My Rides - Eddy Merckx Corsa Extra - Bought F&F New 2001

My Merckx Corsa Extra

Whilst I have posted a few photos from various rides on my Merckx I thought I would give some background to it. Like most of my bikes this has been built from the frame up and again like all my rides it has been built to be ridden first and foremost.

'My Merckx I have had since new. I bought it in November 2001 when the factory was selling off the last of the steel frames. Its a 'custom' 48cm, which sounds good but in reality anything under 50cm was called custom and made in batches of 1 or 2 when someone ordered one. They also cost around £75 to £100 more They should have been cheaper as they used less steel. I personally cant complain though because list price for a standard Corsa Extra in 2001 was £575 in the UK with custom size being £650 but as mine was being sold off and had hung in the factory for a while I got it for £350
I wasn't really into retrobikes then but I came to the UK in September 2001 from Australia after travelling the UK and going to the Tour that summer. Back home I had always wanted a classic steel Merckx and was determined that I would get one some day and then low and behold I was told in the November that they were stopping making steel frames, or steady production anyway. I had to do it even though I didn't know whether I would stay here or move on. It lived in its box under my bed for a good amount of time before I got the bits for it and was settled enough to build it. I arrived with my backpack and Giant TCR which had done many, many faithful miles with Ultegra and 105 mix, hence when I finally built my Corsa I built it the same, not everyones taste but its what worked for me and at the time I could barely afford that new. Its hopefully soon getting upgraded to Dura Ace. I've got a full Dura Ace 7400 - 7403 groupset that's lived alongside it for years just waiting to go on, but it rides and runs perfect as it is so am happy with it as it is for now. 


Here is a copy of some info I posted in a discussion with someone on the forum back in 2015. It was a back and forth about some things and I spoke of when I bought mine. Interesting to me so I thought I would post it here seen as I have updated some stuff.

''The Team Sc is a high end alloy frame not steel. Domo did use them but I am not sure which year. It was used by a couple of smaller conti teams around 99/2001 I think but by then Merckx already had a well established carbon selection for its sponsored teams to use as well. The paintjob on Heathcliffes is a 2001 for sure, I think it went for a year before and a year after, though not 100% on that. It was the top line in alloy frames made from Easton Scandium tubing, it came in either sloping or standard geometry with paint dependant on year and whether it was sloping or not.
I know when I got mine it, besides carbon, it was the ultimate Merckx everyone wanted. My friends back home thought I was crazy or broke for buying a steel frameset I just always wanted a classic type Merckx even back then and so when I came to Europe it co incided with merckx stopping making steel and they could not get rid of the steel frames, nobody really wanted them. To give you an idea of the worth of the Team Sc and also the value of unfashionable steel the TeamSc was worth £1150 as a frameset with a carbon fork and a Corsa Extra was £495 Either could be had in what they called ' custom' sizing, ie: anything under 50cm and anything over 60cm. This would cost £1250 for the Team Sc and £599 for the Corsa.
To give you an idea of the love for steel at that time,and also the good deals the factory were doing, mine was a custom 48cm and I paid £350 total. That included a slight commision to Interbike race services in London who middlemaned the payment and forwarded the frame to Scotland as I couldn't get back to Belgium at the time. Thats some saving
Mine was bought to use and thats why mine is fairly workmanlike in spec as at that time I was not long here and had no idea whether I was going to stay or where I would end up, so it had to be usable and reliable. It was not as cool back then.
I almost bought one of the aluminium Flyers in the same paint as Heathcliffes as I was in France to see the end of the Tour in 2001 and a kiwi girl who was with us had bought her Flyer, non sloping, the week before meeting us. I thought it was the loveliest bike I had seen at the time, so was tempted when I went to see about buying a frame but the fact they announced they were stopping steel production, large scale anyway, tipped the scales. I do still keep an eye out for one now and again
Anyway, thats probably more of an answer than you bargained for
I was due to ride this lunch but we have pea soup fog here so am hoping it goes later this afternoon so I can get some miles in''

Jamie

Its my regular ride and gets used quite often. It gets a thorough wash and polish after each ride. Just realised its over 16 years since I bought it and I still love it and it also is still thought of as my new bike for some reason.