The Merckx Build Kit

Here's a few of the pieces I'll be hanging on the Team Motorola Merckx soon. I thought it'd be fun to arrange the pieces in a similar manner to a Dura Ace advertisement I saw online once.

Even though Shimano will never reach the status of Campy's bling, working with these parts really impressed me in terms of finish and appearance. Shimano really pulled out all the stops for their top-end 90's gruppo.

Stem: Cinelli XA 80mm with matching blue insert (NOS)

Seatpost: Dura Ace SP-7400 Aero style

Pedals: Look PP96 - these are takeoffs from another bike project I'm working on. I thought the red pedals looked hideous on that particular build and was going to sell them. Fortunately, they are period-correct and very similar to what the Motorola team used so they'll be used for this build.

Crankset: Dura Ace FC-7410 175mm - I've seen a couple pics of the Motorola Team in the 1991 time frame using what looked to be FC-7402 cranks. The 7410 cranks were still a couple years away from being released to the public and still in the prototype stage for the pro teams. Motorola bikes with the 7410 cranks are iconic in their look, but I may still opt for the 7402's if I can find further evidence of the year(s) they were used.

Hubs: Dura Ace HB-7400 front and FH-7403 rear with 8 speed 13-24 HG cassette.

Brake/Shift levers: Dura Ace ST-7400 with NOS hoods - Apparently there are a couple variants to this model that aren't well documented, as well as a 7410 model. These particular examples have a mid 90's date code.

Rear Derailleur: RD-7402 - the workhorse of the Dura-Ace lineup.

Front Derailleur: FD-7403 w/clamp - No braze-ons for the team bikes!

Brakes: BR-7403 - A well-used example that cleaned up rather nicely. The original pads are long gone and it's doubtful I'll find replacements easily. In the meantime some late-model Ultegra one-piece shoes achieve a similar look.

Stay tuned for the buildup!