The Rightful Return of Eddy as in Merckx

I recently put one of my Merckx's up for sale.. In the middle of the night I receive an odd email from a prospective buyer. He says that he think my bike is one he sold to me some 5 years earlier and asked about very specific marking, which the bike did have and could not be seen in photos.

He was in college at the time and needed the money, he bought the bike when he was 16 and says he always regretted selling it to me. We finally set up a time for him to come and buy it back and the sheer joy in his face was a sight to behold. Like a lost child returning home, his wife said he could not stop talking about getting his bike back for several days.

Sometimes the universe works in weird ways. What are the chances that he would be on craigslist just poking around and sees a bike he always loved from his past. Now it is back home with him to enjoy hopefully for many years to come.

Cool story. Sometimes things do end up perfectly. I'll bet you felt almost as good as he did.

If I saw that bke on craiglist, I may have to take a run at it...old school tall for my long legs.
Sweet bike and very cool story. You may regret selling it as well.
Nice to hear a feel good story once in a while...

Good story.

Nice.

But Pcad, you are always so dismissive and sarcastic about old bike stories like this.

This story has a special purpose.

very cool

It's always nice knowing when you can hold firm on your price, too.

I love a happy ending.

Real cool story. It is really nice you got one regret out of the guy's life by selling him the bike.

Just great!

one time when i was 15, this 16 year old bully stole my bike that i worked 7 months to pay for...tracked it down on craigslist, but it already sold. drats.

Yes I did. It just seemed all too strange when I spoke with him.. When he saw the bike, he literally had tears in his eyes..

Not really.. I already own 2 - Merckx's - so I am happy it found it's way back to him.. It was always a little too big for me - I ride 59-60cm and this was a 62cm frame..

He never even mentioned a better price.. He just wanted his old bike back..

How tall are you and what is your cycling inseam?
Can you post a pic of your other Merckx?

6'3 with 33 inch inseam.. I have 2 Motorola Team bikes - Sean Yates(pic below) and Frankie Andreu's bike... I kept the yates all original 7 speed DA - pre sti. You may notice that the Yates bike has a very relaxed seat angle - 69 degrees and it rides very differently than the Andreu bike

Well played!

I'm curious, how did the price he pay you compare to the price you paid him 5 years ago?

interesting bars on that bike. never seen that with the piece that bends back towards the middle.

the bars are the old scott lemond bars from the late 80's..

I had made some upgrades to some of the parts and bars and I paid 1200.00 for the bike and sold it for 1500.00..

Great pictures and nice bikes. 6'3" with 33" inseam. If that is cycling inseam and not pant inseam, you are more torso than legs. So I see how you would be challenged standing over the 62cm Merckx. Bet you enjoyed the nice long top tube though with your torso length. By contrast, I am 6'1" with 35 inch cycling inseam. I would really like that 62 and seek bikes with that tall a top tube...though modern bikes now tend to have sloping top tubes with easier standover while retaining tall head tubes. I also don't like to ride with the bars in close so a big frame like that Merckx always works for me.
There is a beautiful 62cm on Craigslist I am trying hard not to buy right now where I live. Indeed your two Merckx bikes are dramatically different in fit. Me? I would prefer the taller bike even though I am shorter than you. Goes to show how proportions and preference trump height when it comes to bike fit.
Thanks for sharing your story.

Nice, so he pawned it off to you and bought it back. I sure wish I could find my Cannondale or a similar one like the one I had stolen from my garage in the late 90's. : ( One day!

This may sound odd, but I remember reading quite a while ago about a guy who had sold his Merckx because he needed the money, and then the next night he made that exact amount bar tending, and he had regretted it ever since. Was it the same person?

And on a different note, when I had posted my new Merckx on here a few years ago, another Merckx owner commented, "Don't ever sell that bike!" It's a NOS MX Leader, and I had the frame imported from South Africa!

I'm glad the bike got back to the original owner, and that you still have a Merckx or two to ride!

He never mentioned anything about working in a bar.. At the time he sold it to me, he was in college and needed the money. It was kind of a surreal experience..
It was just a matter of luck he was looking through CL that day and saw the bike.