Zeus

http://fortcollins.craigslist.org/bik/3870919595.html
Zeus Vintage Road Bike RARE! - $300 (Fort collins)

This Road bike is in ok condition. Just had Brand new cyclocross tires put on it. This bike is number 373 off the line. paid over 750$ 5 months ago. Hit a curb and have no time to fix it. all bearings are brand new and everything works great except for the front forks are slightly bent, and the wheel is slightly bent as well. I loved this bike just no time or money to fix it. if you look around and research these bikes you will find that some are expensive if they are the right make and model.. The saddle, bearing, frame and crankshaft are well worth over what I am asking.

There is, to put it nicely, 6 feet of bullshit going on here.  Zeus is a collectable bike brand founded in Spain in the 1920s.  The firm made everything that could go on a bike and were either a Campy competitor or a Campy clone depending on your point of view.  So for age, innovation, and an obsessive sense of completeness some of these bikes have become very rare, very hot ticket items. 

I'm willing to use the word dishonest with how this bike is being presented.  It seems very unlikely that you would buy a such a gem, slap cross tires on it and then start jumping curbs.  He implies that the right make and model (but he left out condition which is pretty damn important too, but we'll get to that) are expensive without actually stating that this is one of them.  He also doesn't go down the parts list or give you any decent pictures.  He also seems to think you can part out a bearing regrease and includes it in the value.  It's true that Zeus has sought after models out there but I dont think this is one of them, and the seller is trying to make you think otherwise.  No odd shapes or tooling in the parts as far as we can see, no drillium, not good look at the drop outs or fork crown, in short nothing that makes you really look when you see Zeus bikes.

He loves the bike but he didn't bother to seat the chain or take any decent pictures.  He also left the leather saddle on it when presumably he'd be riding in weather on those knobby wheels.  But lets talk about condition.  A bent fork and a bent wheel?  And he has the balls to say "ok" condition.  It's unrideable and will continue to be so without a lot of money dropped into it.  The prospect of cold working (read: Bend) the fork back into shape is daunting and then you have to buy a new rim.  If you want to keep it original you have to get your Zeus hub (if they're still on here, they almost definitely arent) relaced too.  So hopefully you can bend a fork AND lace a wheel.  The bottom bracket has a suspicious area too.   

I think he picked up or was tricked into buying a thrashed bike and is trying to get out easy.  Dont be dumb.

Eddy would not ride

http://saltlakecity.craigslist.org/bik/3855854755.html
Eddy Merckx-Classic circa 1986 - $1400 (Salt Lake City)

This steel classic is 56cm and fits me like a glove (I am 5' 8.5" tall and weigh 160lb). Eddy is currently flying the original Merckx orange color and decals. Currently with full fenders and flap. The campy Chorus gruppo (53/42, 10cog cassette) is going great and the bike rides like we all know steel bikes ride plus some-- because it is steel and because I put a carbon fork on it. I still have the original fork, but it is blue. The original frame color was blue and was just like the Panasonic road team's that raced the TDF that year. I also have the original seat post but have saved some weight with a Thomson post in place now, along with a new Thomson stem, Salsa bars, Fizik saddle. The newer Mavic Axsium clinchers are also a great ride with the steel. The frame has a few small paint chips, with the worst of them visible on the rear stay in one of the pictures.
Serious classic riders please


If you were going to buy this bike you would absolutely want to see the fork.  It would give you more clues as to which Merckx this really was, specifically how the fork crown was pantographed.  I love Molteni orange but a repaint on a bike is difficult, especially when it isn't using any of its' original componants.  For example this could be a Merckx Falcon 10, the bike that Eddy endorsed made by Falcon cycles in England.  I've read Merckx designed all of the bikes that carried his name, so for that fact it would be a cut above, but it certainly wasn't the columbus tubed, Masi collaborated models he went on to make.
Even if the tubing on this is legit the price is pretty prohibitive to me.  I dont know why you'd mix steel and a carbon fork.  You either want a steel bike or a carbon bike.  And if you do rescue Eddy you have to pick up a headset and stem while you're at it.  New paint and it's already chipping.  Eh, it's kindof an irritating bike.