# 1980 Merckx's



## cathyandrob (Jun 15, 2006)

Hi,

I have 2 Merckx frames I believe are the 1980 pre production or first year production versions.

The red one has 531 decals (forks tubes and stays) on the seat tube, chain stay bridge, Merckx dropouts, chrome forks and right chain stay.

The blue one has been partly and badly repainted in the area where the tubing decals would be, same chain stay bridge, but campy dropouts and no chrome.

So the issues are:

would the blue one be 531 too?

the blue one needs restoration, thinking of Faema red and white?

Also, is the blue one an odd size:

Top tube 58 c-c
Seat tube 61 c-c
Head tube 18.5

Thoughts appreciated, thanks

Rob


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## cathyandrob (Jun 15, 2006)

*and this*

One more thing, I thought the Campy ones were the only nice early calipers, but these Modolo ones look really nice.

R


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

no way to tell what the tubing on the blue is but those are 1st generation Merckx's. Those both are bikes from the factories first year or 2. The signature on the seat stay being the dead give away, but also the flat crown fork and over the BB cable routing.
The lugs look different on the blue so it may be a different tubeset. Either way you have 2 early Merckx Professionals. Faema would be sweet. The 531 will add to that bikes rarity, enjoy them


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## boneman (Nov 26, 2001)

*531 forks*

The blue looks like 531 based on fork picture. The forks on 531 have a much flatter profile than Columbus tubesets (SL or SP) of that era.



cathyandrob said:


> One more thing, I thought the Campy ones were the only nice early calipers, but these Modolo ones look really nice.
> 
> R


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## latman (Apr 24, 2004)

is the BB in backwards on the blue bike ?


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## cathyandrob (Jun 15, 2006)

*Thanks*



boneman said:


> The blue looks like 531 based on fork picture. The forks on 531 have a much flatter profile than Columbus tubesets (SL or SP) of that era.



Good to know that boneman, I didn't know that, I wanted to put the 531 decals on when i get the frame painted, but sort of wanted to know before I did it.


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## cathyandrob (Jun 15, 2006)

latman said:


> is the BB in backwards on the blue bike ?



Hey I think you're right, I never noticed that.

Cranks are Ofmega and when I get it restored I'll put it back the right way.

Only possible on an Italian BB I suppose, can't do it with English.

Probable going to set it up as a SS with a flat bar, as the frame is a bit too long for me.


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*have to disagree here*



boneman said:


> The blue looks like 531 based on fork picture. The forks on 531 have a much flatter profile than Columbus tubesets (SL or SP) of that era.


my early 80s Merckx Pro (Columbus) has a very similar fork, I can't really see a difference


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## cathyandrob (Jun 15, 2006)

atpjunkie said:


> my early 80s Merckx Pro (Columbus) has a very similar fork, I can't really see a difference




Bummer, it does look similar, may never know then.

Thanks for the input guys.

Rob.


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*I think the only way*



cathyandrob said:


> Bummer, it does look similar, may never know then.
> 
> Thanks for the input guys.
> 
> Rob.


to find out would be to get tube diameters and measure yours

my guess is it is not (531) typically if they used Reynolds tubing they let you know


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## paredown (Oct 18, 2006)

Nice Merckx-es

Off the wall question--did you post on a Porsche Boxster forum? (I think this is where I saw your nom-de-plume before) I've been haunting a variety of car forums lately so I may have the marque wrong...


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## boneman (Nov 26, 2001)

*Nice ride*

It's not the fork leg dimensions at the crown but further down. At that's my experience with 531 and Columbus SL from that era.

Here's a picture of my Davidson 531 at the crown level from that era but further down, the profile is much flatter than my SL bikes from that time period.

Just my experience with the bikes I've owned from those tubesets and noting that I don't know what could be specified by builders at time from Columbus or TI.






atpjunkie said:


> my early 80s Merckx Pro (Columbus) has a very similar fork, I can't really see a difference


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## cathyandrob (Jun 15, 2006)

paredown said:


> Nice Merckx-es
> 
> Off the wall question--did you post on a Porsche Boxster forum? (I think this is where I saw your nom-de-plume before) I've been haunting a variety of car forums lately so I may have the marque wrong...



No, never owned a Porsche. Decided that extravagantly expensive old steel bikes are better value and more fun than the equivalent cars. Own a Golf now, which is owned by the same company


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## latman (Apr 24, 2004)

my old car is fun ...too much fun actually , especially with the price of petrol here and damn hot with no Air Conditioning in summer!


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## cathyandrob (Jun 15, 2006)

*Nice......*

although I do like the '67 fastback as my favourite, whereas your is a '69, is that right?

Was into racing drag racing Fords in my former life as a motor mechanic.


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## latman (Apr 24, 2004)

Yes its a 1969 mach 1, I beleive it was imported to Australia in 72 and its original drivetrain (428,C6,9in) was removed and installed in a rail dragster. It now has a fairly hot351W and a C4 as well as the 9in diff. Still way more power than any car needs ha ha


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## latman (Apr 24, 2004)

cathyandrob said:


> One more thing, I thought the Campy ones were the only nice early calipers, but these Modolo ones look really nice.
> 
> R


 are you running this (blue) one as a singlespeed? I see no cables and also the left shift boss "flat" is oriented differently than all others I have seen.


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## hroch (Jul 9, 2008)

Now what tubing was DeRosa using for top models at 1980? That might give a hint, as rumours are that DeRosa helped to set the Merckx production.

BTW, my purist opinion is DO NOT repaint unless you really have to (blue bike does not seem too bad to me), and if you have to, keep the colour scheme and decals.


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## cathyandrob (Jun 15, 2006)

*Man you have eagle eyes...*



latman said:


> are you running this (blue) one as a singlespeed? I see no cables and also the left shift boss "flat" is oriented differently than all others I have seen.



I never even looked at that. I have only used it with Ergos so I dont know if it effects DT shifters.

I have been planning to use it as a SS as it is a 58cm TT and I prefer 55-56. I can ride it with drops if I use a 80 stem and short reach bars as it has a really long head tube.


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## cathyandrob (Jun 15, 2006)

*Thanks good point...*



hroch said:


> Now what tubing was DeRosa using for top models at 1980? That might give a hint, as rumours are that DeRosa helped to set the Merckx production.
> 
> BTW, my purist opinion is DO NOT repaint unless you really have to (blue bike does not seem too bad to me), and if you have to, keep the colour scheme and decals.



I don't know the answer to that, maybe I'll ask in the De Rosa forum.

I understand not painting it, but it has been badly botched.

Hope it eases your anguish to know I was going to repaint the red one, but then I read a few posts and, you know,.... "it's only original once..." and I decided to keep it that way.

Does anyone know if Merckx ever used 531 (like the sticker on the red one), or only Columbus?

I asked the restorer today who is doing the blue one and he thought Merckx only used Columbus.

Thanks for the input guys,

Rob


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## hroch (Jul 9, 2008)

Here is another 531. Down the page there is a post by Caterham which seems quite informative:
"The unique investment cast lugs used for both DeRosa and Merckx frames were a design supplied by Microfusion Italiana.
TMK, Ugo himself was involved in an advisory, supervisory and tutorial role only during the pre and first production batch of Merckx bicycles. Merckx himself had no technical knowledge of framebulding when he went into business and relied exclusively on Ugo's guidance and assistance . The initial production of Merckx were for all intents identical except in small details to DeRosa designs. It's been rumoured that those initial Merckx's with an Eddy Merckx longhand "autograph" script on the seatstay caps were in fact built by Ugo himself. The use of Reynolds tubing was a tentative first step in establishing a product identity separate from DeRosa.All 753 bikes would have been built by the senior, most skilled framebuilder at Merckx as Reynolds required individual certification in order to obtain the tubesets. initially, a framebuilder interested in producing 753 bikes would order a single 753 tubeset which would come shipped without 753 decaling. The builder would then braze up the frame and return it to Reynolds for inspection before receiving approval & certification to build with the material.
ps- 753 certification was a huge deal back then. The tubing was brittle and could not be coldset. Anyone factory certified to build with it was considered the best of the best. Many now famous builders, such as Kellogg, made their reputations in no small measure because they were able to obtain Reynolds 753 factory certfication. "


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