chatbot2046

I picked up this bike used off Craigslist and am unsure about the model and production year. The seller claimed it was a 1989 Eddy Merckx Corsa Columbus SL, but I haven't found anything from 1989 that looks anything close to this.

The things that are really throwing me off is the head badge, which uses an old photograph of Merckx in a multi-colored diamond frame, and the font on the down tube, which doesn't look like the rounded font that one sees on late '80s bikes. These things suggest to me me that it might be one of the old Falcon Merckx frames, but it's not Molteni orange (it's pearl white with red panels) and there's also a tattered Columbus sticker (I don't believe any of the Falcon Merckx frames were Columbus) and a "Handmade in Belgium" sticker.

Other hints: the cables for the derailleurs are routed over the bottom bracket - which again, suggests a model earlier than 1989. And there's a "nipple" behind the head tube - not sure what that is for...

It came with an odd mix of parts - I doubt many of these are original: older Shimano Dura Ace group, Mavic MA40 rims, Cinelli stem and bar, chrome Specialized chainguard (huh?); I put on an older white Vetta saddle.

The serial number (using the "standard" employed by the Web page at https://www.cadre.org/Merckx/) is
9A-9584-E

Pictures are available here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/2811611...7605882223730/

Any help or insight would be much appreciated!

gr23932

Too lazy to check with Cadre.org, but it's a sweet Bike!!! Check out this thread:
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/433017-merckx-faema-replica.html

gr23932

Oh yeah, No way you have a Falcon....you have a "real" Merckx. Check that thread and you'll see what's up.

MerckxMad

It's exactly what you've been told; a late 80's Merckx Corsa with Columbus SL tubing. It is painted in the Faema team colors. The headbadge is the real deal. It's hard to tell, but it looks like a 54cm from the serial number. Dura Ace and Cinelli were standard kit. Beautiful bike. My Faema is one of my favorites.

Old Fat Guy

Early 80's not late. Professional, not Corsa. I don't think the headbadge is correct, I'll check later.

Congrats on a nice frame.

caterham

it looks completely correct and proper to me, not to mention immaculately loved & preserved. iirc, your special edition faema merckx was issued around 1985(?) and was amoungst the last of the ugo derosa derived merckx professional sl series bikes. the nubbin on the headtube is a pump peg. the self-adhesive chainstay guard was a very common and effective aftermarket accessory sold thruout the late 70's to late 80's. if it bothers you, it can be easily removed without damage to the paint, however, i'll bet that you'll wish you'd kept it installed after a few months of riding without it.


ps- in spite of the skewed impression projected by the number of merckx special edition owners on this forum, these faema liveried merckx professional sl bikes are far from common. what you have there is a relatively rare, highly desireable and extraordinarily fine riding collectable.

vjp

Score!!

TNCLR

They made those in the late-80's, early-90's. Here's a scan of the 1990 catalog with that bike in it:

caterham

chatbot's bike is not one of the more ordinary faema corsa re-issues -("...the cables for the derailleurs are routed over the bottom bracket ..."- his bike also has a separate tubular chainstay bridge rather than the one integrated into the btm bkt shell)

TNCLR

Ah right. Yes, that's interesting. Maybe it's just an older version of the "ordinary" Corsa? The Columbus decal looks early 80's as well. I'm not sure I'd call it a "mystery bike" though. It's either early-80's or '89 as the seller proclaimed. Was the seller the original owner?

caterham

pre-corsa- the first generation merckx frames (professional ) were directly derived from derosa frame geometries , construction techniques and fitting philosophies- right down to merckx badged variants of derosa's microfusion italia lugset,btm bkt and fork crown. no surprise given that ugo was enlisted by merckx as consultant, overseer and mentor when eddy first entered manufacturing after his retirement from racing. the corsa models represented merckx's first tentative departure from "belgian derosa" geometry.

TNCLR

I didn't know that regarding the geometry of the Corsa. I am familiar with the the story of the Ugo's involvement. All very interesting.

If it was a really early model, Eddy's signature should be panto'd on the fork tops and seat caps, no?

Old Fat Guy

Here's what throws me a bit, the script on the down tube is identical to mine, which I am reasonably sure is a 1983, the fork is identical to mine, the cabling is identical, the pump peg identical, the picture of Eddy on the head tube is not. The picture on the OP's bike is the same as the later Molteni replicas. Mine looks like this, notice the younger Eddy and the silver border:



My wife has a 1984 Merckx Professional, it has a sloping fork crown, and different script.

Edit: My wife's is a 1985, not 1984.

caterham

afaik, the signature seatstay caps and fork crown were only used on the initial batch run(s) when the factory first began production- the story has it that these 'signature' bikes were built by merckx staff under ugo's direct suspervision and by ugo himself whilst sorting out the factory & training staff for full operation. the production bikes received the familiar 'EM logo' staycaps and 'eddy/merckx' flat fork crown
the original special edition professional bikes(molteni and faema tribute models) came toward the end of the merckx professional sl series and prior to the introduction of the first gen corsa'a.

caterham

OFG,
i stand corrected on the dating- as i'm going from personal memory rather than horded sales brochures,etc., i'd forgotten that the faema edition came first, well over a year or more prior to the molteni versions release- perhaps yours was from the initial issue and the OP's bike produced concurrent with the molteni version?

as for the sloping crown, merckx's came with either the traditional flat crown or the then fashionably new full sloping 'aerodynamic' crowns by 83 as did derosa's from the same timeframe

k

Old Fat Guy

k, Would they still be using over the BB routing later? The script on the downtube changed later, to a gold outlined and different style.

The Eddy pictures are what's throwing me, every Faema I've seen had the young Eddy, of course I'd only seen one besides mine until today.

caterham

i'd always assumed that the pic related to the time period of the team- a young eddy on the faema and a more mature eddy on the molteni version. if it were an italian built bike, i wouldn't give it much thought -the italians being 'practical'(ie-cheap) would use whatever decal( or lug,etc.) they had laying around at the time. i don't think that works with the belgians tho. all i can think is that either this particular bike was a transition frameset or that the headtube decal had been damaged and the replacement sent was a molteni eddy ? q- does your faema edition have a heavy clearcoat over the pic or just a light sealer spray?

best,
k

Old Fat Guy

I'd assumed that the picture related to the time frame as well. Mine has a light sealer spray.

chatbot2046

My headbadge only has a light sealer as well, as I can distinctly feel the edges of the sticker or decal...

I've added an additonal photo of the over bottom bracket cable routing:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/2811611...7605882223730/

Thanks for all the information so far... it's been very enlightening!

If you guys would like any more pictures or information, please let me know!

karmat

I can't contribute to the discussion, but wanted to say: stunning bike!

Karl

Old Fat Guy

Just went and checked mine again...no pump peg!

Edit: It's Hell getting old.

Pogliaghi

Oh just wonderful! I really want one of those one day - yours is my size as well! Congrats.

chatbot2046

Lots of good info but it's still a bit of a mystery bike, it seems...

What does all this point to so far?

1) Definitely a "real" Merckx bike and not a "Falcon" Merckx?
2) Most likely from the early 80's (because of the over BB cable routing), and not a Corsa from '89.
3) Pump peg? Some sort of special touring edition, perhaps?

It's possible the headbadge and panel were restickered, I suppose. They did a pretty decent job if that is the case. The seller was not the original owner - he had bought the bike from somebody and I'm not sure if that person was the original owner either. It's a 59cm and a bit big for me - will try shortening the stem and riding it some more to see if it can be a longer term keeper (will keep original parts around). In any case, it is aesthetically pleasing. I guess I'm happy as long as it's a real Merckx.

caterham

not really- just haven't yet pinpointed the exact year of manufacture. it's still a narrow window,however. the first faema editions were announced for 1983 and by 86 the bikes had underslung cable guides, a cast brake bridge and the chainstay bridge integrated into the btm-bkt shell. my thinking is that yours is most likely an 84 or 85 -that pump peg is a tip off. the only oddity are the decals. the paint looks to be original and imo, it's not a stretch to deduce that it is probably a late production unit with slightly different decalling specifics to the earlier samples.
btw- you can also use the components' manufacturing codes to help determine the bike's age-
https://www.vintage-trek.com/component_dates.htm#shimano

without a doubt, it's the real deal-a handmade in meise, belgium eddy merckx 'faema' special edition frameset


the seatube mounted bottle meant that one had to mount their silca impero frame pump under the top tube. in the 80's there were no mini pumps or co2 tyre inflators.

you damn well ought to be- there's folks here that would sell an organ to own that bike.

k

Old Fat Guy

Oddly enough, no. It has 2 water bottle bosses, but no pump peg. It is possible that mine is a 1984, the RD is Pat 83. It has the same 'E' suffix on the serial number as chatbot's.