Merckx team bikes

In the mid-80's through mid-90's, Merckx sponsored a number of professional cycling teams. Each had a specific color layout for their frames. Some of them are very familiar -- the purple and pink of Telekom, the red and green of 7-11, while some of them are a little less familiar. Here's a list of the ones I've documented. Where there are examples in the Merckx serial list, I show a picture. Where I don't have a sample frame picture, I'll link to a picture of a team member astride one. I'll post a few color schemes each day. I'm lazy like that.

Its worth noting that some of the team livery frames were ridden by multiple teams, seperated by a few years...in at least one case, 7 years.



ADR, from 1988. You can see a picture of Eddy Planckaert astride one here.



Team Stuttgart, 1989 and 1990. Here's a picture of the entire team. These guys went on to form the basis of Team Telekom in 1991. Kinda makes you wonder just whats in that puma bag in the picture...

A reader was kind enough to drop me an email, letting me know that in Sweden, this color scheme was associated with the PK-Banken semi-professional team. We'll see another example of this with a different color scheme, where the second team rode the same frame labeled as a Caloi. Any guesses on the teams?



Team Hitachi, 1988/89. Claude Criquielion riding his, in the 1988 TdF.

Next post, I'll cover the Domex/Weinmann team frames (there are a few), and La William. Exciting, no?

Syncro Tips and Tricks

I've had a few people email me looking for some insight on setting up Syncro shifters. I don't claim to be all knowing on the subject, but I have had some success based on info I've read, as well as a couple of tricks I've picked up.
 
Syncro      Syncro2
First things first. The first thing you MUST do is consult the tables provided by Campagnolo with regards to what combinations of freewheel, chain, dérailleur and shift collar work together. Yes -- the different colors of collars can be hard to find. In some ways, I'd suggest selecting your derailleur, freewheel and chain based on the collars you have access to. Some substitutions will work better than others, but unless you have lots of time and lots of spares, stick with something that Campy published as working. It can be hard enough setting up Syncro with the correct equipment.



One tip I read that seems to help comes courtesy of a usenet post by Andrew Muzi over at Yellow Jersey. He advocates artificially wearing the teeth of the shifter notched insert, using a buffing wheel. I used a dremel with a little bit of buffing compound, which also works. The goal is to take some of the square edges off the teeth of the collar. This eliminates some of the harsh edges you'll encounter when shifting, and make the whole system a little more tolerant of imperfect shifts. The above shows a slightly worn blue insert. Might be hard to see in the picture, but the tops of the notches begin to round slightly when they wear. The goal is to simulate repeated shifting, and eliminate any break in time for the shifter.

There are also some who advocate using a floating upper pulley -- similar to the kind you'd find in a modern derailleur. The bearing units tend to be more precise, and indexing systems can benefit from a little wobble as they're shifting. It provides a little overshift, to get the chain up on the next cog, and then lets it sort of float back to the appropriate location. Personally, I haven't had to resort to this, but it may make the system a little less finicky.



If your derailleur doesn't have a barrel adjuster, it should. Some Syncro shifter sets came with one, and once Syncro continued, derailleurs came with them. You need this for the fine-trim on your derailleur. The Campy supplied one is shown above, but you can cobble one together from your parts box.

One thing I've never read anywhere, but really seems to have a positive effect, is tightening the indexing lever more than you'd think. If you're used to modern indexing systems, you know the tension on the lever really has no impact on the quality of shifting. The tension isn't really all that adjustable. On the Syncro, however, having it snugged down further than you think seems to improve shifting accuracy immeasurably. If you hear a discreet 'click' when you shift, make them tighter! Mine make more of a thump sound when shifting...If you're used to friction levers, you will not end up tightening the indexing lever enough. Don't strip anything, but don't be shy either. I think this is related to the 2 springs not providing support for the insert when not tightened down (hence the eventual move to a much much better 3 spring version post-95). Just be careful -- I've seen cracked inserts before.

Use modern derailleur cables. They don't have as much stretch in them, and that seems to be a good thing. The use of linear cable housing may also be a wise thing, although I have to admit -- I'm using spiral housing successfully.

My setup works beautifully, if I do say so myself. I do *not* have to overshift, which was a common complaint with these. I think the wearing of the collar, in conjuction with the tight indexing lever makes all the difference. Curious about my setup? I use a Croce d'Aune derailleur, Regina Oro freewheel, CX chain and the yellow collar with Syncro 2 levers.

Here's a gratuitous picture -- a pile of NOS Syncro II's. Its all part of my effort to corner the market in obsolete, inferior technology.

The last gasps of Syncro

When people think of Syncro shifters, they tend to think of 2 versions. The original version, with the little lever on the side, and then Syncro 2, which I detailed in an earlier blog post. That really doesn't show the big picture -- the introduction of 8 speed cassettes and Ergopower didn't herald the end of the downtube shifter.

1991 saw the introduction of 8 speeds for us mortals. But in order to take up 8 speeds worth of shifting, without having to bend the lever past the downtube, some changes had to be made



A larger takeup barrel was added. But that was basically the only change made to the 1991 version. Flat shifter lever, and the identical innards to the Syncro 2.



1992 saw some more obvious changes to the shifter. The ability to switch between friction and indexed was done away with -- no longer could you pull out a collar and rotate it to disengage the indexing cog. The lever itself was curved, for your comfort.



The innards were also mildly changed, but the 2-spring arrangement of Syncro 2 remained. A small adjuster was added to the rear shifter to allow the "possibility of adjustment while racing" -- which is probably Campy speak for "compensate for our mediocre design while riding."

The left/front lever was also redesigned...but its still a friction shifter. Nothing too exciting there. If you're reading this with the hope of seeing it, just place a comment indicating you'd like to see it, and I'll add some pictures.



1995 saw the final redesign of the lever. Outside it looks fairly similar, but inside it saw a pretty significant change.



A insert contains all the shifting bits. A new 3-spring design was employed. The upside to this was better support around the collar, which gave improved precision to the whole mechanism.

This design still lives. Campagnolo discontinued downtube shifters altogether in 2001, but the same design is used for the 10 speed bar end shifters today. If you wanted 10 speed indexed shifters, you'd just need a set of stops, and a set of the bar end shifters, or a set of the 95+ shifters, and a 10 speed indexing collar.

Colnago Branded Delta's

Whole lotta Campy Delta happenings around here. This set is pretty neat:



Colnago polished-and-labeled Record Delta's. Soooo pretty. Makes me want to buy a Colnago just to have a place to put them.

Campy Delta's

I've got a couple of sets of Campagnolo Delta brakes. Maybe I'm in the minority, but I like them. They feather well, and if I need to come to a screeching halt, they can do that too. And no brake looks as cool



This set is the Croce d'Aune version. Whole lotta engineering going on in these. let's take a peek.



Inside the Croce d'Aune Delta. See those 2 studs at the bottom? Those hold the bottom of the front plate on. The internal is a diamond linkage -- the linkage sandwiches the arms, cable fixing bolts, and a hollow tube at the top, on which the top retention adjuster, and the knurled cable adjuster thread.

Man oh man are these dirty.



The backside. The springs force the arms inward. The studs the brakes press against are the pivots for the diamond linkage. They're C-clipped in place.

Contrary to what you may have read elsewhere, you can *not* adjust the height of the CdA delta. The mounting bolt also secures the spring, so if it moved up or down, it would impact the spring mounting and tension. Delta's are finicky enough about setup as is.

Mavic 571/2 HG Hubset

Well I certainly never thought I'd find a set, but it happened. NOS, still in the boxes 571/2 HG hubset. And they're perfect.



Not a scratch.



The biggest problem is, how could I ever bring myself to use these? And so the search for a gently used set continues.

Merckx serials and dating frames

Finally made my Merckx serial list public and palatable for the world at large. Check it out at http://www.cadre.org/Merckx/.

Two versions of the original Powergrade brake lever

Did you know Campagnolo partially redesigned the Powergrade brake lever used for Delta brakes? Me neither.

In 1988, Campy switched to the Powergrade brake lever, so one could fine tune the cable pull at the lever. In 1989, they changed the design subtly.



The angle the cable end holder thingy is adjusted at changed. The earlier lever is on the left and the later on the right. The range on the 1988 version is relatively small, and more horizonal. The later version gives a little more range. The hoods also changed at some point from the type that takes a plug (as found in the pre-powergrade version from 1987 and prior) to one that has a punch out piece molded in.

Useless info, but interesting nonetheless.

The Mavic 571 cassette hub

Finally managed to score a Mavic 571 rear hub.



It came to me with an original, and as far as I can tell, unused, 13-23 Mavic cassette. The original skewer wasn't present; fortunately I have a correct one.



It's not the 571/2HG, so its unlikely I'll use it any time soon -- it would require actually shifting (ha!) to 821 shifters, or Shimano 8 speed brifters...neither are options I'm particularly interested in at the moment. If I stumble across a suitable rim, maybe I'll build it up. Just in case, ya know, I decide to try it out.

How it started....

A comment in my last post got me writing a comment back. Went long enough that it might as well be a post.

It started with the fixie -- though I'd like to go on record as having bought said Pista in 2002, prior to the current ridiculousness, and I sold the thing off to a (way too short) hipster for more than I paid. The geek part started with the blue Merckx.

I had gotten a ridiculous deal on a barely used Bianchi XL Boron. Being as powerful as I am (and smooth too!), I must have flexed it too much when riding, cause the clear coat on it developed spiderweb cracks on the top tube. Not the tube itself, just the paint. It kind of freaked me out a little, though. But mostly, it made for an excellent excuse to get a new frame.

So I started looking around for a new frame on eBay, when I saw the blue Merckx. "It must be mine!" I thought. Or possibly said to myself, the cat, or my wife, who at the time was just my new girlfriend, and infinitely less likely to opine "its nice, but where are you going to put it?"

Anyhow, it ended up selling on eBay to someone else, for more than I was willing to pay. I was sad. So I started doing some research. Merckx Grand Prix are rare, as I began to learn. Depression set it. I'd never have that bike!

Then suddenly it happened. Apparently, the guy who outbid me had a wife or something who did ask where he was going to put it, and the frame was being put back up on the block. For 7 tense days I watched + waited. 10 seconds left, I submitted my bid. My browser spun the little loading arrow. Was the Internet going to conspire against me? Would my bid go through?

As you probably guessed, it did. i ended up getting it for less than I had been willing to pay originally, and less than the guy had got it for. That was almost exactly 3 years ago now. It's morphed in to a mostly-Mavic equipped ride, but its still rocking the Ultegra 600 brakes my friend Jeremy (who spurred this post) gave me so I wouldn't kill myself riding a brakeless fixie. Thanks man!

The Merckx, just arrived, 2004.


I just got another Merckx -- the older one seen in the recent posts. My wife hasn't given me the "where are you going to put it" look yet, but I've already torn down my soon to be old commuter bike, in preparation for getting rid of the frame + pieces I won't be using on this bike. I figure being proactive buys me something, right?

Mavic 821 Shifters

Mavic's 821 shifters were their only non-electronic foray in to indexed shifting***. They're ultra simple, and in some ways fairly crude. I'll do a teardown of them with pictures at some point.

Really, this posting is just an excuse to post a picture shot in my home made lightbox. Makes for a nice, smooth background with no flash reflections. Still needs some work, and I need to get used to shooting in it, but it should make the quality of my pictures at least tolerable.

*** Their MTB Wishbone shifters were the same basic design, using a notched disc. Same general idea, but different. My mistake.

C-Record Brake Levers

Just got a nice set of C-Record/Croce d'Aune brake levers. These are going to be paired up with a set of CdA Delta's, to be used on the new Merckx. Still not sure of the date on the Merckx, but I'm not all that concerned. Its just an excuse to build up a fullish CdA bike. Even going to try using a set of Syncro's in indexing mode.

The levers arrived in pretty dirty condition. I spent 30 or so minutes cleaning them up, and they look fantastic.

Left is before, right is after. Hot soap and water can really work miracles when it comes to brake hoods.

A new bike in the family

I recently stumbled on an early Merckx frame while perusing ebay. Not the earliest, but sort of a transitional frame between the first generation and second generation of Merckx frames. On a whim, I threw what I thought was a low bid on it, and won. It was in Belgium, so I expected to wait quite some time to receive it, but to my surprise, it arrived less than a week later.

Its an SL road frame. My guess is 84 or 85 -- I'll be mailing the folks at Gita, the importer of Merckx bikes in to the US to see if they can give me a date. No idea if they have a list of all bikes made, or if there's a serial scheme they haven't told anyone, but they might be able to give me more info. It has under-the-bottom-bracket gear cable routing -- so not early 80's, on top of the top tube brake routing, so not late 80s, and a single set of bottle bosses, which would be abnormal by the mid-to-late 80's.

Early-to-Mid 80's SL decal.

Early style side-slant lettering on the downtube

The modern EM logo caps on the seatstays.

All of which says to me, 84/85. I'll update when/if I hear from Gitabike.

My Merckx updated...

Its been 8+ months since my original post on my Merckx, so its time for an update.

• 1988/89 Eddy Merckx Gran Prix Frame (Reynolds 753)
  
• Mavic drivetrain (631 Crank, 840 Rear Derailleur, Mavic 862 Front derailleur)
  
• Shimano Ultegra 9 Speed Hubs/Cassette laced to Mavic Open Pro rims, Tufo Tires
  
• Dura Ace downtube shifters + brake levers, Ultegra 600 Calipers
  
• Cinelli Campione Del Mondo bars, 1A stem
  
• Campagnolo Croce d'Aune seatpost
  
• Look 357 Pedals
  

I'm quite happy with it at the moment. I'm sitting on a set of Mavic 821 shifters, that just might be able to do 9 speed, but I'm thus far resisting the urge to test them out. Oh, and good news -- the 840 rear derailleur does a great job shifting across 9 speeds. Very nice + crisp.

Also in the "someday-maybe-never" box are a set of 453 brake levers (not as nice as the DA), the 440 brake calipers (single pivot -- no thanks) and a set of 645LS pedals (might move to them, but I'm wary of clipless pedals that old). Almost everything I need for a full period setup, EXCEPT a 571 cassette setup, in Shimano spline pattern (571/2 HG I believe?). Don't want to give up my 9 speeds, or the ability to get cassettes at a reasonable price point.

The Elusive Mavic 840 Derailleur...

is finally mine. I managed to snag one on ebay for a song -- literally at 25% of the cost it should have gone for. Go me. Click for a bigger picture.



Its got the usual array of scratches and scrapes. I tore it down, cleaned it, and rebuilt it. Its very smooth. Its about half an ounce heavier than a Shimano Ultegra 600 rear (RD-6400), so I won't notice its extra weight. Now I just need to mount it up, set the limits, and see if I can't get it working on a 9 speed setup. It has a ton of range, so I don't think its going to be an issue.

Modolo Brakes - SLK Style...

Modolo made a whole variety of brakes, particularly in the late 80's and early 90's. Eventually I'll get around to cataloging the earlier "Professional" style calipers, but here's a rundown of the SLK family. Click any picture for a larger version.



The ALX90 was, I think, the top of the line at the time. Or maybe it was...



The Equipe. I think this just may have also been designated the KX90. Definitely a pattern with different names for what amount to different finishes -- these look identical to the ALX90's. Can you spot the differences? Slightly different stripes on the brake arm, and the graphics on the levers themselves.



Uh oh. The Master SLK 90. Looks just about 100% identical to the above, but in a white finish.



Finally, the Mach. This is a Mach I, the lowest on the totem pole. Still a nice brake. The fixing hardware is different. They also came with cheapy, molded brake blocks.

In pecking order, they likely go:
Master SLK / Equipe
ALX90
Mach (III, II, I)

But I'm not sure on the top 3. They're extremely similar. I'd only put the ALX90 below the Master SLK + Equipe due to the lack of graphics on the brake levers. Very scientific.

One things for certain. This family is where the Mavic 440 comes from.

More Mavic goodies

631 Crank



801 Derailleur



820 Retrofriction Shifters



As always, click any picture for a bigger version.

Cool stuff. The cranks are destined to be mounted on my Merckx, once I find a bottom bracket of the right size -- 70x113 Italian bottom brackets aren't terribly easy to find these days, especially in a square taper. They're probably heavier than the Ultegras on there now, but weight be damned, I'm all about aesthetics. Sooner or later I'll track down an 840 rear derailleur. They're Shimano indexing compatible, so I'll be able to keep the Shimano 9 speed shifters and cassette. Going non-indexed on my main rider just isn't going to happen.

Mavic 862 Derailleur

Just picked up a Mavic 862 front derailleur. The 862 is the braze on, and the 860 the clamp-on. These were made in the late 80's, until some time in the early-to-mid nineties.


Click for a larger picture

The Mavic stuff is really very very cool. The derailleur is held together entirely with allen head screws with bolts, and hinge pins with small split retaining rings. You can take it down to every one of its constituent parts, without having to drill or grind anything out. Which would have been very nice, if one could actually get replacement parts for any of it. At least you can take 2 (differently) broken ones and assemble a working one thats every bit as good as it originally was.

Evolution of Shimano RD-740x

The Shimano 7400 series derailleur went through, as far as I know, 3 revisions. The original was the 7400, 6 speeds.



Next was the 7401. Labeled for 6 or 7 speeds (in fact, the whole series will work up through 8 just fine). The cage has changed where the tension pulley attaches -- it has straightened.



Finally, the 7402. This was the 8 speed model. Similar cage to the 7401. The cage pivot, however, has changed, and is no longer exposed when the derailleur is mounted. It instead is accessed from the backside of the derailleur. The return spring is also more easily tuned, and a block to prevent the chain from jumping out of the derailleur has been added near the tension wheel. Prior models only had them near the jockey wheel. The marble hued name plate is also pretty snazzy.



Interesting note -- the cable anchor bolt on every one of the above pictures is not installed the way Shimano intended (or, at least, not on the 7402 and 7401. Its just an assumption with the 7400). The bolt portion should, in fact, be on the inside of the parallelogram, and the outside should instead merely have a flat, circular plate to hold the cable on. This is a little "cleaner" and perhaps more visually appealing -- it is, however, a pain in the neck to adjust when the derailleur is mounted, as the allen key must be maneuvered inside, while holding the cable tight. They work just as well as seen in the pictures, and are a whole lot easier to adjust IMO.

Saavedra Headset

Recently acquired a Saavedra headset. Saavedra was (is?) an Argentinian company that was probably best known for its Turbo rim -- extremely lightweight, and apparently not the longest lifespan. They also made components that were Campagnolo knockoffs. This headset is one of them -- albeit with an interesting twist.

As usual, click any picture for a larger version.



The headset looks like what would happen if a C-Record headset mated with a Stronglight Delta. The lock nut and part of the adjustable race look C-Record, but the entire bottom assembly, and the upper race look like a Delta.




And like a Delta, its a roller bearing design, with steel races. Quite nice, and cheap to boot. 43mm (give or take a mm) stack height. 115 grams -- so while its a tall headset, its also quite light compared to other comparable headsets.