[CR]Was... Now: the Merckx Hour Record bike?

(Example: Framebuilding:Tubing:Falck)

From: <OROBOYZ@aol.com>
Date: Wed, 2 Apr 2003 09:36:41 EST
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]Was... Now: the Merckx Hour Record bike?

I seem to recall us going over all this topic in depth before (which I say not to chastise you-all for not remembering but more amazed that I do not remember all the details!)

In any case, for certain a bike said to be one of these Merckx Hour Record units resided on display at Il Vecchio's shop in Seattle for quite a while. I understand Eddy had it on loan and then took it back? I think the proprietor of that shop is on this list? Maybe we can get clarification from him or other Seattlites?

I saw a bike described as being one of these at the New York Bike Show (in the Masi USA booth of all places) in the late 1970s. If I recall correctly , it had Merckx decals but obviously a Colnago made frame and cool trick details like the headset cups machined away exposing ball bearings (but still holding them in place.)

Finally, I heard a different rendition of the story why the Hour bike had Windsor decals from that that tale told by Owen Mulholland(".... article on the Torelli site says that it had no label at all before the Windsor label" http://www.torelli.com/owen/eddyhour.html)

I heard that the Mexican officials would not let Eddy ride until he submitted to various levels of bribery, including replacing the Merckx decals with those of Windsor. Colnago had been the official bike builder for Eddy and the loss of "{bragging rights" is why Ernesto became enraged and why he & Eddy parted company (enter Ugo DeRosa after that...)

It is particularly vexing to see Windsor actually advertise that their bike had this accomplishment.. See:

http://www.classicrendezvous.com./Mexico/Windsor_Merckx.htm

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