Hey Chuck, from which direction might we "approach" Eddy? I'd be glad to send an email if I knew where to send it to reach him, or to call if I knew there would be an English speaking someone there willing to talk for a moment. Do you really think Eddy will take MY call?? Goody ... I'm so excited!!
A few notes and developments about the bike. First is that I was trying to come up with the model name of Corsa Extra when I wrote out my inquiry email, but couldn't quite remember it and erroneously came up with Corsa Strada instead. This is a "made up" name in my mistake, and should not be taken to be a real model unless someone knows otherwise. Lou helped me out, showing that the early bikes for the road were called "Road" ... hmmm, very clever. Second is that near the end of the GREAT video Tam linked us to, Eddy mentions that he opened the factory in March of 1980. Clearly then, the bike can't be older than 1980. Third is that my friend Todd absolutely had the bike by the time he graduated high school in June of 1981, and he had to make a couple of payments over a few weeks before he could take it home. All tricky features and serial numbers aside, it doesn't seem likely to me that one of the first frames off the jig would make the long transitional journey to the wall of a shop in Detroit (Jake's Bikes, btw) by summer of the same year, just a few months after opening the factory. Points posted in response to the CR List and to me privately seem to shy away from this possibility too, especially with the mention that the VERY first frames had Eddy Merckx signatures on the seat stays. So, there is extreme likelihood that the bike is an early 1981 build, delivered and purchased during the warm spring of 1981 (or even built VERY late in 1980, but with the features of bikes beginning in about 1981. We are hereby calling this one an early 1981 Road model, until I talk to Eddy or one of his reps, and hear different. Thanks a lot to EVERYONE with their input and points ... it is VERY much appreciated.
Now, the bike is in fact a bit too large for Todd, and although he says he would NEVER sell it, he WOULD consider a trade for same model in say a 52-55cm, c-c. I'm just sayin' is all.
Thanks again everyone for the help, on and off list!
Ciao, Mark Agree Southfield MI ~ ~ ~
In a message dated 5/1/2007 3:04:03 PM Eastern Daylight Time, classicrendezvous-request@bikelist.org writes:
Date: Tue, 1 May 2007 11:12:05 -0700 From: Chuck Schmidt <chuckschmidt@earthlink.net> To: CR <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Subject: Re:[CR]Early Eddy Merckx Corsa Strada ... what year and who built it?
On May 1, 2007, at 11:01 AM, Jeremy Rauch wrote:
> I'm under no delusion that I have everything figured out, so
> corrections +
> additions are much appreciated.
Eddy is extremely "approachable." Why not just ask him?
Chuck Schmidt South Pasadena, CA From: Jeremy Rauch <classic2@cadre.org> To: CR <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Subject: Re: [CR]Early Eddy Merckx Corsa Strada ... what year and who built it?
I keep telling myself I should post this info to the CR list -- seems like a good time...
Over the last year or two I've been collecting Merckx serial numbers in an effort to decipher them. I've pretty much figured out the scheme for 1985+. Prior to '85, the scheme isn't as easy, if it exists at all -- the serials may just be sequential.
The first letter (A) refers to the model. This frame predates the Corsa designation, which would have a C. It may be the Professional Road model. The E is in the position where the date code later is -- but most pre-85 Merckx I've seen have an E, and a variety of claimed dates.
Anyhow, the serial list, information about how the serial numbers are arranged, and some other interesting information at:
I'm under no delusion that I have everything figured out, so corrections + additions are much appreciated.
Jeremy Rauch Brooklyn, NY USA
On May 1, 2007, at 1:34 PM, gene wrote:
> I've tried in the past to see if anyone knew how to decipher a Merckx
> serial number, but couldn't find out anything. I was able to get
> some
> definitive information about my Merckx track bike by writing to the
> workshop in Belgium. It took them a long time to get back
> to me, but they did in the end. So you might try that. I am not sure
> if they were able to help me out because of the serial number, though,
> or
> because of other identifying characteristics.
>
> Looking at the photos of your friend's bike, I would say it is
> definitely not earlier than 1981. The very earliest Merckx bikes have
> Eddy's signature
> reproduced on the seat stay caps, but by 1981 they had the EM logo on
> the seat stays, just like your bike has.
> Other clues to the date: your bike has the flat fork crown, which is
> the earlier style -- some time in the early-to-mid '80s they switched
> to a sloping
> fork crown. And, though I am not 100% sure of this, I think the
> "Handmade in Belgium" stickers were not applied to the downtube until
> the mid-80s.
> My 1981 bike doesn't have one, and it looks like yours doesn't either.
> So I am guessing your bike is from the early 1980s, but no earlier
> than 1981.
>
> Gene Balk
> Seattle, wA
>
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