Bikes Of The Bunch | 7-11 Merckx

7eleven_01

January 24, 2012

Photography:

fyxomatosis

Now that the height of the Australian cycling season is over we can now return to regular programming. Andy White from fyxomatosis sent in this beautifully restored 1989 Eddy Merckx Team 7-Eleven with one of his signature stories to go along with it.

This is why I built it. – by fyxomatosis

I’ve had more Merckx’s than hot breakfasts, but the 7-Eleven and Motorola colourways are standouts.  The 7-Eleven team itself was a pioneering move for Jim Ochowicz who began the US based team dynasty.  7-Eleven later became Motorola, and had World Champion success with an ex-triathlete as well as tour stage wins.  Ochiwiz’s current team incarnation BMC had an amazing year in 2011, winning the Tour with an Australian aboard.

At the time team riders were riding all variations of Merckx’s frame as shown in this picture.  The earlier flat ‘de rosa’ influenced crown, the sloping crown fork, chromed or painted forks,  internal or external brake cable routing, STI levers, or the more tradition indexed down tube shifters.

As Phil Anderson said, Sean Yates is probably still riding downtube shifters.  Yates was also more of a classics rider, which I was drawn to, rather than a grimpeur like Hampsten.

 
The bike features columbus SL tubing, complete Dura Ace 7400 7s S.I.S, single pivot front and rear brakes and loose ball bearings for headset, bottom bracket and hubs.  Cinelli bar and stem.  To me the groupset is as classy today as it was futuristic back then.

- Columbus SL with Shimano 7s SIS Dura-Ace 7400.
- Campagnolo Record Crono tubulars with Clement Servicio Corsa rubber.
- Cinelli XA stem. Cinelli bars.
- Weight with pedals – 9.950kg

[CT] If you’re interested you can go and see this bike and many other cool cycling related things at the FYXO HUB.




SIMILAR ENTRIES

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  • a different ben

    Andy didn’t mention the most uncomfortable saddle ever made.

  • Abdu

    Geez Yates looks like he’s working hard, was he in shape…?

  • Guest

    Disagree! Used to do many kms on the same saddle.

  • tony

    Fantastic! I may be a bit of a retro grouch but this is what a racing bicycle should look like. We should all be so lucky to have such a fine machine. 

  • Matt O

    That picture is of Yates on the Alpe D’Huez stage of the ’89, his one bad day in a Tour where he was flying most days (5th in both TT’s). Note also the avocet speedo, which was never hooked up because Yates disliked them. A shame as he was a demon downhill Toe straps on this bike however? 7-Eleven riders probably hadn’t ridden toe strap peddles since 1986 at the latest. 

  • Timo

    I look at that and see: Needs STI shifters, better brakes, clip-less
    pedals,  more gears, deeper section wheels and a lighter frame.

  • Sime

    Like every other bike on beach road… yawn. 

    Nice piece of diversity CT.

  • tony

    Oh yah I forgot Steel bad, Carbon good. STI good, friction bad. 16 lbs is better than 19. I would love to see what we think about the advert carbon nightmares in 20 or so. 

  • Matt O

    I should just add that the bike looks magnificent. Great work.

  • Hubbard

    Gorgeous! Vintage Merckx will always be a classic! Shame most will never get to experience it.

  • Jon

    Agree. Rolls saddles are not for human bums. I gave my Rolls away. I should have stabbed it with an ice pick, burned it and then run over it with my car a few times just to get even with it.

  • Sean Doyle

    That is pure sex. I wonder if Fyxo would ever consider oarting with this. ???

  • Anonymous

    Love these Merckxeses. Why on earth did they change that logo and font to the current one? It’s so classy.

    The white and pink frame that was down at Shifter at the open day last year too, hommina hommina. If I had the cash to kit it out properly…

  • melbin rider

    top shelf fxyo as per usual …

  • Battistelli Lorenzo

    The shimano stuff looks great.  When did they lose this sense of aesthetic?  One of the last compliments one can pay to campy today is that it looks much better than the shimano (proportions, aesthetics, colors, etc)

  • Runmitch

    hubs should “read from the rear” not the front (NB pic of the front hub above)

  • http://www.omniview.com.au/ Biometrics

    this bike is great. wanted to buy a one.

  • Tim

    Absolutely beautiful. Shame these are a rare breed nowdays. As for sourcing a 7400 Dura Ace grouppo in that condition proves there must be some jewels to be found if you search hard enough.
    As for all those “wheres the carbon” comments this was the cream of the crop back in the late 80s.
    Mind you I did think how do we go fitting Di2 to this frame……..

  • Sebastien

    I want the same for my next Paris-Roubaix. If I’m lucky, I will have snow, wind… and more!! all is good to take a good beer after. Are you ok Andy??  Thanks for the nice picture of the amazing bike…

  • http://twitter.com/Risorto78 Frank Risorto

    Hi Wade, not sure if you’ve read ‘Team 7-Eleven: How an Unsung Band of American Cyclists Took on the World – and Won ‘ you should check it out. I think you’d like it.
    Cheers
    Frank

  • Hadynmcloughlin

    Another first class steel beauty from Andy.

  • Hadynmcloughlin

    Another first class steel beauty from Andy.

  • Hardo

    Actually, I’ve just learned of this little tid-bit whilst building my first set of wheels on a restoration I’m doing. Very minor to most, but wheel builders go nuts for it. This stunning beauty puts my little resto to shame, so I’m keeping my mouth well and truly shut.

  • Hardo

    Actually, I’ve just learned of this little tid-bit whilst building my first set of wheels on a restoration I’m doing. Very minor to most, but wheel builders go nuts for it. This stunning beauty puts my little resto to shame, so I’m keeping my mouth well and truly shut.

  • Hardo

    Andy, your Merckx is mind-bendingly beautiful. Well done on putting your sweat and soul into this build… and sharing it with us. Having just completed my first little resto project, [which wouldn't even come close to this quality]  I now have the bug. Hopefully in the future I get an opportunity to play with a machine as luscious is this one.

  • Cycleguyjack66

    Pretty sure that bike was originally SLX tubing – was it repainted, and maybe misbadged? The store I managed back then was a Merckx dealer (as my shop is now) and I built quite a few of these and during this era everything was SLX…

  • Cycleguyjack66

    BTW, to confirm SL/SLX tubing you can remove the seatpost and shine a flashlight down the seatube, if it has spirals on the lower end it is SLX, if not SL :-)

  • Cycleguyjack66

    BTW, to confirm SL/SLX tubing you can remove the seatpost and shine a flashlight down the seatube, if it has spirals on the lower end it is SLX, if not SL :-)

  • Toneredd

    A Peugeot 504 Wagon and a Merckx, wouldn’t that be nice.

  • Michal

    Beautifully restored bike! Love all the detailed pictures – is it possible that both or just rear tyre are glued on “other way around” ? http://cyclingtipscontent.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/7eleven_17.jpg

  • http://www.fyxomatosis.com fyxomatosis_one

    Hey Cycleguy. 

    I’m ‘pretty sure’ the frame was NOS and original. 

    It is a Corsa model which came with SL.  The Corsa Extra’s were either SLX / TSX / MAX.

    I have a slightly less glamorous version of the 7-Eleven which is an ex team bike, with STI’s for commuting which is SLX.

    I’ll agree to disagree on the subject of Rolls saddles.  No problems from where I sit. 

    Runmitch is correct – the wheels were sourced seperately and not built by Melburn’s best – Shifterbikes.

    Thanks CT for the opportunity to share the bike with your readers. 

    Andy / FYXO

    The bike and my left kidney as both available for purchase. 

  • Tullio

    Last compliments? I bet you’ve never ridden Campy 11, much less worked with it. It’s a pleasure.

  • Anonymous

    Shameless plug of my bike!

    http://www.cycleexif.com/tommasini-strada

  • diamondjimking

    Love the 504 Estate  :-)

  • Timo

    Because it’s not about the bike.

  • Notso Swift

    They were a bit like the original Doc Martin’s, by the time they were well broken in and comfortable they were worn out and needed replacing!

  • justanotheropinion

    For more Merckx cyclo love follow the link http://www.flickr.com/groups/classic_merckx/

  • Scamp42

    Don’t forget Sean wasn’t built like a climber. Mountains were not his forte.

  • Simon B

    Beautiful bike.  This and the super confex colnago are my favourite bikes of all time.  Can’t we just ditch carbon, go back to steel and accept we need to pedal a little bit harder. 

    Columbus SL was great tubing, I still have a frame and its as stiff as stiff thing on national stiff day.  The  Dura ace 7 speed rear mechs were also the dogs.  I still have 2 and they work brilliantly,  I remember having a mix of campag brakes and drive with DA gears (in the days you could just stick any rear mech on a maillard block and just pedal, none of this compatability rubbish.

  • Sascha

    DISAGREE! A real saddle that was used by many pro’s for years and must be decent saddle as it has stood the test of time by still being made today…

  • Aaron

    Ugh, so beautiful. Why don’t they make bikes like this anymore? It’s a damn shame.

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