Cheap (low end) Merckx

Im a new roadie but know this is poorly listed. Are all Merckx frames good as the parts on this are lower end (unless I am mistaken?)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/301091709369? ... 1438.l2648

EDIT: Updated to reflect it is in fact a (relatively) cheap and cheerful bike

Re: Poorly listed Merckx

There are Merckxs, Merckxs and Merckxs...

There are the top end replicas of Eddy Merckx's professional bikes built by the likes of De Rosa, Colnago and Kessels in Belgium. Columbus or Reynolds tubes, Campagnolo parts, that sort of thing.

There are cheap and nasty (and perhaps cynical) copies of Merckx bikes built by Falcon in the UK and (again) Kessels in Belgium. The only thing they have in common with the top end bikes is the colour scheme.

Then there are the bikes built when Merckx set up his own company. Again, usually higher end stuff with a good reputation for quality.

This is the middle of the three, you will get sellers who either don't realise that not all Merckx bikes are good, or are just trying it on.
Probably worth about 50 quid to anyone except a complete idiot.

Johnny

Re: Poorly listed Merckx

Thought it would be something like that.

Still, it is a terrible description so likely to go without a bid anyway.

Even as a newbie I can tell the difference between the original and this:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... rid=229508

Yeah, I dunno if anyone falls for those crap old Merckx's but every so often you get someone offering one for a silly price...

An easy way to spot a good early Merckx is to look at the fork crown.

The early ones 1980-82 look like this and can either be chromed or painted.

Once you find that for a good price then you can look at the bottom bracket and compare the number with:
http://www.cadre.org/Merckx/

Look at the seat stay tops and if they have Eddy Merckx engraved on them you're onto a winner as that's an early early 1980. Otherwise they will look like this;

From about 1983 onwards the fork crowns look like this;

There is also a Karel Mintjens branded merckx:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NOS-Karel-Min ... 233129702b

Mintjens rode with Merckx and owned a furniture business after he retired. They had a bike giveaway to special customers and had Merckx make the frames.

Thats great thank you.

Shame he sold his naming rights to those in my opening post, dont do him justice.

I would imagine that he threw a hissy fit when he saw the Falcon model.....

The early Merckx are superb bikes, I've got two from the 80's. They are a bit agricultural looking but they make for a great ride.

Eddy Merckx worked with De Rosa when he was racing and he got Ugo De Rosa to develop the first Merckx bikes with the flat fork crowns. These are the ones that are most desirable as they are identical (apart from the chain stays) to the De Rosa Super Prestige which are lovely bikes.

I had to pdi and sell falcon mercx bikes

Shaun

Midlife":h8u8gldr said:

I had to pdi and sell falcon mercx bikes

Shaun

Click to expand...

Tut!....... shame on you.