Eddy Merckx's Colnago Super - Moltenti Team Edition Race Bike | GCN Tech Retro Pro Bike
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- čas přidán 2. 06. 2024
- Whilst at the Centrum Ronde van Vlaanderen, Ollie checked out Eddy Merckx's incredible Colnago Super race bike from 1972. This is the bike that he actually raced and won some of cycling's largest races on. The road bike is resplendent in it's Molteni team edition custom paint scheme which also celebrates Merckx's World Championship win. What do you think, is it hot or not? 🔥
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Frame and forks: Steel Colnago Super
Tyres: Veloflex Criterium Tubulars
Handlebars: Cinelli Pantograph
Stem: Cinelli Pantograph
Seatpost: Colnago Steel
Shifters: Downtube Campagnolo Nuovo Record
Brakes: Campagnolo Nuovo Record
Front Mech: Campagnolo Nuovo Record
Rear Mech: Campagnolo Nuovo Record
Chainset: Campagnolo Nuovo Record
Pedals: Colnago pedals with toestraps
Chainring size: 53 -42
Cassette: 13-16T
Bike weight: 10kg
Saddle height: 77.5cm
Bar width: 38cm
Stem length: 120mm
Crank length: 172.5mm
Tyre width: 19mm
Finishing touches:
Custom etched bars, personalised paint scheme.
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GOOD GOD Ollie, you're the best. Sure you missed the gearing numbers but the rest is FREAKING AMAZING... I met Eddy a couple times during bike trade shows in the early 80s. Once I was working for the Japan Group (Shimano, Araya, Mitsuboshi, etc.), so after a Vegas trade show, I had to take a flight straight to Europe and happened to be on a very empty flight. It happened I was seated a row ahead of Eddy. Mid-flight Eddy came and tapped me on the shoulder and said "I've seen you for years in trade shows etc, so what do you do?" I then told him who I work for and a bit of my background. Then came the heart-stopper, when we traded business cards... I handed him my card, then he handed me a GIANT EDDY MERCKX BUSINESS CARD! For a moment I thought it was a joke, but that was his real business card (I still have it). It turns out he was looking for a good Japanese tire maker for his line of Eddy Merckx's mid-end bikes. We actually did a deal right on that flight... He was fascinated that I used to be a Cat-1 in So Cal & did most of my racing in Mexico. He then asked me a shit load of questions when he learned that I took up training on rollers because of him. It was a great 1/2 hr we spent together. FYI: there were no more than 50 passengers on that flight, it was weird, to say the least.
Bonita historia, saludos desde Zarcero, Costa Rica!!
I still have my Falcon Eddy Merckx Super Competition 102 that I raced on in the 70's. It cost over 500 pounds in 1972. It was an identical looking bike to this one in the video except came with a sloped crown chrome fork. Looking down at Eddy's photo on the headtube not looking calm and glamourous but with a look of determined agony on his face made me peddle at least 2 mph faster! It was a lot of fun feeling like Eddy Merckx even if only in my own head!
You asked about the Rims
Fiamme I believe, very light and elegantly made, but also soft, so you were forever tuning the wheel back to true .
Great to see the one and only greatest machine
and back then they only had single eyelets. Even Wolber rims didn't have sturdy double eyelets until MAVIC started producing them. I can't imagine truing wheels continuously because of that.
@@ralphc1405 Fiamme rims had double eyelets, the alloy on the gold model was a lot harder than the cheaper red model!
All the technical errors and omissions aside, you gotta love his enthusiasm for vintage steel.
Haha so many incorrect comments but he does it with such gusto 💪
I used to be a huge collector of retro/vintage handmade italian steel bikes, I only have a couple that i keep now as art pieces mostly. So i would love to see more retro pro bikes and vintage gems. More please!!!
I like these bikes better than new ones.
@@blindtoby8967 The. bikes of today are Chinese mass produced garbage simple as. !
I remember all of this. With a smile on my face. Why?
I'm old. With my original and period upgraded 1968 Raleigh Super Course with me still. :) Fabulous video. More. Of the old. Please.
Yes please more retro. Ah that bike is to die for
I love road bikes, I'm BMX at heart, but both bikes are totally dedicated to their specific needs with no compromise....a good vintage steel road bike is a dream to ride, it sings down the road, it makes you want to go faster and faster, you fall in love with it, you ride it for hours....and then...you hate it, it caused you so much pain, you don't want to look at it anymore.....then 2 days later you do this all again.....I have a bike I owned for 30 years, I tried to retire it, but it rides so nce, and we've been through so much together I can't retire it fully...I use it for off days, a cruise around the neighbourhood....that lasts 2 hours....and I hurt after....it's great
SL= superleggera (italian) = super light. No mention of stiffness. Just wanted to point that out. Otherwise great video. Really love a bit of vintage content since I am a big vintage nerd.
Yes SL is not stiff , light. Super light. Its a shame that there were a lot of gaffs, even Jon would probably done the same as he is not from that era. I saw Merckx at the worlds in Yvoir, Belgium 1975 when Henny Kuiper won. You would need someone who is in their 60's now to know all the kit!
Thought so too. I said it my head SL would mean 'superleggera' and was surprised when he said it stood for 'stiff/light'. Not sure what Italian is for stiff but for sure they wouldnt be using English words.
@@merckxy54 Amazing! I'm in my 20s but I do know a bit about vintage kit, since I am a big vintage nerd as I mention above. I do not know everything ofc.
Someone in their 60's....👍
@@merckxy54 Yes SP was the stiffer tubing. I have a custom frame from that era that is a mix of SP and SL tubing.
Takes me back. My first road bike (early 80s) was a Woodrup. Hand built from Reynolds 531c (competition) tubing with the same groupset as this. My bike was all Campag and Cinelli. Screw on freewheel (not cassette!). Everything else was pretty much identical apart from Simplex shifters. My chainrings were drilled too. Back then most road bikes were much the same spec as those used on the grand tours.
yes please! more retro pro bikes!
I would love to see more retro pro bikes. Some of us still ride steel with no computer. It's a visceral "perceived exertion" experience that modern bikes and bike culture can not match.... none of the Cannibal's exploits were on Instagram or Strava but they remain the stuff of legend.
Yes! Did you see that recent article about Geraint Thomas which said that a mixup with his Garmin led to his achieving a poorer time trial result than he otherwise might have in Imola? I mean, I understand that people feel tech is important, but come on...
Yes please, more vintage bikes!
No speedo or power meter. They rode on feel and when it was hurting they went a bit harder
STILL how I ride. I hate quantifying everything.
Computers wouldn't come around til around '85. Greg LeMond was the first pro to use one. With a wire.
"and when it was hurting they went abit harder" 👌 what a beautiful line that is captures perfectly the warriors of that era....
i raced a Cinelli A reynolds double butted, fully campy. it was a beauty. Paid Cdn $500 USED back in 1974. many years later it had been crashed quite a few times, and the gearing was shot. I bought a newer (lesser) bike, but was very very happy that the dealer, Lifesport (Walter Jozwiak) in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada was able to give me $200 for it...he knew a guy who rebuilds bikes. I hope that it is being used to this day. Anyway, the features were extremely similar to this, but lacked a couple of world chamionship, Giro, and TDF wins lol. great video
Thank you for shinning a light on one of the greatest race bikes of all time. In 1973 I would travel 40 miles across Los Angeles to Manhattan Beach to lust over one of these on sale at Ted Earnst's bike shop. Fully drilled out and panta graphed. And just slightly out of reach for me at the time. $575.00! Regarding the tubing used and what SL meant. Super leggero or super light weight. Now I think it would make a great segment on another bike Eddy rode before this on. A Masi special.
Most professional riders of that era rode off the shelf bikes. The top professionals rode custom bikes made in small shops. It's good to see that pedigreed racing machines of the past are getting the attention they deserve.
Ok. Here’s an assignment for you GCN. Go find the time trial bike used by Greg Lemond to win the 1989 Tour de France. That would be an epic bike to review.
Just love the reviews of vintage bikes. Keep'm coming.KB
Yes to more retro pro bikes. Keep em coming 😃
This was great to see as I'm heading over to Oudenaarde in July. The Ronde Musee is on the top of the list, after riding the Ronde loops. More retro pro bike videos please
who is that 1% (17 votes) which always thumb down these videos? These bikes are amazing!
Yes! More pro bike videos. That was super nice 🔔
The gruppo is Campagnolo Nuovo Record, not Colnago. Colnago made the frame and probably did the modifications to the break levers, little ornate decorations, etc. I'm guessing that the rims were Fiamme 32 hole Red Label or possibly the Yellow Label model that was lighter and usually ridden on the track. The 5-speed freewheel and chain were likely made by Regina Extra "Oro" (gold I don't think silver). The original tires were probably Clement Criterium Seta tubulars. I don't think that Veloflex existed back then. Anyway, thank you for posting. Well done! I'm very fond of the bikes from the 70's and 80's.
I used to love the Clement Criterium Seta tires. Just too damn pricey and delicate. They rode like a cloud.
Decided to get an old steel bike. It would take me back to the good old days when I raced. I loved the feel of the old Colnago Super but one day Larry Ferguson (may he rest in peace) came into work with a full Record/Neuvo Record Mercian. Stove enamel red with thin whisps of white detailing the Nervex lugs. To this day I have never seen a more beautiful bike. It made my Cilo look like it had been painted with a brush. a used vintage Mercian is rare, especially with Nervex lugs, so I decided to buy new. GOOD GOLLY! I just bought an old Camry beater. I could buy a half dozen Well-worn Toyotas for the price of a new Mercian frame & fork, but still, a Camry can’t take me back to 1972, and that beautiful red Mercian was stunning.
Ollie. It’s not a cassette. It is called a freewheel. Also, it’s not a “Retro” bike. It is an original. Otherwise, great video, Waffles!
Do you wear an anorak?
@@kidShibuya do you not like the correct use of language? You're fine with factual errors? Must be a Trump fan
Loved this vid! It's kinda cute when kids try and give tech history lessons. I tried taking a shot for every error mentioned but got really bombed and passed out halfway through. I'm "restoring" my '78 Super right now (bought in '81) with period Colnago Super Record😁 (should have NEVER sold off my original parts....$$$$). The paint is ALMOST a match, where mine was repainted in '79 in Masi Team Orange. Maybe one day it will be deemed "Super Nice".... once submitted.
Vader's Rage ...please tell me how you matched the paint...l need to paint
my Colnago the closest l’ve seen is the Chrysler color orange what do you think?
@@dinos7185 It was done YEARS ago by Jim Cunningham at Cyclart. It's a tough color (Masi Team Orange) because in some light it looks red....in some it looks orange (but MUCH deeper than Molteni Orange). Lots of auto body shops have a huge database of mfg. colors you might be able to browse. Best of luck to you....!
Yeah, it’s kinda cute when they tell us about our past. No one will know that magic feel of those few years. If you were not there, you will never know. What an absolutely incredible time to be alive.
There's nothing more beautiful than the 1970's Columbus or Reynolds steel frames with nice lug work and Campagnolo Record or Super Record components. What is the wheel base on the Merckx bike ?
It was very cool
Yes , more vintage bikes ,,,
Many technical flubs aside, good video. I would love to see more vintage bikes, especially iconic pro bikes. Get a fact checker for these vids though, we classical bike guys are sticklers for details, and will unmercifully take you to task for EVERY mistake and omission. You have been warned...
You speak the truth.....
LOL see my comments above
Drew Fus ....hi Fella...the video British speaking guy giving the information
about Eddy Merckx bike no one noticed that this bike is Not a COLNAGO
it is a DeRosa bike take a look at the DeRosa carved emblem on the brake
leavers. COLNAGO uses the famous clover leaf emblem. Also he cannot
count the sprockets he says it’s a 13-16 five speed stockers. That would
make it a four speed times two total is 8-speed...Merckx used a 54 chain
ring and at the 1974 World Championships which he won in Montreal
Canada he used a 55 chain ring. I was there and watched him out-sprint
Poulidor at the finish....( let me know if you noticed the mistake he makes)
@@dinos7185 Yeah....the brake levers MIGHT be DeRosa, but I don't think we can brand the bike as such. DeRosa's primary logo was a heart. But even Mario Confente used the "Spade" as his logo. Everyone copied the whole "playing card suit" motif during those times. The forks are definitely Colnago, but sadly there are no other clear shots of any of the lug cut-outs to tell for sure. But I'd bet my miserable life that this is a Colnago.
One thing though (and please correct me if I'm wrong).....I'm wondering if the wheels were swapped out at some point. The QR levers are curved and the hubs are low-flange. I thought the high-flange hubs and flat levers were normal for the age, where low-flange hubs and curved QR levers became popular toward the end of the '70's. The details are foggy as I age, though.
Vader's Rage ... the heart logo is a MASI Not DeRosa....Cheers
A real bike for a REAL MAN!!!!
Sheila stallard I had the rare treat of meeting him in Vancouver BC some time ago
He is such a cool guy. I shared his training quote with him. As follows :" ride lots" 🚴🏼😎
@@brianbuday8639 I have heard of him saying "ride the bike", "ride the bike", "ride the bike" as the 3 best training tips. Pretty true if you ask me.
So beautiful steel vintage bike thank YOU for the video😀
Love:):) this story, thank you!
Thank you , for the story about Eddy Merckx's!!! Fun show!!
Thanks, Ollie, and yes, please, more retro race bikes, especially ones ridden by winners who resemble you. And I think I can see how you and Eddie were pretty much the same. Let me have a cup of coffee first.
I keep a 54cm bike like this in my 100 year-old dads' basement on Cape Cod, but I replaced some rusty clamps with braze-ons, and painted it blue, in a shade that never really matched the famous Colnago blue. I ride it a couple of times every year when I visit: I love the springy feel and handling, especially compared to my first-gen Giant TCR that handles like a damn track bike and feels dead. Too bad it weighs too much for an old man to keep on climbs. Once I got caught out on the Rail Trail with no lights after dark (it gets dark so early that far East), and twice nearly ran over small animals that couldn't hear or see me coming. Friction shifting saved some critters and my skin: I shifted it so that it chattered and skipped a bit - the noise warned off the animals.
what a beautiful bike that's classic one. it's old but gold 💯
Ollie has the same sizing as Merckx! That is a great beginning Ollie! Taste that Ollie " GCN Merckx"! You must do the interview with him to! Thanks Ollie and GCN for great video.
That is THE MOST EXCELLENT retro bike review! And it because IT THE KINGS 👑 BICYCLE 🚴🏾 👏🏾😆👍🏾
steering from my hips is so easy on my eddy merckx sl
best frame i ever rode, low bb and long reach
so easy rock steady goin very fast
for sure woul love to see more rtro pro bikes, its interesting to see what they used way back when
Definitely love these. As a Bianchi fan/collector I’d love to see Gimondi’s Specialissima from the same era, Coppi’s bike from the 50’s or perhaps Pantani’s bike from the late 90’s
Send Olly to the church and museum at Ghisallo and let him loose!
One of Pantani's Wiliers can be found in the entrance hall of clothing manufacturer Santini's HQ near Bergamo, Italy.
I would like to see a Sean Kelly Vitus. Nice job on the Merckx Colnago.
I still have my Paletti, made by Luciano himself, had it since 1977 still original, and i still ride it. All Campag equip. I also have Giordano Turrini's Gios Torino which i bought from him in 1972. It is actually a Masi repainted for his team, Brooklyn.
I still have my dad’s 1972 Same color scheme and his campy Nuevo parts the workmanship is next level. Love the old colnago details as well
Usually you're excellent on these kinds of pieces, but an unusual # of errors here. I have a similar 1974 bike! The pedals are Campagnolo super record (black alloy cage) not Colnago. The rear cluster is not a cassette and the gear range is 13-17 not 13-16. The brake levers by 1972 were all drilled to improve brake grip, not for lightness.
And they are probably from Regina with the chain too. Campagnolo didn't make rear gears and chains in that era.
@@RichardMigneron Yes indeed. Lots of those small errors here, as well as confusion between stamping, etching and engraving. Still, it's brilliant to see this bike in such detail. In fact, I've got a Nuovo Record gruppo from this era looking for a frame. One of these days, I'll build it up.
TomboLP just re-watched, they are 36 spoke hubs, not 32 (I counted them). The world champion logo on the handlebars doesn't refer to Eddy's wins, but to the brand win. 39 tooth small chainring wasn't at all possible on Campa who used a BCD 144, which limits it to 42 (although, some aftermarket 41s were made but not recommended). Shimano was the one that brought the BCD 135 and the possibility of putting on a 39 tooth chainring.
For Columbus tubing, SL and SP refers to the thickness: SL - 0.9/0.6/0.9 and SP - 1.0/0.7/1.0 for the down tube respectively - couldn't find a reference to a naming convention as to what the S, L & P really mean. And these where in a proprietary Chrome-moly formula called Cyclex. Marinoni, in Québec, used to make Columbus frames, all of SL tubing except for the down tube for which he used an SP tube (the roads here are very bad).
I had a Reynolds 531 SL (SL: for Super Light), which was reputed to be much lighter than Columbus at the time...
Of course, it's a superb bike, I used to dream of having one like that.
@@RichardMigneron Ah, the joys of Reynolds...my first "serious" bike was a Ken Evans in 531 SL. That thing was amazing and I still miss it. Now, however, I ride a Colnago with lovely SLX tubes from the 80s built up with Super Record parts and it's just perfect. Might go for a spin in the morning, in fact...
He also says that 38cm bars were narrow and ahead of their time, when in fact this was very common back then.
My dream bike!
Yes!! More retro!! Considering that he is not old enough to remember it...he did a great job of preparing!! Good job!!
If you do another famous bike, please focus more on the frame details. The components back then were common and there wasn't that much variety, but the frames.... thats where the details live. Pela, Colnago, De Rosa, Lino Messori, and on and on... they all had signature trademarks. For this bike, the interesting detail to see would have been the Colnago clovers cut into the lugs. Next time! But nice job presenting the bike for sure.
Well done Ollie. Those of us with the classics, whole or in parts in the basement shop appreciate your loving analysis. As the Dutch would say, 'GA GCN'.
All the pressing and fine detailed etching is so cool on that bike!!
Etchings?
…pantograph perhaps?
You put tears in my eyes every time you refer to something VINTAGE as "retro"... And hey, GCN used to be a lot better on research. Nonetheless, I still love the channel and I'm really grateful for the quality content you generally provide.
Gotta love this classic bikes
Merck first rode on Masi frames when he was sponsored by Faema. Colnago and De Rosa came later. I own a 1967 Masi a really nice machine, and a bit ahead of its time in its dimensions and lug work.
Gee, I have NO PROBLEM with this video. I absolutely love the exposure to a younger gen of theses spindly old bikes as I myself still ride my 21 in Peugeot P8 from 85. Yes its 24 lbs, no it's not aero and by modern standards its absolutely inferior in every respect. He is presenting this as an antiquity and a curiosity NOT as an authority of period correct detail. Pay more attention to his enthusiasm for the topic and maybe you'll get the point. I live in a "cycling friendly" community and all the local shops laugh at me and try to sell me a $2500+ bike. Any love is good love.
Old post, but, Doug I will be time trialing on my 1977 PX-10-LE. I don't look for excuses about the bike, it still rides great! I do have clamp on aero bars and "brifters". Wish me luck!
I can't say I've ever regarded Volvos as cool (apart from the one driven by Roger Moore in The Saint). They are usually stuck in front of me, doing 20 miles per hour EVERYWHERE!
Sympathy, bruv.
Plus the name, Volvo...ykes.
Incredible, more classic bike please
errrmahgad! LOOK!!! A Colnago on GCN!!!
HAHAHAH
Good job. Great to see the brass have lifted the blackout ban on the other Italian icon!
Beauty. A ride would have been the topper
Great to see and lovely to see your appreciation of the evolution of bike tech. Definitely keen on more of these close up looks. Absolute gold. But also, please, make a bit more of an effort on research. Just winging it based on knowing more than most people won't work for people who grew up with this tech. What does SL really mean? What is this seat tube made from? Fewer guesses would be great. Surely a few minutes with the museum staff would have saved you from making several of the more egregious gaffes.
I always remembered Merckx riding aged Clement criterium silk tires. Hmmmm. Still not a bad video for someone who never had to endure toe clips and straps. Or do a hilly race with friction shifters.;) One of my prized possessions is a big poster of Merckx putting the hurt on the peloton at the Mount Royal worlds.
Friction shifters still work great but maybe not in a race. I'm never in a hurry anymore these days. Friction is what we used way back when until SIS reared it incompatible head! Endurance racing was always my cup of tea anyhow. Ride pretty steady for 4-5 hours then start putting the hamner down in the mountains. Then the posers started droppin line flies!
Those silk tubs are still where it's at! If you can afford them! I can't! Nothing rides like handmade sew ups!
My big toes used to go numb after 45 min- 1 hr into the race, I just figured that was part of it!
They would only use the silks on dry race days just a little bit of rain they got week and a lot of rain they were done being a tire(tyre). They held water, stretched and burst in the rain. Mostly cotton for training too.
@@ronbell7920 Never had an issue riding for many hours on long rides with toe clips. There should have been a gap in front of your toes to the cage so I am not sure why your toes went numb.
@@jaycahow4667 , it was a pain, but I just got used to it. I had some great kangaroo leather Pumas! They were almost weightless. In the winter my feet stayed frozen as well. So, I really didn't think that much of it.
The seatpost is from later on...it has been produced from 1982 to 1985(circa)...and that’s actually a super record
The flutes give it away. Personally I use to get my seat tube reamed out to 27.4mm and special order a 27.4mm seat post as it gave a better fit after the distortion from brazing the tubes together was removed.
Yes please more retro bike reviews.
I used to ride on a 10 kilo bike myself. Am I Eddie Merckx as well?!
Yet another wonderful journey into Iconic classic bikes .. well done again Ollie
Veloflex doesn’t even make that size anymore Too bad bc
I use them on my tubs and I prefer thinner tyres esp on steel
The tubing is Columbus ? I’m certain
Cool gig
Friend had his hour bike displayed in his bike shop in seattle wa USA was a fun time miss you George !
I am giving a thumbs up for more retro bike reviews and if I can be so bold as to suggest a couple to look out for... the Holdsworth Professional in team colours and a Pogliaghi
Brilliant, yea give us more and raise the value of all that old kit I have
My dream bike and (Eddy) my hero.
MORE RETRO PRO BIKES
My old 1974 Zeus Professional race bike is on display in Belgium. It was a mix of Campy Nuevo Record and drilled out Zeus parts. I miss that bike.... very beautiful
How did she ride?
@@treygray2817 Fast. very fast
‘I’m pretty much Eddy Merckx’ - Dr Oli 2019
The failed Merckx! :))
I bet he even uses the same wheel diameter that Merckx did!
VERY good idea !!!!
Where were the beautiful lug work detail shots? these bikes were hand made
Thought they were "Mavic" rims, but I am no expert. Awesome video. thank you. I had a Geoffsco custom made in Sydney Australia and had Campy super record throughout. I took it to the dump in 199-something-so I could be a "better father" and raise my kids without my own "hobbies." Makes me sad too think of leaving the white steed at the dump..
Retro Gios classic next ! Amazed that those bars were measuring at 38cms Thought Eddy used Cinelli 42s, he had broad shoulders...
You're right, Eddy used Cinelli 66 bars with a 42cm width throughout most of his career.
The bars on this particular bike were indeed such bars. Ollie measured them from the wrong part of the bar.
Yes, bring more retro reviews :).
OMG Ollie got the car wrong, too?!?!
more retro pro bikes please!
Ollie could be Merckx’s love child 😂🤪
I would like to see Jacques Anquetil's racing bike if that is possible.
I'm a vintage bicycle dealer, way back in 2000 when buying up some old stocks at Eddy's factory I was looking at Eddy's old race bicycles they were all clumped together and his manager Bob then said those are not for sale, But you can take these, he then dragged out 3 large wooden boxes that were under Eddy's bicycles and said you can take these, as it turns out they were Eddy's old freewheel boxes from his old race days they were stuffed with freewheels parts, cogs, bodies and so on, I then asked are you sure, Bob replied he'll not be needing them anymore so they are yours, I then asked, so what's the price, Bob replied no cost it's a present from Eddy.
On a side note: I once walked through the front door at Eddy's Factory, as I walked by Eddy's office, he slammed his door closed! I then walked into the office and every body there were not looking so happy, I then said to Bob, Eddy is not happy today, Bob then replied, today is a bad day. During my next visit decided to walk through the back door because I wanted to avoid walking by Eddy's office, when arriving to the office every body there was having a good time, they offered me a cup of coffee or soup, then I said to Bob, Eddy is not in today, Bob replied, yes! Today is a great day. Anyway it's great to see this bike as it is today, back then it wasn't looking so great. Kudos for this video.
I got a Masi Gran Criterium in 1971, all Campy $250. Oh Campy brakes were an extra $25, Universal center pulls were standard. My Molteni jersey attracted moths, wool does that!
Oli yr beauty make me laugh every time keep um coming.
😱 OMG… did we just witness the birth of “Ollie Merckx” ?…😱🤣😄
He will always be “Waffles” Bridgewood to me.
@Harry Knows He said 13-16 which is only 4 gears and not 5 as he claimed. However, 12 - 16 is indeed 5 gears.
Harry Knows 12-16 would be 5. You could count with your fingers? I dont think 12 tooth cogs existed back in the day either, but I could be wrong. Eddy was THE man!! My old Regina, Shimano and SunTour freewheels always started at 13 or 14. I wish we could get cassettes starting at 14 today!
Now Ollie must do all the climb Merckx did. Koppenberg next!
@@rollinrat4850 Yes i think it would have been a 13 sprocket, 13 to 17
At 2:59 the quick release lever has "LOCKED" stamped on it. I don't think Campy or anyone put that on the levers back in 1972. That part of the bike doesn't appear to be original.
More retro pro! Please!
Nice video . Cockpit ? I think you mean handlebars and stem 😂
I remember lifting and caressing one of Eddys timetrial bikes back in the early seventies. The handlebars were aluminum welded to the stem, to save the weight of the steel binder bolt and yes he had one of those very common Regina drilled chains. Too bad he didn't ride with Zeus, as they had titanium chains. I have one on a Speedwell that would be considered amazingly light even today.
It is funny to listen to a younger cyclist describe a real road bike. The 'tech' we grew up on has somehow been lost in translation, as so aptly noted in the comments.
After buying a C64 last fall, I immediately stopped riding it and am back on steel almost full time now...but with modern Campagnolo drivetrains...there is nothing like the ride of a De Rosa, Metzen or Colnago steel frame, or the modern goodness of a Battaglin Portofino. It makes it hard to choose which bike to ride today !
Please keep the classics coming !
Nah, technology ended for me at Dura Ace 7400. All you need, nothing you dont! I still use it on my old Ron Cooper. It replaced Campy NR, the difference with SIS 7 speed was like night and day! I still ride that bike. It still works perfect! I still ride some ‘77 Record hubs! Smooth as new!
IMHO, the 7 speed SIS with down tube shifters shifts just as fast and more solid than modern day DI2! It all comes down to those mere 6” of cable housing!
Now I wish I could afford some new Clement del mondos!
I just built up a new touring bike. My DA 9 speed bar end’s indexing finally wore out and Im back friction shifting again. I forgot how well it works! Especially with modern components! I think I buy some Rivendell ratchet bar ends!
Pretty cool.
If we want more? YES start a new channel!
My favorite bike of all time was a pink Mercier, in the 1970's, with Shimano Dura Ace gears and breaks, about $800.Couldn't find the pink jersey in Toronto, went to NYC, not there and several bike shops on the west coast, no luck'
Walked into a store near my house in Toronto and THERE it was. bought it even though it was a size too small. Most beautiful combo I ever saw. Could you review Poulidor's Mercier?? Is Mercier out of business? Like an idiot, I sold the bike in 1991 when I went to China. Dream ride, fast turned a mean corner and stopped on a dime.
I think there’s a big following for these vintage steel framed bikes. In their own right they’re a work of art.
More vintage pro bikes!!!
More retro segments!
More retro please!
Oli, Indexed gears came along well before 1990. I was using indexed Dura Ace in 1987, bought from local bike shop.
MiataBRG I replaced Campy NR with Dura Ace 7400 7 speed. The difference was like night and day. I still ride my old Ron Cooper with it on there. Its still functions as good as new. I swear this shifting is still as good as modern day DI2 and shifts more solid! All you need, nothing you dont! Its all due to a mere 6” of cable housing.
Now I wish I could afford some new silk tubulars! Nothing ever rides like my old Clement del mondos!
If you can dig up some vintage TT and track bikes, small front wheel stuff.... always loved the Zunow and Rossini’s design and paint.
Between vintage bikes and super New bikes, I'd pick a vintage bike without even thinking
Wow imagine the pain going up those giant climbs on those bikes
A 42x17 was the lowest gear! Uggh! My knees hurt just thinking about it.
Wimps ... all of you! :)
zbillster go on then let’s see you ride it
Imagine trying to climb Alpe d'Huez in a 42x16...Frigging Awesome!
I think he had at least a 22 or 24!
Columbus SL is for Strada Leggera. translates as Road light. Merckx rode short toe clips and the ball of his foot was between the rear cage and pedal spindle ( he told me and demonstrated this in person in 1982). The reason the cable clamps and shifters etc. are mounted with clamps is because braze ons for those weren’t invented yet. The pedals were also Super Legere. Steel axels with alloy cages coated black. It is unlikely Merckx rode Christophe staps, almost everyone then rode Binda or Binda Extra which were laminated with a layer of nylon and had buckles with sharper teeth to hold the strap closed. Do a bit on Alfredo Binda for some History.
Those laminated straps are the best still use them on my " shark tooth low fat " MKS pedals . I like the big platform on them ,decent cornering angle too.