# Got Divirginize By E. Merckx



## new2steel (Sep 20, 2008)

My first time was with him.. I mean this bike..  Been a mountain biker for years now and decided to try road riding , i got this old steel beauty from a friend .He let me borrowed it to see if it fits me he just stored this in his garage for years .


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

That Merckx needs some love. If the size fits you, make your friend an offer. If the price is right, get it repainted with new decals. A decent one-color paint job with decals will probably cost $300-400.


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## barry1021 (Nov 27, 2005)

THat's a nice way to start your road career. I bet it rides a lot better than it looks. Nice to see them come out of the basement, can't have too many on the road. Sounds like you appreciate what you have there, that's a good thing.

b21


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## new2steel (Sep 20, 2008)

Actually i already bought this last month i just dont have the time to post because i was always on a trip. My friend sold it to me for 500$ , the wheelset is new and san marco saddle.
I just finished cleaning her up and made some upgrades , bought new decals from ebay too but only replaced destroyed decals and kept the rest.Put new shifters, rear der, cogs,saddle, stem, and bar tape. Here she is now..


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

Good work! It looks much better now. I have never seen a frame before with the pump peg on the seat tube. Make sure you put touch-up paint on the places where it is scraped off -- steel can rust if not protected.

You've made a great choice for your first road bike. Many cyclists -- myself included -- consider the Merckx Corsa one of the finest handling bikes ever made. Of course, I am somewhat biased as the owner of a Corsa 01.


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## barry1021 (Nov 27, 2005)

tarwheel2 said:


> Good work! It looks much better now. I have never seen a frame before with the pump peg on the seat tube. Make sure you put touch-up paint on the places where it is scraped off -- steel can rust if not protected.
> 
> You've made a great choice for your first road bike. Many cyclists -- myself included -- consider the Merckx Corsa one of the finest handling bikes ever made. Of course, I am somewhat biased as the owner of a Corsa 01.


+1000

b21


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## boneman (Nov 26, 2001)

*Nice*

At $500, a steal and it looks great. Manage to touch up the down tube paint on the other size. Looks like a 50 or 51, ctc. Those frames are meant for riding.



new2steel said:


> Actually i already bought this last month i just dont have the time to post because i was always on a trip. My friend sold it to me for 500$ , the wheelset is new and san marco saddle.
> I just finished cleaning her up and made some upgrades , bought new decals from ebay too but only replaced destroyed decals and kept the rest.Put new shifters, rear der, cogs,saddle, stem, and bar tape. Here she is now..


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## new2steel (Sep 20, 2008)

Thanks guys.. Yep, touched up the paint on the other side, put new decals i bought from ebay. I measured the top tube and i believe its a 51, but the seat tube its close to 50, i dunno, i'm no expert . I'm 5' 7" and a half , the stem is 120mm , is the frame too big? or too small? or the stem is too long? How do you know that its too big or the stem is too long or too short? Something i should feel after a ride that would indicate that the frame is big or small for my size? My mountainbikes are all size small, but i had a medium size full suspension bike before which rides ok, the stand over height is just a bit tall. But this is a road bike so i guess its a lot different?


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

Only you can determine if the size is right for you. How tall are you? I'm 5'11" with a 33" inseam in cycling shoes, and I ride a 57 cm Merckx. However, I like frames on the larger size because I run my handlebars about level with the saddle height. If you can handle a lot of drop from the saddle to handlebar, you can get by with a small frame.


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## new2steel (Sep 20, 2008)

I think the frame is size 50. I'm 5' 7" and a half. The frame came with a 100mm stem but i replaced it with a 120mm titanium stem because i thought that it is a bit small for my size and aside from that i got it for a real bargain(30$) .  . So far after a few short rides and a few adjustments in the saddle and stem height it felt comfortable. I guess i have to do long rides and find out how it feels after hours of riding.:idea:


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## barry1021 (Nov 27, 2005)

new2steel said:


> I think the frame is size 50. I'm 5' 7" and a half. The frame came with a 100mm stem but i replaced it with a 120mm titanium stem because i thought that it is a bit small for my size and aside from that i got it for a real bargain(30$) .  . So far after a few short rides and a few adjustments in the saddle and stem height it felt comfortable. I guess i have to do long rides and find out how it feels after hours of riding.:idea:


Yup, if you are comfortable after two hours, you nailed it!

b21


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