Velosport Bologna Eddy Merckx 1972

1972 Velosport Bologna Eddy Merckx Racer

This frame and fork were purchased at the Imola Mostra Scambio in 2016. While this is a mass produced frame, it is a great mid to high level racing bike of the period.  I estimate this frameset was produced in the early 1970's. It features:

Campagnolo chromed dropouts
Campagnolo cable guides and stops
Chromed fork crown

I built it using period correct components (more or less), and I ride this bike regularly.  The bike, as pictured, just completed a challenging ride in the mountains west of Boulder.  As it sits, it has the following build:

Period correct Brooks Professional saddle
Campagnolo Record Seatpost 26.2mm
Old logo Cinelli 1A stem with nut
Old logo Cinelli 66-40 bars
Campagnolo record medium reach brake calipers (with incorrect brake pad holders and barrel adjusters)
Campagnolo Record Brake Levers
Velo Orange brake cables (current production)
Campagnolo top tube brake cable clamps
Campagnolo Record clamp on shifters
Campagnolo Pre-CPSC Record front derailleur
Campagnolo Nuovo Record rear derailleur (pat. 1972)
Campagnolo Strada cranks (1983) w/ new Specialties TA chainrings 53/42 (current production)
Phil Wood 114mm ISO bottom bracket with Italian steel rings (current production)
Shimano 6 speed freewheel (14-30)
Tange steel headset (current production)
Campagnolo Record Hubs (120mm spacing) laced to Velo Orange PBP polished rims (36 hole)
Continental Gran Prix Classic Tires (current production)
MKS Supreme Track Pedals w/ MKS Deep Toe Clips (current production) & Alfredo Binda toe straps and Cinelli toe strap buttons
Velox Cotton bar tape (current production)
Specialties TA bottle cage

The decals on this frame are extremely fragile.  The frame and fork were NOS (never built), but the decals were damaged (no clear coat). I've seen a lower level example of this frame at L'Eroica in Italy with the same paint color and decals, and the decals were also in very bad condition.

This bike is not light, but rides extremely well. It descends like it's on rails, and has a very solid but forgiving ride feel.  It has a classic geometry (56cm seat tube and 57cm top tube). My friend (and Master frame builder) Mark Nobilette had a close look at this frame and concluded that it was a well built, probably mass produced frame.  It may be made from straight gauge tubing. Either way, this is a great riding and quite unique piece from the heyday of Mr. Merckx's racing career.

This bike in NOT FOR SALE

For most of his racing career, Eddy Merckx rode bicycles branded with his name and image.  Different manufacturers in different locations were licensed to sell bikes using his branding. While there is no definitive database of which companies were officially licensed, through the years at L'Eroica, on EBay, at many swap meets and vintage events, and on various forums, I've been able to piece together some information. These companies made Eddy Merckx branded frames before Mr. Merckx opened his own frame building factory in approximately 1980.  

Kessels (Belgium).  This manufacturer probably made the largest quantities of Eddy Merckx branded frames and bikes during the 1970's. They occasionally show up on EBay, and I've seen a number of these at various events.  Kessels definitely made a number of the team bikes for the Molteni team. There were at least two different levels of frame finish available. All the Kessels frames I have seen were built using Reynolds tubing.

Colnago (Italy).  Colnago and Mr. Merckx had a long and fruitful relationship, and Colnago sold at least one model with Eddy Merckx branding during the 1970's. I've seen a few of these come across EBay, but I've never seen one in person. I don't know if the geometry was different than the standard Colnago frames sold at the time.

Falcon (United Kingdom).  Falcon sold several different levels of Eddy Merckx branded bikes for the UK (and possibly US) market.  These also seem to have been imported to the USA during that time.  I've seen marketing materials which show a couple of very high end Falcon built Eddy Merckx bikes available.  They come across EBay regularly, but the only ones I've ever seen for sale are very low-end bikes (stamped dropouts, low quality components, etc.).

Velosport Bologna (Italy).  I assume that Velosport Bologna was either a shop or a distributor. I have only seen two of these bikes (one is shown above), and a lower end model with Campagnolo Tipo components at L'Eroica.

Unknown Brand (probably France).  I saw a mid to low level Eddy Merckx branded bicycle at L'Eroica that had Vitus tubing decals.  I could find no other identifying markings, but it was a bike that was made in the 1970's and had decals indicating it was a period correct piece.

Other Rumors:  The following information is PURE HEARSAY (I have absolutely no corroboration), but I've seen it printed on the internet (so it must be true, right?).
Allegro supposedly made Eddy Merckx branded bikes for the Swiss market.
Miyata supposedly made Eddy Merckx branded bikes for the Japanese market.

If anyone out there has any information, please feel free to reach out by email