Date: Thu, 08 May 2008 14:35:23 +0000 (GMT)
From: <gholl@optonline.net>
To: Classic Rendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: [CR]Merckx Hour Record Bike-Stem Length (?)
http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u232/gholl_photos/P1000714.jpg
Here is a link to another photo of the Merckx Hour Record Bike ("HRB"),(1972). Behind it is Rominger's 1994 HRB.
The dimensions I gave were copied from a book-not from any measurement that I took. In the next few days, I will attempt to scan and link the page showing the Colnago shop drawing for Merckx's HRB.
The issues that various members have (quite rightly) brought up about the stem length (12.2) given, I suspect, may have to do with the manner in which the stem was measured-notice that the Italian I copied doesn't seem to say "stem length", and may express another, unconventional, method of stem length measurement(?).
In any case, no matter the stem length, few would dispute that Merckx's HRB is one of the most interesting and significant bikes ever.
George