I bought this bike 2 days ago. I searched for some info, but couldn't find it. The only information I found was to be around 1972
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1I initially removed the mountain bike tag because it's a Merckx, eponymously named after Eddy Merckx, who made his name racing road and I am pretty sure his line of bikes didn't include MTBs. At least, the color and the decals suggest a Merckx - the decal on the down tube looks a bit roughly done and I wonder if it's possibly fake.– Weiwen NgCommented Mar 13, 2021 at 11:36
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2Certainly no earlier than 1972, but likely some time in the 70s or 80s. The handlebar may have been replaced.– Daniel R HicksCommented Mar 13, 2021 at 13:17
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2Such a nice bike with such ugly handlebars.– Vladimir F Героям славаCommented Mar 13, 2021 at 13:34
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1At the very least have the brakes and brake cables serviced. The pads look ancient, the rear cable housing looks frayed where it enters the cable stop (missing cap?). Are the brakes even compatible with the brake levers?– MichaelCommented Mar 13, 2021 at 14:00
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1@Michael: The brakes look like MAFAC brakes, if the levers are road-type, they will be correct. But I have serious doubts about this being a Merckx, the CR doesn't belong indeed. More a donkey trying to pass for a race-horse.– CarelCommented Mar 13, 2021 at 15:12
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1 Answer
Assuming this is an Eddy Merckx, you can tell a lot about it from its serial number, which should be stamped on the underside of the bottom bracket. There are a few serial-number decoders online. Here's one. The one confounding factor is the "CR" seatstay caps. Merckxs usually (but not always) had an "EM" cap. That orange was a popular color for Merckx bikes, but usually there was a blue panel on the downtube, not seat tube, and I don't think they ever were pinstriped.
answered Mar 13, 2021 at 14:03
