Prototype Eddy Merckx frameset

Last Friday I picked up a very special NOS Eddy Merckx frame from a bike shop in Belgium. The owner recently purchased all the remaining stock from the old Eddy Merckx factory and this frame was part of the batch. All the seller knew about it, was that is was some kind of prototype.













The fact that the frame was TIG-welded made me worry this might not be a real Merckx, since Merckx only did lugged steel frames, apart from the Arcobaleno model that was partly fillet brazed. Having sold dozens of Merckx frames in the past though, I could tell the paint job was authentic and not a respray. The weird geometry also reminded me of a frame that Merckx built for Paris-Roubaix. My imagination got the better of me and I ended up buying it.









Back home I weighed in the frame, since it felt really light for a steel frame. The scale indicated 1520g, which would have made it the lightest vintage steel frame I had ever come across. The tubing also puzzled me, seeing as the down tube tapers out in the direction of the bottom bracket and the top tube tapers out in the direction of the head tube. No steel tubing I had ever seen looked even remotely similar. The bulky dropouts and the seat stay bridge did ring a bell, I just wasn't sure where I had seen them before.

After having stared at the frame for a couple of days, I woke up on Monday to finally realise where I had seen the dropouts and the seat stay bridge before: on a Merckx Titane frame I sold a while back. From that moment on everything made sense. The welds, the absence of lugs and the low weight were all pointing in the direction of titanium!

A quick Google search revealed loads of similarities to the Merckx Titanium EX model. That is why I am guessing this is a prototype based on that model. The geometry suggests it was built for use on rough roads, e.g. spring classics.

I was thinking about maybe building this up for myself. I have no idea whether I will fit on this frame though, seeing as my expertise on geometry is pretty much non-existent. My instinct says no, giving the short head tube, but the top tube says yes. For your information, my length is 1,90m and my inseam is 90cm (if I recall correctly). Any thoughts on this matter?

The geometry specifics are:

Head tube: 11,9 cm
Top tube: 61 cm (C-C)
Seat tube: 54,5 cm (C-C), 55,5 cm (C-T)
Seat tube angle (approx): 63 degrees, measured between top tube and seat tube
Head tube angle (approx): 69 degrees, measured between top tube and head tube.
Chain stay length: 48 cm, measured from center of BB to the back of the dropout

That's quite fabulous...

I'd be delighted to take that off your hands if you decide the size is not right for you (at 1.80m and 84cm inseam, it might be right for me)

bc

With respect, I cannot believe from the photos that the head tube angle is 69 degrees- it looks more like standard 73-ish degrees?
The seat tube angle, OTOH, I can believe. Interested to see this with some wheels fitted.
Was it Andy Hampsten who rode a funny looking laid-back frame for a few races and caught other riders on the descents? Some American rider, anyway..

At your height, I guess you will need some long seatpost. Worth a try.

Nice find, would be cool to find all the details on that one! Interesting to note the b/b shell hasn't been reamed.

It was Bauer who had the Merckx with the crazy slack seat angle, details here > viewtopic.php?t=137478




Bit more radical!

Guess you'd have to build it to find out if the angles compensate enough for the fact it is a relatively 'low' frame.

Possibly made for Olaf Ludwig , a Telekom spring classics rider of the time

If it was built for Olaf Ludwig that is good news, seeing as he was a tall guy right?

I did some research and apparently Merckx started supplying titanium (EX) frames in 1994 and Telekom rode on Merckx bikes until 1996. Maybe it was built just before their sponsorship ended, which would explain why it is unused.

Interesting. Shame the angles can't be measured against the horizontal - popping some wheels on may
give a better impression on just how slack that seat-tube really is. Running an inline seat-post is an option.

first of all: WOW! My passion is for pink bikes (and recently Ti) so I can't help but comment on this gem

about the geometry: the tt (if measured c-c) seams to correspond to your length quite well but I guess this one may be a size too small. Like Mike Muz 67 coined the geometry is very likely custom made for a ±180cm pro, giving him a fairly low and stretched out position. The toptube also seems to be reverse-sloping? imho adapting this to a descent fit would disgrace the elite level of this beauty. This shouldn't stop you from enjoying it to the fullest, while you hold on to it.

I suppose the slack seat tube angle explains why the head tube is relatively short, seeing as a larger seat tube angle also lowers the saddle position at a given saddle height. On Steve Bauer's bike Merckx spec'd a very short stem, which would explain the relatively long top tube. If it was built for use with a 50-60 mm stem instead a more standard 110 mm stem, one could argue that it compares best to a normal 56 cm frame (61 minus 5). However, the slack seat tube angle also means that the seat will move more to the back compared to a normal frame, suggesting it may be more like a 58 cm frame .

Anyway, if I do really want to ride this frame I will need to find a high tail saddle. A damn shame I sold my Selle Ultra Pro (Corima) saddle last year.

what do you think it is made off ? I would guess Columbus EL oversize,but might be completely wrong.

and I like the bauer bike, just the job for knocking belgiums of as they come past in the sprint