Category Archives: Bicycles

Eddie Merckx 7-11 Corsa – New Photos!

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I originally featured this bike back in January when I first acquired it, but since then I have done a number of upgrades to improve the fit and handling.  I switched the Selle Italia Flite saddle for an upgraded Gel Flow version with titanium rails, swapped the bar/stem combo for an original Eddie Merckx pantographed Cinelli stem and a set of Ritchie Pro Biomax bars wrapped in Cinelli cork tape, added a set of Origin-8 white pedals with white Soma Oppy-X four-gate toe clips and a set of red nylon double straps from King Kog.  Finally, a pair of new red water bottles to keep me hydrated on long rides.

This morning, after being first rained on, then snowed on during my commute into work, the sun broke through the clouds and I took these fantastic pics of the bike.  Enjoy!

Check out all the pictures after the jump.  Click the pictures to see the full-size version.

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Freeman Transport Double Straps

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ds2

I just ordered a pair of these gorgeous hand-made double straps from Freeman Transport. Unlike MKS or Toshi straps, they are pure oiled leather (not laminated), giving them a simple classy look which is accentuated by the old-school buckles. I’m planning on putting these onto a city bike I’m building in April. They are part of a limited run of just 50 pairs, so go to Freeman’s store and get yours now.

Eddie Merckx Corsa – original team 7-11 colors

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merckx_sidefull

Here’s my latest two-wheeled acquisition, an Eddie Merckx Corsa, in the colors of the famous 7-11 cycling team.  It is an “original model” made of Columbus TSX tubing and features the distinctive flat-topped fork bridge, instead of the sloped fork found on the 2007 re-issue of the bike.  It is not the “Extra” model which had a chrome fork and internal routing for the brake cable, however.  It has a Shimano Ultegra group on it currently, although that is most likely not the original group, based on details in the 1990 Eddie Merckx catalog.

The previous owner has already set up a Velospace page for this bike, as well as a Flickr stream.  Check out Diablo Scott’s blog for a timeline of bikes used by the 7-11 team, including some cool scans of 1989-90 era magazine articles and ads for this bike.

Fuji Track Pro – major upgrades!

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new FTP

I originally built this custom Fuji Track Pro frame up with cheap Bontrager parts from a Trek Soho S, but over the last few months I have been upgrading it to a serious beast.  The crankset is a Dura Ace 7710 “hollow tech” crankset & matching octalink bottom bracket, which feature hollow-forged duraluminum arms for the stiffest and lightest non-carbon cranks available.  It’s matched to Dura Ace 7600 high-flange track hubs laced to a Velocity deep-v wheelset on Continental Gatorskin tires.  The front chainring is a Sugino 75 46T while the cog is a 16T Dura Ace.  I also added a Dura Ace AX seatpost and a rare gray-colored Brooks B17 Pro saddle.  The pedals are MKS Custom Nuevo with MKS Alpha leather double-straps & Christophe clips.  Finally, I swapped the 130mm Cinelli Groove stem for a 120mm, and I might drop it down to 100mm soon.

I’ve been riding this bike as a fixed-gear since December, although I have retained the front and rear brakes for safety, and also so I can switch back to freewheel easily if I wanted.  However, it is a joy to ride fixed and I’m loving every minute on this bike.  Total value is around $1800, so it’s not your average coffee-getter, but I do ride it daily in NYC despite the grit and grime (which you can see in the pics after the jump.)

Lots more pics after the jump!

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White Industries ENO Trials freewheel

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eno freewheel

New bling for the whip – a White Industries “ENO UNO Trials” 18-tooth freewheel.  White makes the strongest, most durable freewheels anywhere, elevating an often-overlooked yet crucial part of all single-speed bikes to an art form.  The 1.370″ x 24 tpi threads fit standard freewheel hubs.  It is fully serviceable and re-buildable.  The Trials is their top model, made of nickle-plated case hardened 8620 steel and featuring a ratcheting mechanism with 72 teeth in which six pawls engage.   Most freewheels have just one or two pawls… the ratchet noise this thing makes is sickkkk!

I bought this one for my Fuji Track Pro to compliment its new Dura Ace 7600 / Velocity Deep-V wheelset.  This is the only freewheel built with the kind of quality equal to its all-Dura Ace drivetrain.  I got this one for $50 gently used on Ebay, but they are for sale at Ben’s Cycle for $110 new.

Cayne Uno polo bike

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Cayne Uno side view

This is my current commuter / beater / tarck / polo bike.  I built it up around a 51cm Cayne Uno frame.  The Uno is a budget steel frame with large rear drop-out guards; not that sexy but rock-solid.

Its got an FSA Pig headset and FSA crankset with a 42T chainring up front and 16t cog in the back; the rear wheel is a flip-flop for fixed or freewheel.  The wheelset is a pair of Weinmann DP-18 deep-V rims laced to Joytech hubs with yellow Panaracer Stradius tires.  The funky chunky stem is an adjustable Kalloy Uno, as are the purple anodized pedals, seatpost, chain, and handlebars which give the bike some budget bling.  The side-pull brake calipers are Promax while the seat is a budget copy of the Selle Concor by CCM, the same model that I used on my first single-speed conversion.

More info & pics after the jump…

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Fuji Track Pro: murdered out!

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Fuji Track Pro view 1

This is my newest and fastest bike – a 2007 Fuji Track Pro with a custom “murdered out” (all black) paint job.  I picked up the frame last month and had it drilled for brakes, since I ride freewheel.  Most of the parts are from my Trek Soho S that I swapped over.  I wasn’t sure I was going to like it, so I didn’t want to drop big $$$ to set it up.

However, I LOVE this bike!  It is the fastest and most responsive ride I’ve ever had.  It almost floats over the rough streets, and it’s easy to jump over larger stuff too.  Of course if I hit a crack or a bump I certainly feel it due to the lightweight frame, but it’s so maneuverable that I rarely do.  I rode it in my first alleycat race last weekend, and will be on it for all races in the future.  Coming soon, I’m putting Dura Ace track cranks, BB, and chain on it, as well as a saddle upgrade to a Brooks Professional that’s a bit more narrow.

More pics after the jump…

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