomics have improved a bit
Peek-a-boo! Why have one portrait of yourself on your bikes when you can have two?
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