Rat-Merckx build... or is it?

The clocks go forward, the sun comes out and I start my first build of 2012. Inspired by the Frankenbikes thread, this is my second attempt to assemble something with the look of age. Or just age.

It begins with a mystery frame badged perhaps optimistically as an Eddy Merckx. Definitely doesn’t look like one of those Falcon pretenders from the 70s (clearances, braze-ons and dropouts all different) but whiffs a bit of a deceitful sticker swap at some point in its life (especially amusing is the sellotape that holds the very iffy Columbus tubing sticker in place!). Anybody recognize what it is?

Anyway, the frame’s nicely aged in baking-foil silver with scrapes and a little rust here and there. I sourced a cheap old Brooks from the ’Bay and Pistoffski supplied a brilliantly filthy Mavic/Maillard track wheelset that apparently lived for several years on an old Holdsworth – outside, too, by the looks of it. I resisted the urge to clean them, but gave the hubs a service – and I’m going to take a chance with the well-worn Wolber tyres too. We’ll see if they last.

Bars and stem were robbed off an old Raleigh that’s been propped up against my shed for an age and crankset and pedals from (another) old Raleigh Quadra that I refurbed last year. Bottom bracket is a used parts-bin Token item and the brake lever and caliper are eBay cheapies, both chosen for their used look.

Finally, I wrapped the bars in some old brown cloth tape, which I plan to beat up a bit to give it more of a look of age in-keeping with the rest of the rat-look. Just a chain and a suitably old-looking brake cable to go and it’ll be on the road.

For how long, though, remains to be seen…

Like where this is going :D

The bar tape - when you work on the bike wipe your hands on it ;)

Thanks. Did give the right side of the bar a wipe with a dirty cloth but have since realised that a little Brooks Proofide seems to grubby them up a treat. That and a bit of tactical scraping on brick. More pics soon...

Stalled on this project a bit while other things too over - and because of this unfortunate little problem. Seems buying old weather-beaten Brooks saddles is not without risk:

Anyway that's now gone on to a new home - someone with the confidence (naivety?) to attempt a repair. So, several weeks with one eye on eBay and eventually a replacement turned up:

Similarly battle-weary and actually a better shape. I treated it with Proofide which has actually lifted it a bit when I'd rather have left it dull and cracked, but I think it might help with the longevity.

Next I revisited the bars. In the pics above I used an old weathered pair of drops off an old Raleigh, but I was never that keen on the shape - and it was difficult to give the cloth tape the rat-look of the rest of the build. Instead I found some old track-style bars in the bottom of a dusty box at a bike jumble - stamped 'Dawes Concorde' and ideal without bar tape or a polishing cloth. A five-quid bargain:

The rest remains as originally built - complete with years of grime and surface rust. My only dilemma now are those tyres - they are ancient Wolbers that are holding air but, well, might be pushing my luck with those. I'd like to find some nicely aged 700x28 gumwalls I think...

Anyway, the rest of the pics:

Still, by the way, none the wiser about exactly what the frame is. Clues appreciated...

Re the tyres: just get new ones. Panneracers are a good balance.

Don't worry about "making" a rat-look. Any gumwall that gets used and isn't cleaned will look dirty in next to. I time. Plus tyres are one of the biggest and easiest Improvement that you can make to a bike - why negatively effect the performance with old shot tyres(?).

I'd recon that cloth would have been the perfect choice for a "rat-look"... you just have to ride it more ;) Light colours would be best as they'll discolour fastest - I'd say white.

you can buy this

and this

The combo will look ratty but will ride a lot better.

All about white cloth tape. Looks fucking grotty within the first 50 miles.

White cloth it is then, thanks. And some gum walls. Stand by.

On another note - did some digging on what the frame was. Got nowhere. Definitely not a Falcon, that's for sure. A few things about the frame look Kessels, but the forks, although well made, are not flat-crowned like most. Found the original post of the guy my brother bought the frame from a couple of years back (turned out too big for him in the end and it's been in our shed ever since) and it gave few clues. Bottom bracket is unstamped and not cut out. There's that Columbus SPX sticker but it's covered in Sellotape, which means either it started to fall off or isn't original. The rest of the bike looks like original paint and decals, but no stamps anywhere. Thing is, it's not a heavy frame, the clearances are good, lugs quite nice and it seems well made...

Falcon actually made some decent Eddy Merckx frame (they were under licensed), so I wouldn't rule them out...

Interesting, thanks. I think that could be it:

http://www.bikebrothers.co.uk/falcon_eddy_files/falconad_eddy_page01_800.jpg

The question now is which one. Probably not a research job to start in the office...

Update on this: a pair of dirt cheap nos 700x28s on their way in the post. Gumwalls, reasonable quality and, brilliantly, non-matching which will hopefully add to the effect. Pics soon.

This is awesome. Would love to see the frame with brazed on track ends. Would be pointless but cool haha.
Some battered cloth tape or maybe that silver shiny tape would look really good with it too I reckon.

The most important question is what did you tape the new bars with?

That track end idea is a tempting one - pointless but cool as you say - but I'm not sure I'd have the heart to chop it.

As for bar tape, all I know is that it will be cloth. I kept the brown stuff I used on the old bars so will probably reuse that first and see what it looks like.

Or maybe the white.

Or the brown.

This is why I haven't wrapped the bars yet...

Stick the brown stuff on and use it until you make a proper decision. Get it looking nice and grubby.

Sounds like a good idea. Nothing to lose by trying the brown tape as it has been used already. Might tape only half way up. Still waiting for those tyres to arrive anyway, so will have a play once they get here.

Work is killing me at the moment so not much bike action. But I did manage to get those NOS tyres fitted up that I mentioned all those weeks ago. One's a Michelin, the other a Nutrack, both suitably gumwalled and 700x28 so they fill up the clearances a bit. Can't wait to dirty them up a bit:

Slightly blurrier pics than I would like but you get the idea. Just a little of the aforementioned cloth bar tape to wrap now and we're finished...