It was written in the catalogs..

He'll be back shortly to set you straight. ;)

It's been explained in detail several times.

Could mean that it was a ”professional” bike and not the model name?

You got it right, it was about "performance level" and "characteristics", not the name of the model.

The closest they got to the model name "Professional" was "SLX Pro" ?

At the time when EMC decided to enrich its offer (mid-1984), model names had to appear:
- top: Pro SLX/753 - note: you will not find this name in any catalogue, there was no such "gold sticker", you can only find it in ads... produced 1984-1986
- medium: Professional SL/531...it still didn't exist - officially; it was the only model produced since 1980 and remained "no name" until the end (1986)...but it appears in catalogues
- "slightly lower than the medium": 3-Athlete - official name, "gold sticker" and presence in 1985 catalogue... produced 1984 -1986
...a little later Corsa appears (in 1985-1986 the unofficial name... appears in the 1986 catalogue), which at first is a continuation of the Professional model in its earlier version, and in 1986 it gets its "gold stickers" and official name... and is produced (and gently modified) until 1994 (!)
Professional teams have always used the best framework available:
- from 1980 to spring 1985 it was a Professional frame
- from spring 1985 to summer 1986 it was a Pro SLX/753 frame
- since the fall of 1986, Corsa Extra was used... ...which is a Pro with the right "gold sticker"...

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

Merckx Pista
 

Series designation J = production 2000-2002, no pictures... ...no fun...
..but the Pista SLX from that period is strange...

Here's another Merckx
 

Apologies for the dirty frame pictures. It's exactly as it was when pulled from the seller's shed.
On the drive side: the letter D, no other letters or numbers that I can see
On the non-drive side: E 5149
I removed the forks and it doesn't have any numbers in the steering tube

Thanks for your help, CyclesMakaron!

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c451a02c6a.jpg
D E 5149
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...eef83becbd.jpg
Bottom bracket and chainstay bridge
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0748d62792.jpg
Tubing and upper TdF stickers are gone, unfortunately
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...17caa16130.jpg
Seat lug detail
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b1620454e6.jpg
Brake bridge
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...97626650ec.jpg
No numbers on steering tube
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...87bacb3a30.jpg
Drive side with temporary wheels

Sorry, tried to post pictures but there is a rule that I have to keep on posting posts without pictures for a while first.

Yeah the bike seems a bit strange, but a beauty.

/M

E5149 - Professional Columbus SL/SP (it's a large frame, most have SP), turn 82/83
I think it's 0 (that's frame size = 60cm ?)
Maybe it's also the employee code (for a while in 1983 there was such a designation)

CyclesMakaron, let me start with (I think) late 1988 Corsa Extra Stuttgart 8X F A8542 this one still has the fork sticker intact, I'll post photos in a few posts time.

Also , H F5242 This is an interesting one .. Deda Zero Uno, but round at the BB rather than oval like a Corsa 01. Columbus fork though, has the rifling in the steerer tube. Number hanger. ASLK CGER colours. My guess is ASLK team bike or ASLK junior team, 1994 maybe?

A8542 - 1988 more spring than "late"
...such an early Stuttgart frame is... inexplicable for the time being, and there are more. (I don't rule out the dating of frame 87/88 being "postponed" - I don't have a single undisputed date frame from that period) - I know that the painting pattern appeared before naming the team, but that's all...
F5242 - early 1995... is it definitely not Corsa Extra SLX ? In 1995 all new models had ovalised/oversize tubes, riflings in steerer tube is rather "old" Columbus... the photos will help...

F5242 > I'm pretty certain that it's Deda. The tube sizes are right when compared to a Corsa 01, and the Deda decal is under what appears to be the original clear coat. The fork has the sticker with the frame number on it. Also this frame has sort of fastback seat stays.... Photos tomorrow, internet is terrible here.

There is always a chance that this is really a team frame (and that would be a big surprise)... and then the mix of Deda 01 and Columbus (rifling in steering tube) would be very interesting...
This is the very beginning of Corsa 01 - it is possible that someone considered the Columbus rifling in steering tube to be "better and more reliable" than Deda...

Hi everyone,

I am new here and came for the great Merckx content :) This is an awesome thread, thank you all for contributing.

I'd like to ID two Eddy Merckx's (but unfortunately cannot post images yet):

1. A Motorola (team livery, but no team frame) - as far as I can tell, the drive side reads "P" (on top) with "5TTB" below; the non-drive side reads "D-5048".
2. An Arcobaleno - no drive side number, G 231 on the non-drive side

Any help would be greatly appreciated and I'll post some pics as soon as I am allowed to!

Thanks much.

P5TTB D5048 - TSX Century built in November 1992
G231 - built at the turn of 1995/1996

Here we go, pictures finally! First picture is the steerer from the Stuttgart, the rest are the ASLK. This frame isn't the same as a Corsa 01 in the bb area. This has round tubes, versus the ovalised of the Corsa 01. I have one available to me that I've compared it to.







https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...836356353e.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...ccd68037ea.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...3be50f625b.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1fd26228fd.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...b61d8ae142.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...00bf9d4afa.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...ea6055825a.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...daf4d91957.jpg

Thanks!

Interestingly, the 95/96 is in the 10-yr anniversary color scheme.

H F5242
...a nice puzzle...
Deda ZeroUno was produced in different "diameters", it is impossible to determine the manufacturer and model of tubes from the dimensions (because others did the same)
The "Deda" sticker from your frame is the only one in this layout I've seen on the EMC frame
Your frame would be the oldest Corsa 01 I ever registered
Your frame would be the only Corsa 01 with a regular "round" tube section I've seen
95% of Corsa 01 frames had a different chrome plating style
...and until then there's nothing wrong with it - because if it's a "prototype" Corsa 01 built from "normal ZeroUno" (instead of "speciale series per Eddy Merckx", used for sure already in 1995) with added Columbus fork (because deda wasn't available for some reason) and unusually chromium-plated (because this is the beginning of production and the "scheme" hasn't appeared yet) all this can be explained...
...but for the time being it is not possible to prove it...
What diameter do the tubes have?
Have you checked the inside of the tubes visible through the BB cover?
What do the steering tube and the markings visible there look like?

tubi alleggeriti a sezione variabile = lightened tubes with variable section
Who knows what that really means?
"Butted" or "ovalised"?

A8542 - 100% authentic, DP = Stuttgart team pattern
G231 - Arcobaleno in 10th Anni is a customized whim... but if they repainted it in EMC - you really have a unique one :)

The Arcobaleno is a stunner for sure. Almost sold it a few years ago, but then learned more about it's history.
Will post pics soon...!

Thanks again.

Jacek, the tube sizes are the same as the Corsa 01 except for the seatstays. Top tube and seat tube are both 29mm diameter, down tube 32mm. The ASLK has seatstays that are 14.2mm diameter at the top versus 16.2mm on a Corsa 01. Chainstays are the same between both. The lugs are all different to the Corsa 01. The fork has the Columbus spiral rifling in the bottom of the steerer. The tubes of the main frame don't have anything visible through the bb area, I specifically looked after discovering that the fork was Columbus.

Some detective work was needed on the steerer label, needed an ultraviolet light and a magnifying glass.
F5242
DED LC S (this line very hard to make out, could be numbers)
P
F+F MT (I take this to be a paint code)

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...d1dafc35ce.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e3e1094649.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...398d3d4718.jpg

...is very strange...
- seatlug: I've only seen identical ones in the Strada model so far... both versions (!) - Strada OS and the old Strada Cromor/Gara
- BB cover: identical I saw in Strada OS model
- seatstay diameter: it doesn't look oversized - it could be Columbus (SLX or Brain) for sure... I don't have access to old Deda catalogues, but in newer ones there are no 14mm seatstays, only 16mm...
Can you add photos of a steering tube card? At least 3, taken from different angles - maybe my tired brain will react somehow...

...a small addition...
Both "lugs sets", signed as "ASLK" and "Corsa 01" were used to build... ...both models: Strada OS and Corsa 01 - the "ASLK" set is earlier (...it can also be found in the Corsa Thron), the "Corsa 01" set is later...
Conclusion: from the "set of lugs" it is not possible to determine the frame model...

I'm an idiot, I figured out part of the steerer label> DEDAUO So the painters knew what tube sticker to fit I guess. A picture won't help much, I needed an ultraviolet light and a magnifying glass to read it. My impression is same as yours, that the seatstays would be Columbus something or other. Don't lose too much sleep over it, we can just accept it as a mystery. You could add G2350 to your file, it's a last version MXL in DRR colour.

Mystery? Not anymore... for about 95% :)
It looks like "prototype" of Corsa 01, built just after extinction of Corsa Thron series production, but before creating ovalised tubes for special EMC order (serial markings match it perfectly).
I found identical Deda stickers on Moser frames and...these tubes were not ovalised in their original version.
F+F MT is probably Frame+Fork (KV = Kader +Vork was used more often) and the painting code is "inverted" TM = Motorola code
You have a unique frame, it was nice to see it - thank you

hi Jacek and Magos,

i just purchased an ED Corsa Extra SLX which by coinsidence i found it mentioned here in this interesting thread

Left: S
Right: C4484
Team Telecom
Model early 1991
Riders name: Carlo Janssens.

i took the front fork off to check for the label that Jacek mentioned that could possibly exist inorder to find more info on this bike, but the label did NOT exist unfortunately.

I write this post because of two questions that i have:

1. i purchased this bike with Campagnolo Chorus 8 speed groupset and Campagnolo Epsilon strada G25 wheels having......9 gears on them... After alot of effort i finally found that the rest of the group was 8 speed (was not clear to me at start) so that is why it would never tune up right. In any case i ordered to buy 9 speed derailleur and grips to make it work. But the question is: I look at the catalogues of 1990/1991/1992 and i only see bikes with "traditional shifters" located on the tube and NOT these chorus shifters on the grip that my bike has. Was there an option as to what kind of groupset/shifters one could fit at that time? Or were mine fitted later maybe?
2. Question for Magos (sorry but i can't PM you because of only one post here i am not allowed) : I don't think i bought the bike from you directly so when you sold the bike did it have above componets (Chorus 8 groupset but wheels with 9 gears?) or maybe something was changed?

by the way the bike is really great and in very good condition !!

tnx and sorry for the long bandwidth.

Costas

In EMC, the head tube slides (STI) option was definitely available in 1992.

Thank you for your kind reply Jacek :)