Richard,
I've been trying to find out more about Kessel's relationship w/Merckx for the past six months or so, but I'm not making much progress. Kessels is effectively no longer in business and they sold bikes under the "Main D'Or" name. Another firm currently has the use of the "Main D'Or" name is putting it on a line of hybrid-like touring bikes that available in Belgium. Also, from what I've been told by a few people in Belgium & the Netherlands, the bikes that Kessels built for Merckx had a larger diameter seat stay tube than Colnago/DeRosa, and the seat stay cap was also flat, not fluted. I can not say this is 100% true, but it seems that most pics that show such details also feature a painted fork crown (not plated), but the crowns do appear to be Fisher (sp?). Also, the lugs on Kessels built frames for Merckx were the NOT the Prugnat 62D style, which were used by Colnago, but rather the simple long-point style Prugnats w/o any further embellishments (which model are these?).
Dave Patrick Chelsea, Michigan
"richardsachs@juno.com" <richardsachs@juno.com> wrote:
clearly, kessels is the hands-down winner. they were imported into the states in the 70s and they were indistinguishable from derosas from 5-10 feet away. does anyone know how to date a kessels? does anyone own a kessel vessel? e-RICHIE chester, ct
-- David Patrick wrote: This has been discussed many, many times before. In the archives you'll find a post that mentions a list of bike ridden obtained directly from Eddy by Brett Horton, and it is as follows:
1965 - Superia (stock bike) 1966 - Peugeot (stock bike) 1967 - Peugeot (stock bike) and Masi 1968 - Masi 1969 - Marcel Van der Este (Belgian builder) 1970 - Pella (or Pello) Torino, Italy 1971 - Colnago and Kessels 1972 - Colnago and Kessels 1973 - Colnago and Kessels 1974 - DeRosa and Kessels 1975 - DeRosa and Kessels 1976 - DeRosa and Kessels 1977 - DeRosa