Re: [CR]Eddie Merckx replica bikes on sale

(Example: Framebuilding:Tubing:Falck)

Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2003 15:25:44 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Brett Horton" <bhorton@brickerhaven.com>
Subject: Re: [CR]Eddie Merckx replica bikes on sale
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org


The framesets being offered at http://www.bikepark.co.uk/brands/eddymerckx/molteni.htm were likely built between 1998-2000. The MX-Leader was a product in Eddy's line that sold quite well and were always built in house, never sub contracted.

I am the happy recipient of a Molteni replica, although I did not acquire it from the previously referenced vendor in England. The one I have was custom built and given to me as a birthday present in April 1999, having been built at Eddy's shop in late February 1999. At the time, Eddy was not offering MX-Leader Molteni replicas. To the extent that he ever produced Molteni replicas, they were generally built with lighter weight tubing. In fact, the frameset I have was the first time he rendered a Molteni replica in MX. He felt my girth (ie fat butt) would do better on the more sturdy tubes used on the MX-Leader.

It is possible to have virtually any frame in the current Merckx line painted in the Molteni or Feama color schemes. It takes a few extra months, has a slight up-charge, but is certainly attainable.

Brett Horton San Francisco, California (treading on thin ice talking about a frame with a paint scheme that is CR date approved with a build date clearly subject to flogging.)

<snip> <snip> <<This is puzzling? Did they find old stock and paint or are they taking orders to build replica's? If so, the picture looks to have internal cable routing and tapered fork crowns, none of which would match the team bike from the past. AND why would the factory have frames "on the rack" that could not have been manufactured in that facility? My experience in communicating with the current factory is that they had no interest in EM Team Fames (or other) hand built in Belgium prior to 1980. I still have not been able to substantiate any information on my EM Team Frame. Bill Mcgehee Flowery Branch, Home of the Falcons, Georgia>> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++