As a child James spent most evenings taking his bike apart in his parents’ hallway for no other reason than to put it back together again. The result was a lot of leftover bolts, which presumably weren’t that important as the brakes rarely failed.
I came to road cycling from mountain biking, with a peak on my helmet and zero knowledge. Yet somehow I had heard of Eddy Merckx, so when I saw this frame on eBay I knew I had to have it. I, so who cared if the rear triangle was welded by a bloke desperate to get to his own leaving drinks, or if the frame was already six years old? I bid as high as my student loan would allow (£158 if I remember) and thus began my love affair with Eddy.
