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-   -   Are all Merckx Titanium made by Litespeed (https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=125707)

recordspec 03-06-2013 04:12 PM

Are all Merckx Titanium made by Litespeed
 
Are all Merckx Titanium made by Litespeed

Specifically the Merckx Titanium Cross bike

Bonus Question

Is Litespeed's original owner Lynskey?

I'm drooling over a Merckx Ti Cyclo that been kicking around a few years

http://s574.photobucket.com/albums/s...t/Merckx%20CX/

A lot more do re mi then the other Merckx Ti's on ebay

Did he ever do another manufacturer in Europe or make his own?

tv_vt 03-06-2013 04:18 PM

Can't say about ALL Merckx ti bikes being made by Litespeed, but it looks like that one was. It has the Litespeed sticker right on the bottom of the seat tube, below the FD clamp.

Didn't know there was a CX version of the Merckx-speed ti frame. That one looks really cool. I have the road version of that frame and like it a lot.

soupless 03-06-2013 04:19 PM

The Lynskeys started Litespeed way back in the day, and then sold the name to American Bicycle Group.

recordspec 03-06-2013 04:39 PM

Missed that! eyes not what they used to be, all I saw was the EM.

So that frame is a CX set up for cross?

Ithadan 03-06-2013 08:51 PM

That looks like the Merckx Ti A.X. I picked up off craigslist this past fall. Not sure what I'm going to do with it.

As found:

http://i.imgur.com/SRkxQl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/JMuQil.jpg

After a couple dips in the partsbin (been meaning to get that second pro3 for a while now):

http://i.imgur.com/COvFvl.jpg

Cat3roadracer 03-06-2013 09:21 PM

I'd clean it up and ride it. Looks to be in pretty nice shape.

ericssonboi 03-06-2013 09:42 PM

These things are sexy.. .Ti love

ultraman6970 03-07-2013 06:08 AM

You should sell that to that annoying ultra guy for 2 cents. He will take care of that bike for sure!

Nice stuff you have in there tho :)

51mondays 03-07-2013 07:24 AM

Noodly?
 
How's the ride. ? Not noodly? People say that but I've never experienced it.

Emerxil 09-28-2020 01:44 AM

No, not all the titanium Merckx was built in Litespeed - Titane EM was certainly built in Meise from 1994 to 2002.

merckx 09-28-2020 06:02 AM

The titanium AX (pictured above) and EX were Litespeed built. I had an EX and built a dozen or so AX and EX frames back in the day. The EX tubeset was manipulated a'la Columbus Max. The QC on these Litespeed frames were hit and miss. The standard issue was that the rear triangles were not aligned properly, and that resulted in offset rear wheels. I discovered this issue after installing the components on new frames, and then inserting the rear wheel later in the process. Needless to say, subsequent builds began with inserting the rear wheel first. It also bothered me that these frames did not have a dedicated fork. Some individuals plugged SR Prisim forks into them, and then the Kestral EMS became the default fork. They should have had a Columbus steel unicrown fork with a proper rake built for them like Derosa did on their titanium frames. I raced mine for a couple of years and then punted.

dddd 09-28-2020 02:16 PM

I have an EX ti with EMS fork that isn't at all wallowy like my Douglas Precision Ti (which is still a very nice bike).
Steering on the EX is exceptionally good and I've never heard of a Merckx bike described as flexy. Merckx frames run a little heavy from what I've seen, to good effect though.
Surprisingly the ride quality of the EX offers well-muted response to bumps even with 23mm tires. Highly recommended.

StephenCL 09-28-2020 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emerxil (Post 2802727)
No, not all the titanium Merckx was built in Litespeed - Titane EM was certainly built in Meise from 1994 to 2002.

I also thought the first Merxck ti frames were built by De Rosa and finished in Meise? Built with Columbus Hyperion tubing sets..

Stephen

Emerxil 09-29-2020 01:53 AM

Eddy Merckx's titanium framework is an intricate subject...
I'm sure you know that:
- Litespeed built ( using only his tubes and frame elements ) the AX, EX, Millennium and Majestic models, placing the "American" pattern of Eddy Merckx stickers on them ( confirmed beginning -1995 )
- EMC bought "raw" frames from Litespeed, painted them in Meise, applied standard stickers and sold them as a Titane model ( almost exclusively an AX model )
- EMC built "its" titanium frames using Litespeed tubes and frame elements (and joining technology - Mr Vranckx was trained in Litespeed), the model was called Titane EM - it was built to order and for profi teams; Titane EM was also built using Columbus Hyperion tubes, but frame elements and joining technology came from Litespeed ( confirmed beginning - 1994 )
- De Rosa used only Columbus Hyperion tubes, but other frame components and frame construction techniques (confirmed to begin with 1992, Titanio model).
- De Rosa sold to EMC the Titanio 1993 model (quantity unknown) raw - after painting it was available as Eddy Merckx Titane (similar to Litespeed)
- only frames built in Meise have EMC serial numbers, the others have retained their manufacturer's markings (Litespeed and De Rosa)

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

purplecu22 09-29-2020 02:23 AM

Merckx Ti ex
 
I have a merckx ex pro. From what i was told . Litespeed ultimate tube set, basically to mirror the merckx columbus max tube set for the frame only. Fork were either steel or time carbon.

I rode this frame in europe a lot and most people I met wanted to buy it from me, this was around 97.

bike guy


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