Omar is a dear friend. Someone I trust with a straight razor and sharp scissors. He owns Vinny’s Barber Shop in Los Angeles and apparently has great style both on and off the bike. Which makes for a perfect Merckx Mondays entry. Check out Omar and his All City Mr. Pink below! (more…)
Artist Chris McNally, like many of us have a long withstanding love for Eddy Merckx, his legacy and his bicycles. Maybe not his modern machines, but rather the years of classic racing. Specically, Faema and Molteni.
As part of a giant undertaking, Chris is working on a new watercolor painting project: a bike shop of life experiences both fiction and non-fiction. Inside this gem of a idea will be bikes he’s owned and bikes he’s yet to own. Case in point: a Molteni Merckx…
There’s more to come from this unique undertaking, but for now let’s just appreciate the detail he put into this classic race steed.
@Ben.Scruton on Instagram has unknowingly provided a prime piece of Merckx Mondays with this Molteni team car illustration. If you don’t follow him on Instagram already, you should check it out. Nicely done, Ben!
While many collectors would take a vintage road frame and spend hours upon hours sourcing parts to complete the perfect “period correct” build, others simply take a perfectly good mix of components and turn a bike with a bit of beausage into a commuter.
That’s what a recent customer at Golden Saddle Cyclery did with this Eddy Merckx road bike. There are at least a dozen different brands that are currently making this bike roll. From Modolo to Mavic, it’s got a good mix of components adding to what I would consider a very sensible build.
One last part is in queue: a Wald basket…
Check out a few more below! (more…)
Rapha recently published a look into the history of racing’s eyewear including the Cannibal. See Eddy’s profile, Lemond’s, Coppi’s and André Leducq at Rapha. Great find, Tracko!
“Eddy Merckx embodies that spirit of excellence…”
Last week was Eddy’s birthday and to celebrate this excellence, the folks at River City Bicycles in Portland made an homage video, showcasing their in-shop shrine of the Cannibal.
This is not for the vintage elite, the collectors, the Eroicas, the spoke sniffers, or the internet aesthetes. Do not bother commenting on the lack of period correct toe clips, or the lack of bar tape, or how you don’t like white tires. The bar angle will rub you the wrong way and Scotty will ride on, not giving two shits.
Scotty’s a working messenger in Los Angeles. Scotty’s older than dirt. He walks with a stride, or a cadence that is only found in individuals who live, breathe and sleep track bikes. You won’t see Scotty on a road bike and in fact, you won’t see him on any other bike than this street-thrashed Eddy Merckx SLX pista. The components tell a story, moreso than any museum-grade bicycle will, regardless of heritage.
Like beausage? This bike is for you. Just remember, before you type a critique, Scotty don’t care. Happy Merckx Mondays. Thanks to Tracko for the heads up on this bike!
Truthfully, when the Eroica California was announced, my hope was to find an older, California-made road bike. Something like an Eisentraut, or a Bruce Gordon. You know, classic American steel from the west coast. When all I could find were either in the 54cm or 64cm range, I began looking elsewhere. Which is where I came upon this frame on eBay.
I’ve always loved the Merckx Professionals, with their flat crown forks and Columbus SL tubing, yet this bike looked a bit strange. The seller claims it was from 1982 and raced at the European Championships in 1982 at Goodwood with the Belgian team. ’82… Giuseppe Saronni got first, Lemond got second and Sean Kelly, third. Sounds like a good year.
… but, that fork. I’ve never seen a sloping crown Merckx prior to 1985. Those seat stay caps point to a post-1985 bike. I’ve also never seen a single bottle cage Merckx before. The over-the-bottom-bracket-routing puts in the early 1980’s though. There’s a story there, somewhere. I just have to find it. The seller assured me it was unique and yes, custom.
It’s been a while since I’ve owned a Merckx… and the timing couldn’t be better. Here are a few teasers from my Eroica California ride.
… the cannibal! Brought to you by Secret Awesome.
