# What companies did Merckx build bikes for?



## jet sanchEz

I recall seeing Crescents made by the Merckx factory with the "EB" headbadge, what other companies were also involved with Merckx in this way? I seem to recall a company that began with "K", Kessel or something like that?

I ask because I am trying to figure out what this is:

http://www.2dehands.be/fietsen/fiet...acefiets&pc_id=&afd=fietsen/fietsen/racefiets

Cheers!


----------



## martinrjensen

Kessels built some early Merckx's. I'm thinking you got it the other way around


jet sanchEz said:


> I recall seeing Crescents made by the Merckx factory with the "EB" headbadge, what other companies were also involved with Merckx in this way? I seem to recall a company that began with "K", Kessel or something like that?
> 
> I ask because I am trying to figure out what this is:
> 
> http://www.2dehands.be/fietsen/fiet...acefiets&pc_id=&afd=fietsen/fietsen/racefiets
> 
> Cheers!


----------



## jet sanchEz

I think you are right but I know that Merckx built frames for Crescent with both 'Crescent' and 'Merckx' decals, I think this bike in the ad is another example of Merckx re-branding themselves but I just wondered if anyone knew this bike.

Here is a scan from a Crescent catalog that explains what I mean:

https://www.cadre.org/Merckx/catalog/1990-large.jpg


----------



## latman

Did the Merckx factory ever sell anything it made to other bike companies ???? I know they "rebranded" Lotus ,Hotta and Litespeed frames as Merckx's

Eddy let Kessels and Falcon(?) use his name on their bikes for sure though!


----------



## HigherGround

I'm trying to remember the exact details, but I believe that Merckx bikes were also sold for the Caloi brand in Brazil. I think they had "Caloi by Eddy Merckx" (or something similar) on the downtube, with "Caloi" being much more prominent.


----------



## latman

yes indeed , appeared to be steel MXL . then later on Litespeed Ti Frames.


----------



## kjmunc

There's likely no definitive answer of how many teams/companies that Merckx re-badged for, but to answer the original post, it appears the bike in question is a Karel Mintjens re-badged Merckx similar to these one: http://www.photoshopshowcase.com/ViewAlbum.aspx?AID=29341&AT=1
http://www.pedalroom.com/bike/karel-mintjens-2015

Frans Mintjens was a longtime teammate of Eddy's at Faema, Molteni and Fiat, and when his brother started a bike company he had Eddy rebadge his bikes. Apparently they still run a couple of bike shops in Belgium to this day. Frans rode in the '68 Olympics, won the Gent-Wevelgem amateur race in '67, and rode the Tour de France six years, finishing each time.

Obviously I'd suggest asking the seller to verify the serial # to be 100% sure it's a legit Merckx, as well as sending some better pics of the fork crown, and lugs as those are a dead give away. 

Will be interested to hear your about your experience if you wind up buying this bike through www.2dehands.be My experience was always that the sellers didn't want to hassle with payment and shipping to the US, so hopefully you'll figure it out.

oh and btw, the Caloi re-badged bikes were part of a marketing effort on Caloi's behalf to launch their brand outside of Latin America. Their logo was just slapped on bikes that were being made for Motorola and others.


----------



## latman

interesting to see that Merckx corsa with a Columbus cromor tubing decal , I guess its no different to the Corsa extra decal with a Columbus max tubeset.

edited to say I cannot make out the tubing sticker on the EM corsa model but the EM strada clearly has the columbus cromor ,I must have been stupid earlier.


----------



## kjmunc

latman said:


> interesting to see that Merckx corsa with a Columbus cromor tubing decal , I guess its no different to the Corsa extra decal with a Columbus max tubeset.


....yep, interesting detail as that suggests that it's likely a rebadged Merckx Strada since most of the Strada's I've seen used Cromor.

While not the highest end tube set, it's a unique bike and I doubt I could tell much difference between riding Cromor, SL or SLX.


----------



## jet sanchEz

kjmunc said:


> There's likely no definitive answer of how many teams/companies that Merckx re-badged for, but to answer the original post, it appears the bike in question is a Karel Mintjens re-badged Merckx similar to these one: https://www.photoshopshowcase.com/ViewAlbum.aspx?AID=29341&AT=1
> https://www.pedalroom.com/bike/karel-mintjens-2015
> 
> Frans Mintjens was a longtime teammate of Eddy's at Faema, Molteni and Fiat, and when his brother started a bike company he had Eddy rebadge his bikes. Apparently they still run a couple of bike shops in Belgium to this day. Frans rode in the '68 Olympics, won the Gent-Wevelgem amateur race in '67, and rode the Tour de France six years, finishing each time.
> 
> Obviously I'd suggest asking the seller to verify the serial # to be 100% sure it's a legit Merckx, as well as sending some better pics of the fork crown, and lugs as those are a dead give away.
> 
> Will be interested to hear your about your experience if you wind up buying this bike through www.2dehands.be My experience was always that the sellers didn't want to hassle with payment and shipping to the US, so hopefully you'll figure it out.
> 
> oh and btw, the Caloi re-badged bikes were part of a marketing effort on Caloi's behalf to launch their brand outside of Latin America. Their logo was just slapped on bikes that were being made for Motorola and others.



Awesome, thanks! I knew I had seen this marquee before but the photos were pretty lousy and didn't trigger my memory.

I have a friend in Ghent who has shipped me a bike in the past, most notably a Telekom Corsa Extra ridden by Olaf Ludwig, another 2dehands find:


----------



## hroch

There is one Karel Mintjens Strada on Cadre site, too. 
The Karel Mintjens company is a furniture producer, still in operation and belonging to the family (mintjens.be). The logo on the bike belongs to the furniture business, the bike shops had reportedly different logo.


----------



## latman

kjmunc said:


> ....yep, interesting detail as that suggests that it's likely a rebadged Merckx Strada since most of the Strada's I've seen used Cromor.
> 
> While not the highest end tube set, it's a unique bike and I doubt I could tell much difference between riding Cromor, SL or SLX.



I have a criterium geometry SLX tubed merckx ,and a regular geometry Strada OS (brain tubing ) and the regular Strada is nicer to ride , just so heavy to lift up


----------



## Emerxil

It's not that simple... ...but if we can categorize it cleverly...

- manufacturers who stick their frames "on license" with the right to sell in certain markets: Falcon, Starnord, Kessels, Allegro, Schauff, Velosport, Miyata (including folding and baby bikes). From the end of the 1960s to the early 1980s.

- manufacturers of frames for professional rider Eddy Merckx: Superia, Peugeot, Masi, Pella, Kessels (subcontractors), Colnago, De Rosa (1965-1978).

- Frames built in Meise by Eddy Merckx Cycles or branded by him for other companies: Crescent, Mintjens, Caloi and several small shops in Belgium and France (started in 1980).

- Frames built for EMC outside the Meise factory: Donnay, Hagan (tubes), Litespeed, Dunlop Hotta, aluminium frames from Italy (Faggin?). Since 1992.


----------

