[CR] Merckx bike ugly scratches

(Example: History:Ted Ernst)

Content-Class: urn:content-classes:message
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:48:00 -0500
Thread-Topic: [CR] Merckx bike ugly scratches
Thread-Index: AcpZb/nwW+3aVdiaQx+tD4wv4hFbmA==
From: "John Hurley" <JHurley@jdabrams.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: [CR] Merckx bike ugly scratches


Jan wrote about the Merckx "quizzler" bike photo:

"...raising the saddle exposed some truly ugly scratch marks." (on the seat post).

It is interesting to me that this professional-grade bike had a flaw that would not be tolerated today. Even kid's bikes have seat posts that fit like pistons these days. My 1977 PX-10LE was also murder on seat posts, and up until a few years ago I just thought having scratched seat posts was part of the natural order of the universe. Things are much better since I got busy and cleaned up inside the seat lug.

This raises some points. Apparently, this particular aspect of bicycle construction and finish wasn't seen as a priority back then, at least by some builders and mechanics. Was this more characteristic of racing vs. touring frames? or frames of certain brands or countries? I would suspect it all came down to the builder, regardless of the frame's purpose or country of origin. Or perhaps the builder assumed this sort of detail should be left to the mechanic who assembled the bicycle. Where or by whom were the Eddy Merckx frames built?

John Hurley
just curious in
Austin, Texas, USA