Eddy Merckx Corsa Extra
Matthewfalle
Posts: 17,380
Hello
I've just acquired for nothing an Eddy Merckx Corsa Extra.
What is it? Is it any good? Brief Google search says yes it's a good 'un and a keeper/long term project but I have honestly no idea.
Current set up is Record Ti shifters, Chorus rear mech, oversize Ali Cinelli bars, everything else looks standard.
Any comments gratefully received.
Many thanks
M.
I've just acquired for nothing an Eddy Merckx Corsa Extra.
What is it? Is it any good? Brief Google search says yes it's a good 'un and a keeper/long term project but I have honestly no idea.
Current set up is Record Ti shifters, Chorus rear mech, oversize Ali Cinelli bars, everything else looks standard.
Any comments gratefully received.
Many thanks
M.
Postby team47b » Sun Jun 28, 2015 11:53 am
De Sisti wrote:
This is one of the silliest threads I've come across.
Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour
De Sisti wrote:
This is one of the silliest threads I've come across.
Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour
smithy21 wrote:
He's right you know.
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Posts
ABCC Cycling Coach
Not worth messing with, I'll take it off your hands for £50
Nap: thank you very much - excellent as always.
Random: very kind offer, thank you. If it would have been £54 then it would have been yours - so near and yet so far
I'll try and get around to giving it a good clean this weekend and try and post some piccies.
As an aside, it has Campy cranks but they don't have a gruppo name on them, just the Campy symbol - I presume bottom end/Chorus as per the rear mech at the most? They are the same as ones I have on a Giant Cadex I have hanging on a wall and I think that came with Chorus as standard.
Many thanks in advance for any help with this folly you can give!
M
De Sisti wrote:
This is one of the silliest threads I've come across.
Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour
Keep in mind too that Chorus is good stuff, was second in the Campagnolo hierarchy at the time (now third with the reintroduction of Super Record in 2009).
Also, yes, they're fairly sought after in the realm of classic bikes. Even more so in the team Motorola colours. Certainly worth keeping as a project, even the parts on it are evidently pretty nice - even the Record Ti parts are worth a fair bit nowadays if they're in good condition.
That's brilliant - thank you very much. Is there any way of finding out what the cranks are? I had a look at the back of the crank arms but they only have the length of them on there. At this point it doesn't matter too much but intrigued I suppose.
The shifters are nice and clean, no scrapes, although the Record Ti wording is a tad more faded on one than the other.
Think that this maybe a hang off the wall and spend ages collecting suitable parts/touching up chips before a long Sunday eve build in front of the fire.
Intention is just to touch up chips but leave patina as much as possible - sound ok?
De Sisti wrote:
This is one of the silliest threads I've come across.
Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour
Marin Nail Trail
Cotic Solaris
Plan is: thorough degrease, car shampoo wash (maybe do this a couple of times), T Cut, wash, polish with Auto Glym, start build.
It's not actually as bad as it sounds from the above but my medic OCD prevents me from touching anything that even has the remotest bit of cack on it.
Waddya say?
Seized Campag Chorus seat post is the first thing to get sorted, the headset (Campy as well at the mo') - all parts will remain Campy. Selle Italia Flite that is on there at the mo' will be polished with Kiwi and have some very Rey retro (early 90s) Look and Time pedals that will go on - probably the Time ones (unless I'm causing heresy without knowing it) as they are a tighter spring.
Wheel choice is the main issue - this will be a long term saving up point.
De Sisti wrote:
This is one of the silliest threads I've come across.
Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour
Go on then, I'll take it
De Sisti wrote:
This is one of the silliest threads I've come across.
Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour
Couldn't possibly clutter up your life with it my friend.
De Sisti wrote:
This is one of the silliest threads I've come across.
Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour
Buona fortuna.
Marin Nail Trail
Cotic Solaris
Well, it's a bit of hard work but try to identify them through these:
http://www.retrobike.co.uk/gallery2/v/Manufacturer+Archive/Campagnolo+Archive/Campagnolo+Catalogues/
You will note that as raisnberry said, they could be anything from Avanti up to Record. It will help in the cross reference if you can date them: on the back of the arms, there may be a number in a box, or circle or diamond (or something similar). Starting in 1973 the crank arms have a code consisting of a diamond (1970's) or circle (1980's) with a number in the center denoting the last digit of the year of manufacture, and then in 1985-9 with square and number in the center: 11 = 1985, 21 = 1986, 31 = 1987, 41 = 1988, 51 = 1989 plus some other examples. (Stolen from here: http://www.velo-retro.com/tline.html
Does it look anything like this?: http://www.steel-vintage.com/eddy-merckx-corsa-extra-classic-bicycle-detail
http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/download/file.php?id=124789
De Sisti wrote:
This is one of the silliest threads I've come across.
Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour
Thank you!
De Sisti wrote:
This is one of the silliest threads I've come across.
Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour
Press the img button above and copy the url of the image into the middle.
Marin Nail Trail
Cotic Solaris
Sorry MF I just don't see the beauty in this, could you explain it to me please?
Crudder
CX
Toy
Thank you for that Flaneur - much appreciated.
I must admit that I can see exactly where you are coming from and would normally agree 100% - not to mention that the one above is a shed, but I've never had a really decent steel frame before and am intrigued about all the hyperbole surrounding same said. It's also cost me nothing.
I think that built up properly it could look pretty cool - half of me wants to chuck some deep rim carbons on it and half of me wants to keep it period (as it cost me nothing and isn't perfect - not to mention the spare deep rim carbons I have I have sitting in the garage, I don't think it's sacrilege and could look uber cool). Either that or some Shamals (but am baulking at the cost to tell the truth).
Black bar tape, polished up black Flite (not too polished, just the mankiness taken off), black deep rims, black or tan wall tyres - will draw in the eye and show off the pearlescent frame colours really nicely I think. May have to buy some black pedals but as there are massive discounts on everywhere at the mo this is an incidental expense that can be used on other bikes anyway.
At the end of the day if I don't like it I can either hang it on the wall to look at or sell on at a profit, so no real harm done (plus a learning curve on Campy gruppo'ed steel framed bike recto job in the mental library).
Having started the clean up today it does look pukka - turns out to be Chorus cranks. Will order some massively discounted Campy cables and track down some lime green touch up paint in the right shade next week and see where it goes.
Will throw the deep rims on for wheeling it about and post a piccie.
De Sisti wrote:
This is one of the silliest threads I've come across.
Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour
ABCC Cycling Coach
Heading across now
De Sisti wrote:
This is one of the silliest threads I've come across.
Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour
Hmmm, this may prove tricky and don't want to resort to shallows as I just don't like them ......
De Sisti wrote:
This is one of the silliest threads I've come across.
Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour
This bike rocks. In fact, I'm off to polish it now.
De Sisti wrote:
This is one of the silliest threads I've come across.
Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour
I care and I want to see pics when you've got it into one piece.
Sans pedals, cables, chain, cages and handlebar tape: 8.34 kilo and far too nice to put any cheap crud on it, so this is going to bankrupt me.
Waddy a say - just over 9kg in race trim? Just some simple cages, nice pedals, light KMC chain.......
Piccies to follow.
It's lush. Even TDV said so and she generally doesn't care one jot what I do.
De Sisti wrote:
This is one of the silliest threads I've come across.
Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour
ABCC Cycling Coach
For the first time in ages I'm genuinely excited about a bicycle. Deffo the race bike for next season so I can burn everyone off on a 20 year old steelie that cost nothing.
De Sisti wrote:
This is one of the silliest threads I've come across.
Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour
Pictures are ready to go but when I try and attached them using the upload attachment bit below it says that the page (ie B/Radar) is unavailable - me being a mong or site playing up? Any ideas?
De Sisti wrote:
This is one of the silliest threads I've come across.
Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour
ABCC Cycling Coach
Team: No - that's Pinna's good bike. Bets in Gallovidia I understand.
De Sisti wrote:
This is one of the silliest threads I've come across.
Recognition at last Matthew, well done!, a justified honour