Classic & Vintage - NOT a Cannondale?!?!?! Merckx Corsa Extra

OK, I'll probably take some heat for not hanging Campy on this, but here are some pics of my new steed, Pokey (first one who gets the reference wins the respect of my generation. No fair using Google).

Merckx Corsa Extra frame in SLX, same component group used on the SuperTempo: 105 5600 series FD/RD, 50/34 Truvativ compact square taper crankset, Tektro R540 brakeset & R200 levers, 105 hubs laced to Velocity rims (thanks, BBM!), Pro3's, D-A DT shift levers and SR 38cm bars.

Did an A-B time test against my best times on the same training loop using the same componentry on other frames, and this is definitely faster. We all know it's the motor, but I guess sometimes you need to put the motor in the right chassis for optimum performance.

Also rode this on the BikeMS training ride this past Sunday out in rural VA- 54 hilly miles- and was able to keep up with the low end of the A riders. As far as I could tell, Pokey was the only Merckx and the only bike with DT shifters on the ride. Lotsa positive comments.

Anyhoodle, lovely ride, works great, nice addition to the stable. All I have to do is swap out the 12/25 for a 12/27 for the hill rides. Sweet.

http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy254/rccardr/Orange%20merckx%20Corsa%20Extra/Orangemerckxfrontend.jpg
http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy254/rccardr/Orange%20merckx%20Corsa%20Extra/Orangemerckxrightsidedoor.jpg
http://i797.photobucket.com/albums/yy254/rccardr/Orange%20merckx%20Corsa%20Extra/OrangeMerckxdrivetrain.jpg

My son got Gumby for his Birthday this year.

Very nice bike. Seems like you have quite a nice stable this year, Doc.


http://www.cedmagazine.com/uploadedImages/Ced/articles/GumbyPokey.jpg

I've always loved that color. I far prefer orange over red. Nice looking bike and I bet she really does ride great!

Awww someone beat me to the reference. A pizza joint in Blacksburg (my college town) called Gumby's has cheese sticks called Pokey Sticks. It's a bit sad that's the reason I knew the reference.

That's a pretty decent looking modern crank doc. I don't think I've seen one of those before.

I'm only 22 and I loved Gumby.

Pokey
a BF member registered in 2002, known for caustic responses in the then new
classic & vintage forum. Very knowledgeable when one got past the sarcasm.
see also D*Alex and sydney

Wow, you guys amaze me. Five minutes and Pokey's namesake is revealed! Note how both he posable/claymation figure and the bike are all orange with some black on top. That Truvativ compact came in both black and silver & is a square taper, but is apparently now out of production. A shame, since it works great with the 9 & 10 speed Shimano stuff and is a relatively elegant way to upgrade an older frame with a later drive train.

Sweet! :thumb:

~kn

Looks really great... Ari's old frame, right?

great looking bike. I like the looks but the crankset looks funny to me, but I guess if I lived in southern Virgina, esp along I81 it would make sense.

did anyone ask what the DT shifters were? a few people, mostly novice MTBers, have asked that when looking at my bikes

Nice ride!!!

Jake

great looking bike. I like the looks but the crankset looks funny to me, but I guess if I lived in southern Virgina, esp along I81 it would make sense.

did anyone ask what the DT shifters were? a few people, mostly novice MTBers, have asked that when looking at my bikes

I believe Doc is in NOVA. Totally different world up there. Though what they lack in the hills we have, they make up for with an additional 15 degrees of heat.

Yes, I bought the frame from Ari. Another keen-O northern California find.

NoVA isn't as bad as Blacksburg, but we have our share of hills. And heat with a heavy dose of humidity.

Didn't have too many people ask me what the DT shifters were, but got a whole lot of thumbs up from other riders.

rccardr with a Merckx
Scottryder with an Austro-Daimler plus :)
khatfull with an Italvega

...the brand-specific guys seem to be going off the deep end!? :)

Wonderful bike Doc...there's just something about a Merckx. I haven't figured it out yet....

Awesome bike. Kudos.

Love the frame. The components not so much.

rccardr with a Merckx
Scottryder with an Austro-Daimler plus :)
khatfull with an Italvega

...the brand-specific guys seem to be going off the deep end!? :)

Wonderful bike Doc...there's just something about a Merckx. I haven't figured it out yet....



They rock, that's whats up with a nice Merckx.

Well done to the op. Very pretty frameset!!!

They rock, that's whats up with a nice Merckx.

Well done to the op. Very pretty frameset!!!

Hahaha, yes they rock...that's a lot of what I mean by "just something"....I can't quantify it though.

- They're usually very simply and elegantly appointed from an aesthetic standpoint, especially the older frames.
- Is there something about a bike that bears the name of a guy nicknamed "The Cannibal"?
- There IS something about riding a frame with a guy's name on it.

?? :)

Great build Doc!

My nephew in Atlanta rides a Merckx, and I bid on Merckx labeled orange bar tape a couple times this winter to give to him for his birthday. Never won any but it would look great on Pokey.

The components not so much.


If you rode it, you would change your mind.

I like it all, even the components.

I used to see Pokey on Romper Room, and the commercials were for Red Ball Jets (and the secret decoder ring).
So, he's been around.

Romper Room, LOL there's a name I haven't heard in many years. I dig your bike and like the color, I did know what the Pokey reference was but I didn't remember he was the same color.

Glenn

Really stunning. And my favorite bike color.

Very Nice!! :thumb:

andy

If you rode it, you would change your mind.

Dude, it's your bike and you can put whatever you want on it. To me it's like it was built with whatever was in the parts bin without any thought to what would work better or look better. A frame of this caliber deserves more than entry level/left over parts. Build it right and you would change your mind.....

Well, like I said at the beginning, I figured I'd catch some heat for not using high end components. Money's not an issue and I could have built it up with full D-A and a Regal saddle like I did my Merckx Corsa 7-11, but this one was planned specifically and intentionally to use those parts. Why? Because I'm faster on this one than the 7-11. Same with my Tempo, which has the exact same component group on it: I'm faster on it than the D-A bike.

I'm not much for bike snobbery (although, let's face it, I still have the 7-11 and the Davis Phinney) but figure that a frame of this calibre deserves whatever works best for my body and produces optimum performance. The 105 stuff is silent, shifts like butta and will last pretty much forever. The Tektro brakes have excellent feel and enough power to lock up either end. At 60 years old, I can ride 150 miles at a stretch on that Ritchey saddle.

As you mentioned, it's my bike and I can do what I want.

As you mentioned, it's my bike and I can do what I want.

There it is....Enjoy.