Team Motorola Merckx

So, I bought a lovely Pinarello Asolo off Saarf early this year:

Great price, but after a lot of riding I concluded that it just wasn't right for me. Sore back and shoulders after rides isn't cool so I started looking for a replacement frame to put the amazing dura ace 7410 groupset on.

After a few dramas I managed to get a gorgeous ex-pro team motorola merckx corsa extra frame from france:

I also managed to source an aero DA seat pin:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&rt=nc&nma=true&item=150852905214&si=bvf2JEeqcHQQpvhHCYTLEr7PcHI%253D&viewitem=&sspagename=ADME%3AX%3ARTQ%3AGB%3A1123&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

I also polished the living daylights out of a Cinelli A1 stem and acquired some Cinelli Giro bars which I thought were much sexier than the Pinarello's bars and hoped would be more comfortable.

I took it all to the best bike shop in Bristol, Bool's Bikes and hey presto, Dan Bool managed to get everything in one place and working in an afternoon:

I've found a couple team motorola spec's online and would like to get the bike closer to those if I can. It also needs some white cabling and bar tape, all of which will come in time! The bottle cage will come off as soon as I've built up the Pinarello into something that can work as my winter commute/training bike.

In the mean time I've got some period Look pedals in white and blue that can go on as soon as I've bought some Delta style cleats.

Any suggestions are most welcome, except from trolls and honey badgers.

Peace

I seem to recall the Avocet o2 titanium was a popular saddle for this team at the time.
Sean Yates aka 'tosser' also ran an Avocet bar mounted computer without it being connected for the sponsors benefit.
Cinelli XA stem would be more correct. Gum wall tyres.
The Graham Watson website might give you some pointers:Yates, Armstrong, Hincapie

Yes that's the saddle I was looking for! Nothing on ebay... yet.

The pinarello has an XA stem in blue. I tried to find an unpainted XA in 70mm (I like my bars a little closer than normal) but couldn't find anything. Gum wall tyres are a good shout tho, the duranos on there are only a stop gap and will go on my commute bike when I get it together.

Thanks for the suggestions. Having a look through Watson's site now, nice pics but it's not the most easily navigable site I've come across.

Any suggestions for gum wall tyres?

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/challenge/paris-roubaix-open-tyre-ec035982?utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=froogle&utm_campaign=froogle

These look cool but might be a bit heavy duty for non-cobbled/muddy as shit roads!

Try Hilary Stone for the saddle, gumwalls try Challenge, Vittoria , Panaracer Pasela or Tokyo Fixed sell gumwalls.
I have a shortish XA - I will see what length it is. What is your bar diameter 26 or 26.4?

26.4, if you could have a look that would be amazing. Thanks for the tyre tips too!

Found the xa stem
Its 90mm
Another place look for vintage parts is Vintage Bike Cave - they have a huge stash of parts.

Any suggestions for gum wall tyres?

With the red/blue colour scheme, definitely Challenge, either Forte or Criterium.
http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/TYCHFOR/challenge_forte_open_tubular_tyre

Sometimes Specialized Turbo tyres turn up on eBay NOS. Very light and supple, but narrower than they spec (23mm is more like a typical 20mm).

Reckon those Challenge tyres look like a good bet.

Just lovely, bravo.

With the red/blue colour scheme, definitely Challenge, either Forte or Criterium.
http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/TYCHFOR/challenge_forte_open_tubular_tyre

I love those tyres but I've never ventured into the world of tubs so I might stick with the clinchers for the time being. Definitely getting some gum walls tho!

Challenge Forte or Criterium are clinchers ..

Yes, the Challenge Forte I have there are clinchers. The "open tubular" description is misleading to say the least, and just means that they're constructed like tubs, but not sewn up. They're basically very much like any folding clincher tyre.

wonderbar! SHould have had a look after I'd woken up properly and read the description. Bingo, them's the ones I'll order then. Cheers guys

Right, Challenge Criterium tyres are ordered, I've managed to acquire an Avocet R1 saddle, so not the R2 the team used but close enough. Will find sometime this week to put them on along with some white bar tape and get some pics up asap.

I did 80 miles on the bike over the weekend and noticed the right STI shifter is getting sticky on the up-shift. If anyone has either a right side DA 7410 STI shifter, or even a pair, in good working order that they'd be willing to part with I'd love to offer you a sensible price!

I have the same shifters and had the exact same problem - rather than looking out for a replacement quite yet it might be worth spraying some WD40 into the available holes in the shifter (there are a couple and they are exposed if you pull the lever) and then, once it's been left to sit for a while spray in some light oil.

Once that's had opportunity to work it's way in shift up and down the block a few times and that should do the job for a fair few hundred miles - they seem to get gummed up a bit!

fatlazyoaf, you are anything but. Thanks very much for the tip, I will give them a service when I get the bar tape off. Legend, cheers pal

Oaf! Your trick worked an absolute treat!

I sprayed in some muck-off, then a load of WD40, and then a load of TF2 spray lube and wiped everything down. Gave it a go up and down the street and it's clicking through the gears like it's a brand new shifter. Amazing tip, thank you so much.

New bar tape is on, just waiting for the new tyres to arrive now!

All very nice. Hope you treated it to Merckx tape.

All very nice. Hope you treated it to Merckx tape.

Unfortunately not, couldn't find any in white apart from on american amazon and I've had too many fuckups from buying stuff from over there! Have got an ebay search alert for some in white. I actually put some cinelli tape on there which will do just fine until I find some merckx stuff.

Tyres just arrived, so will pop them on after work and get some pics up.

No problem - it's a lovely bike, would be a shame to start swapping bits out so early on!

^^I've bought some for my bike from ebay, but have also looked recently and there's none to be had right now.

However I bought some more as a spare from JD, who I think has it in quite regularly. Could be worth getting in touch with him.

Nice one, will give JD a holla.

In the mean time, some fresh new pics of the Merckx with new pedals, tape and tyres. Looking sexy ready for a sportif on sunday:

Beautiful bike.