Thanks very much!

Hello, I just found this thread and joined the forum, hoping to learn from your collective knowledge how old this E. Merckx frame really is etc. An old gentleman gave it to me last week, he has a garage near mine, saw my collection of old and new bikes and kindly offered to donate his sonīs old cyclocross bike. He said he was going to throw it away so what could I say... OK, give it to me and Iīll probably use some parts.

t turned out to be an Eddy Mercks frame with brazed on cantilever brake bosses, a later addition I suppose. The frame is probably from the 80īs I suppose, but I canīt quite make sense of the markings, E 474 on the drive side and 8 G on the other side.

I might try to remove the cantilever bosses and restore it to its past glory.

What do you guys think?

Can you post some pics of the whole bike, from the side/s?

Don't. Remove. The. Bosses.

Done. Do you think it was originally a CX bike or did someone braze the cantilever bosses later on?

Merckx made many cyclocross bikes with cantilever brakes.

Absolutely it is a CX bike from the factory

Google "vintage cyclocross"

Looks Factory just from the front tire clearance to fork crown. SCORE!!

Frame built in late 1980. Originally a road frame (Merckx 81 model), converted to a cyclocross frame, most likely by Merckx.

Sa: F-3048

It's hard to read, but looks like C64968. I was told it's a 1984 model year Professional. The components look like a mix of whatever they had laying around so I am hoping to fit it out with some Campy stuff.

Looks like a much older Falcon built frame.

No way did the merckx factory have a pump peg on the downtube. Looks Falcon or Gitane.

Oh man! I guess that's what I get for impulse buy. The seller didn't respond to my questions for more pictures or information until after the bidding ended. I wasn't able to verify so I took their word for it. I still don't have the bike. I just figured they built up the frame with older components they had laying around. But, it actually being a much older/cheaper Falcon built bike from the 70's makes more sense. Argghhh!!!!

Completely dishonest and fraudulent listing. There is not knowing, and then there is stating newer and Columbus SL.

For sure! I am trying to cancel the order, but based on lack of communication during the bidding I don't have much hope. I guess I will learn how well the Ebay system works. It is supposed to cover fraudulent listings if the seller doesn't offer a refund.

It's my ignorance too. I didn't know about the Falcon bikes. I only was able to look up the 1984 Eddie Merckx and I got excited because they looked sweet and seemed to match the listing photo.

You may already know this but…

There’s a 30 day rule on eBay for returns/disputes etc

Personally I have had about a 99% positive eBay experience over the years

But there was one seller who, with the benefit of hindsight, was clearly fobbing me off and procrastinating until the 30 days were up. I didn’t know about the rule at the time, and it caught me out (it wasn’t a bicycle, but obviously the same rules apply etc)

By all means give them a chance to put it right, but don’t give them too long, and consider logging an official return sooner rather than later

Best of luck mate - it happens to the best of us

Good info!! I looks like he is in the process of canceling the order on Ebay so fingers crossed. Everyone, be aware of a guy selling a 1984 Eddy Merckx that isn't what it seems.

If anyone has a sweet L'Eroica bike they want to sell, let me know....

If you need more ammo, he listed it as having side pull brakes when clearly center pull.


Sorry this happened to you. Eddy rode Molteni bikes made by Kessels, DeRosa and Colnago.

But, he had more marketing acumen than the average racer, knowing the value of his NIL. He leant (sold) his name to Miyata, Gitane and Falcon. The average person wouldn't know that.

PS, you need one more post before a person can message you via BF.

It's probably a '72. I can see the Falcon-Merckx decal on yours where the Columbus decal isn't


There's a two page catalog somewhere on the web that shows maybe 6 models
Mine was second from the bottom. Came with steel crank and rims! But some say 531 straight gage mains

I've added better parts to it over the years.

Interesting enough the co-op in Salem has not one but two Merckx/Falcons. I think one is even a "donna."

To me, they are worth more as display than to sell for $$. I thought the ebay sale at $200 was about spot on.

I'm learning! And almost there. Thanks for the info

It's such a cool looking bike! I was excited. I'll keep looking. There is one for sale on Ebay for $2500. Now that I see that, I wonder if that's why the guy I bought from thought his was a 1984 as well. He was referencing an existing auction.

He also claimed it is a size 54, but it is obviously much taller than that.

Do you know what size you need?

I need a 54cm. Sale is in the process of being canceled. Thank you to everyone for your input.