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question about eddie merckx's gearing...

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question about eddie merckx's gearing...

Old 03-23-09, 06:57 PM
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question about eddie merckx's gearing...

Just wondering if anyone knows what this gearing was?

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Old 03-23-09, 07:05 PM
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Google is amazing:
https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...earch&aq=f&oq=

It's probably 52x14 in the picture.
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Old 03-23-09, 07:09 PM
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Sorry. I actually googled that but overlooked it because I was just after some pictures. I'm a dumbass.
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Old 03-23-09, 07:20 PM
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Originally Posted by cyrano138
Sorry. I actually googled that but overlooked it because I was just after some pictures. I'm a dumbass.
Dont be hard on yourself.
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Old 03-23-09, 07:34 PM
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hehe. I just think it's funny how much time I spent google-searching for images of him, putting them up on photobucket, realizing that only one was the right format, and then posting this, when I could have just searched for the information in the first place.

By the way, I think this is an amazing looking bike. For me, aesthetically, these kind of bikes are the pinnacle of cycling design.
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Old 03-24-09, 11:44 AM
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That chainring looks larger to me than 52 in the picture.
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Old 03-24-09, 12:04 PM
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52x14
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Old 03-24-09, 12:20 PM
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53 x 15 that's how I roll!!
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Old 03-24-09, 01:51 PM
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That chainring looks larger to me than 52 in the picture.
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Old 03-24-09, 02:16 PM
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Originally Posted by cyrano138
By the way, I think this is an amazing looking bike. For me, aesthetically, these kind of bikes are the pinnacle of cycling design.
do you mean "these bikes" as in track frames? the bicycle that eddy used with the hour record was a road frame with track components and horizontal drop outs, not a track frame.

https://www.bikeraceinfo.com/riderhis...%20Record.html
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Old 03-24-09, 03:21 PM
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There is a passage in there that isn't very clear---I think it has confused you LaForge. It says that Merckx had road frames built that replicated his track frame, and trained on the road using those frames. But the way it's written, it makes it sound like his track frame was a road frame, which it certainly wasn't.

Here's a picture of the bike Merckx is supposed to have ridden on that day, now on display at Merckx metro station in Brussels. Apparently there's some doubt as to whether it's actually the same bike. Someone who knows more than me should pipe in. At any rate I do know that the bike Merckx rode was ultra light, with lots of exotic metal and drillium. Still googleing for the article...

Edit: this is it! Sorry about the annoying separate pages but it's really good nonetheless. It looks to be the same article LaForge linked to, but with pics and a bit of bike nerdy info on the bike---measurements, component list, etc. https://www.classicrendezvous.com/Ben..._B-guide_1.htm


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Old 03-25-09, 08:48 AM
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Originally Posted by Geordi Laforge
do you mean "these bikes" as in track frames? the bicycle that eddy used with the hour record was a road frame with track components and horizontal drop outs, not a track frame.

https://www.bikeraceinfo.com/riderhis...%20Record.html
No, nothing that subtle. I just like the look of it. It's minimalist, stripped down, and doesn't have any fancy gadgets. It also makes me feel sort of vindicated that I never bothered switching to clipless pedals (not that I don't recognize they may faster--just not absolutely necessary for performance).

It's the exact opposite (again, aesthetically, in my opinion) of this thing, which is ugly as sin.



I admit, I do like the really sleek, thin saddles that come on those crazy-ass things, though.
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Old 03-25-09, 10:54 AM
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Originally Posted by cyrano138
It also makes me feel sort of vindicated that I never bothered switching to clipless pedals (not that I don't recognize they may faster--just not absolutely necessary for performance).
Performance is a range and can be measured on a scale from 0% to 100%, with 0% meaning the lowest performance possible (like no pedals at all) and 100% meaning the highest performance possible. All components sit somewhere on that range. So all parts fall into the category of "necessary for performance." Clipless pedals offer higher performance than clips and straps, so they are necessary for higher performance in the pedal system. `

And yes, I realize that you probably meant something different than what you typed, and that this may just be a discussion of semantics.
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Old 03-25-09, 11:50 AM
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Originally Posted by cyrano138
It also makes me feel sort of vindicated that I never bothered switching to clipless pedals (not that I don't recognize they may faster--just not absolutely necessary for performance).
See how he has those funny shoes on? they have cleats on the bottom and provide all the performance of clipless but lack the convenience. Riding with wood soles and slotted cleats and sneakers with clips and straps is about as big a difference as riding in sneakers with clips and straps and riding barefoot on eggbeaters.
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Old 03-25-09, 11:54 AM
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darkside,

I think my point was clear enough.

dutret,

Touche (don't know how to put the accent over the 'e').
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Old 03-25-09, 11:56 AM
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Old 03-25-09, 12:32 PM
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Hi dutret
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