Dumb Eddy question

Martin Van Nostrand
Martin Van Nostrand Posts: 149
edited January 2009 in Pro race
I've been wittling away the cold Canadian winter watching Eddy Merckx vids.
The striking aspect of his riding in races was his incessant adjustment of his saddle and bars mid-race, often with a little spanner he carried, or got from the team car.

All I can think is - his parts supplier was Campagnolo, inventor of many cool cycling parts, including the quick-release skewer.

Why didn't Eddy have a quick release on his seatpost?
http://commiecanuck.blogspot.com/

Comments

  • jocksyboy
    jocksyboy Posts: 135
    Don't think they has them then.

    Also in his biog they go on about how he constantly fussed about all aspects of kit and often took loads of extra bikes etc to races

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eddy-Merckx-Greatest-Cyclist-Century/dp/1884737722/ref=sr_11_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1232200601&sr=11-1

    great book well worth a read
    When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. ~H.G. Wells
  • Johnny G
    Johnny G Posts: 348
    His obsession with his riding position was due to a velodrome crash in 1969 which caused a displaced pelvis and meant that he suffered from chronic back pain for the rest of his career.

    Frightening to think that without this injury he may have won more races and continued competing for longer. He was only 32 when he retired.
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    I think it was MTBing that introduced QR seat clamps into the cycling world. (waits to be proven wrong)
  • aurelio_-_banned
    aurelio_-_banned Posts: 1,317
    cougie wrote:
    I think it was MTBing that introduced QR seat clamps into the cycling world. (waits to be proven wrong)
    In the late 1960's and early 1970's Campagnolo produced a whole range of QR seatpin bolts. They were advertised as allowing quick adjustments to be made if a rider had to give his teammate their machine. For example, see the catalogue below from 1969.

    http://www.campyonly.com/history/catalo ... log_16.pdf

    I can guess why Merckx didn't use one. I had one of the 1240 model QR seatpin bolts and it was really heavy for what it was, being well over-engineered and made entirely of solid steel.
  • Martin Van Nostrand
    Martin Van Nostrand Posts: 149
    Yeah, but he's Eddy. He could have just told Tullio to make one up out of ally post-haste.

    The weight issue is likely the explanation, as Merckx wouldn't carry a spanner, he had his domestique bring one from the team car.

    I need a domestique.
    http://commiecanuck.blogspot.com/

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