nobletitan44

Hi All,

I am new to Bike Forums and I wanted to know more information on a bike I received in a form of payment. I have friend that owed me $875 and could not pay me in cash so he gave me an old Eddy Merckx that belonged to someone he knew or a relative of his. He told me that it was worth over $1000. I accepted the trade because I want to start biking in my spare time. I just simply want to know if it was a fair deal or not. I inspected the bike and did a little research. The bike has the following features:

- Eddy Merckx Road Bike (Red) Serial: P 8969E (Pro or Corsa?) Columbus SLX Decal (Brev Campagnolo on Chrome of frame)
Measurements: C-C: 54 cm C-T: 51 CM (Don't know if I measured correctly)
- Campagnolo Super Record Rear Derailleur
- Campagnolo 36H hubs
- Campagnolo Shifters
- Campagnolo Crank Shaft Strada 170mm 52"-42"
- Campagnolo Strada Epsilon G25 Rims
- Modolo Master Pro Brakes (Vintage)
- Modolo Stem
- Cinelli "Campione De Monde" 66-40 Handle Bars
- Mavic Front Derailleur
- Time Titan Magnesium Pedals
- Concor Seat
- Zefal HP X 3 Pump
- Shimano Dura-Ace MF-7400 7 speed
- Suntour Pulley Bearing

I would greatly appreciate any opinion of the value of the bike. I would also appreciate it if someone could help me determine if its a Professional Bike or a Corsa. I am confused based on the serial numbers. I have not been able to find any information with a Pro bike with a Columbus SLX frame. Thank you in advance!

howsteepisit

Condition is everything. Need good and detailed pictures. But since you accepted it, it is what it is. It takes some skill and knowledge to sell high end used bikes for their value. These forums have lots of advise.

zazenzach

we need detailed pictures. in addition to identifying what model it is, we can identify something damaged or out of place.

in general though, $875 for a fully equipped/running Merckx is quite good. but again, condition is everything.

nobletitan44

nobletitan44

nobletitan44

Thank You very much! Here are the pictures!

howsteepisit

Clean up and made pretty I'd say at least 1200. You did just fine.

oddjob2

+1 Enjoy, an overwhelmingly nice "starter bike!" Never let it out of your site when taking a break while riding.

nobletitan44

Thank you! I appreciate your opinion. By any chance do you know if its a Corsa or Professional Eddy Merckx? I have not seen a Pro with Columbus SLX

ramzilla

You're a brave soul to accept the bike in lieu of $875. Especially being an entry level rider. Rest assured, that bike is worth $875. Make sure the tires are good. Keep them pumped up very tight - like 95 -105 psi. Please don't go over any curbs & watch out for potholes. Keep it out on the smooth part of the road. Good Luck!

Kactus

You did well. It has a few parts that are mismatched, like the front derailleur, but you can easily find a correct SR front and sell the Mavic. I don't know if it's a Corsa or Professional, but I have seen Pros listed with SLX. Nice bike, enjoy it.

rjhammett

Is that a dent where the 198 sticker is?

nobletitan44

Unfortunately, Yes it does have a very small dent. Does that make a difference? will it affect my riding?

nobletitan44

Thank you all for those that replied. I really do appreciate your insight in the matter!

rjhammett

It will affect value. If it truly is small it shouldn't affect the ride.

Wilfred Laurier

That dent will have absolutely zero effect on the function of the bike, but it might reduce the value of the bike in the eyes of a collector.

nobletitan44

About the dent and value, are we talking a few dollars or are we talking hundreds of dollars worth of difference? Is this bicycle considered vintage, collectible, desirable? Either way I plan on keeping it, just wondering. Like I said, I am new to the bike world

Kactus

I would think the dent reduces the value by $100 =/-. It doesn't look large enough to affect the integrity of the frame and could be easily repaired with auto body filler but that would require some re-painting. Either way, I think you've still come out ahead.

Belg-Ital Steel 

Recommend you go to www.cadre.org to validate the model. Based on my read of this website, it would seem likely to be an early to mid 80s professional model (SN, over BB cable guides, early style of decal lettering, and rounded fork crowns point to 1983 or later (after the flat crown fork period)). Per Google, sounds like SLX was released in 1984. The paint looks very nice for a bike of this age; is it possible this bike was repainted somewhere during its life? If so, that may change the value to a collector as well.

nobletitan44

Thank you all for the great input. It is much appreciated. In regards to the last comment, I do believe it's the original paint. The bike has a few scuffs in the paint, but it has held up pretty well for its age. After doing some research, I believe this bike was suppose to have all campagnolo parts, but has been modified with time. Hence, the mavic front derailleur and modolo brakes. I hope to clean it up a bit, but leave it as original as possible. So would most agree I did pretty well in the trade? Maybe worth over $1200? Do you suggest I get the original parts for the bike or upgrade to modern equip?

Kactus

If your aim is to leave it as original as possible, just replace the Mavic FD and Modolo brakes with the appropriate Campy parts. This wouldn't cost too much. If you upgrade to modern parts it will cost considerably more and you will need to cold set the rear to accept a wider rear hub. Ride it as is for now and see how you like it before spending a lot of money on upgrades.

CliffordK

Personally I'm a bit divided on things like this. I think $875 would be pushing it a bit on the price for what I might expect to see on Craigslist, although perhaps you could get more on E-Bay. However, as some people have frequently noted, the parts are often worth more than the whole.

It looks like you have sewup tires. Not bad, but probably not the best for casual riding. So you may be rebuilding the wheels in the future.

It is all friction downtube shifting which is pretty bombproof, but is also obsolete.

Your rear cluster and gearing has pretty tight gear ratios. Good for some, not for others.

Anyway, if I had an $875 budget for a "starter bike" for road riding, I'd probably choose something a little more modern. Not that there isn't some appeal of the classics, but there are advantages of newer stuff too.

I can easily imagine putting $500 into upgrades into the bike in the near future (seat, wheels, tires, tubes, spokes, freewheel or cassette, pedals, shoes, cleats) without hardly blinking, depending on how ambitious you are with doing the work yourself and tracking down the best deals. And, of course, depending on whether you choose to maintain an authentic classic vs building a strong daily rider.

zazenzach

sorry, but in my mind the dent subtracts more than just $100 to the value. exactly how much, I can't say. But I for one wouldnt drop $1000+ on a dented bike (actually i would never pay for something dented).

I do think this is worth the $875 though. I'd think you'd atleast be able to sell it on ebay for around that much.

daf1009

You have lots of opinions...so...here is mine...

First, for $875...not too bad...particularly if you want a bike to ride...this is a GREAT "starter" bike...maybe, really, too much of a starter bike

Second, on the components...I agree with others that you should be able to make it full Campy with relatively minimal expense...particularly if you sell the mis-matched parts...the Modolo brakes are good brakes, so they should sell easily with some positive cash. The Mavic Front Derailleur is somewhat rare (not totally, but a bit)...so it should sell nicely...and Campy FD's are very easy to come by. Same for some Campy brake levers.

Third...on the dent...nothing to worry about if you want it as a rider...but...when you sell...I agree with the consensus here, it will affect the collector...they will not buy it. But, you could sell it as a rider...and I think you would still get over $1000 for it.

Fourth...wheels...as a newer rider, you will probably not want to deal with tubulars, so you will need to do something there...but...as I have learned, decent wheels are not hard to come by...often almost a "plug and play" situation!

Hope this continues to help...as you continue to learn...and welcome to the Bike Forums...where opinions run rampant...but knowledge runs even deeper!

big chainring 

The brakes are top line, the front changer is really cool, I'd like one to replace my Campy, the wheels are tubular, learn to love them. It's truely a great bike as is. Changing parts isn't going to make it "better". Ride it - enjoy it.

As far as the dent goes, no big deal. I don't mind a dent or two in a frame. It's an old racing bike, it should have some scars.

Worth $875 all day long.