TSX Motorola Eddy Merckx
A boy hood dream is almost a reality!
I remember back in maybe 1991 I had a dirty old steel bike that I wanted to get painted up like the above mentioned Merckx. Dad and I took it to the local panel beaters and with my copy of Winning magazine under my arm I showed the guy the photos and asked "can you paint it like this please?" "sure kid no problem".....3 wks later I was jumping out of my skin when he rang and said it was ready, what a F#@KN mess they had made of it!
So.....how some 18yrs later I finally get my Motorola Eddy Merckx team issue bike, and whats more its the real deal made of steel, Columbus TSX to be exact!
Who can forget Lance winning the Worlds @ 21 yrs old in Oslo on a Motorola team bike (yes i know it was a Litespeed painted in Merckx colours) or Andy Hampsten racing in the Tour and winning a stage in 94.
These frames are probably the last of the "Classic" Merckx paint jobs and also the last of the "Classic" merckx frames ridden by the pro's, I think it was the mid 90's they all started riding Ti this carbon that..... ya just cant beat steel though can ya!
This frame comes complete with a braze on number hanger (sign of a real team issue frame) I will have to do some research and get a proper race number of either Lance or Andy's Tour bikes made up and attached to make it look the part, no messy cable ties on this beauty.
I will be building this frame up as close to Team spec as possible, I already have the engraved Cinelli stem and the Dura Ace 7410 groupset, and avocet saddle ready and waiting, I will "borrow" my best mates old DA seat post for a few, well...decades i guess (cheers Harty), only thing I will need to make her a full team spec bike is some Wolber Rims, which chance may have it I found today in a local 2nd bike shop in town, 32 hole profile 18's, beautiful and new looking laced up with Shimano 600 hubs, I will of course have the rims re laced with DA hubs in keeping with the groupset.
So hopefully within the next 2-3mths I will have my 2nd Merckx complete and ready to roll for the summer mths, this Eddy will definitely see a few laps of the beloved Short Bays ride come summer time! A friend of mine has a Merckx MXL in team telekom colours Shamals and full Campagnolo so we will have to search for full team kit and have a battle royal in the mountains! Bring it!
So 2 Eddy's down, 2 to go, the Holy Grail's of Eddy Merckx frames, Team 7eleven & the 10th anniversary frame set, anyone out there that has either in 55-56 ctc please let me know.
till next time....Ride Safe, G
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