# Merckx Aerodynamic?



## em3 (Dec 25, 2005)

Here is a link to an interesting Merckx Aerodynamic which I have never seen:
https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250552825734

I never knew that Merckx built an aero profile tubed frame. At first I thought it might be a fake, but a closer look reveals the genuine Merckx brake bridge and brideless BB shell...this is very interesting. You can see that the downtube and seattube are both aero profiled, but I can't tell whether the seatstays are too. I am very curios what type of tubing was used. The appearance of the seatstay taper at the seat tube lug is consistent with 753 frames I have seen (e.g. https://www.cadre.org/Merckx/S-8170-A/IMG_5012.jpg or https://www.cadre.org/bike_stuff/merckx/ )...but a bit more tapered (less pointy). However, given the thin wall thickness of 753 I doubt Merckx would have rolled or flattened the tubes into an aero profile. Does anyone know any history on this model?
EM3


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## Emerxil (Nov 21, 2019)

The Aero appeared as early as 1981, built from normal Col SL/SP tubes (I haven't seen the Aero R531) flattened in EMC with an elegant 50 ton press... The first frames had a fork with a slope crown identical to De Rosa (there was no slope crown with EM logo yet). Aero (road and track versions) were produced at least until 1988. I saw Aero SLX, Aero 753 - not (unfortunately).


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