Davis Phinney holding Eric Heiden's former 7-Eleven Team bike
The Davis Phinney Foundation and The Pro’s Closet are excited to present Eric Heiden’s 1984 7-Eleven Team Murray Serotta race bike for auction.
100% of the proceeds from this auction will go to benefit the Davis Phinney Foundation.
About the Davis Phinney Foundation
Our mission is to help people with Parkinson’s live well today. We provide essential information, practical tools and inspiration to people living with Parkinson’s. We fund early-phase, innovative research that focuses on exercise, speech, movement and other factors that affect quality of life.
Learn more about the Davis Phinney Foundation.
About Eric Heiden's 7-Eleven Team Bike
The legendary 7-Eleven Cycling Team is one of America’s most storied race teams and was inducted into the Bicycling Hall of Fame in 1997. Formed in 1981, the team featured many of America’s greatest bike racers including the team’s first captain, Eric Heiden.
Before his career with the 7-Eleven team, Heiden was more well known for the golden skinsuit he wore on the ice as a speed skater. In the 1980 Winter Olympics, he won an unprecedented 5 gold medals, completely dominating the games, and setting multiple world records in the process. He is considered by many to be the best speed skater of all time.
Having reached the top of his sport, Heiden sought new challenges. Cycling was already integral to his offseason training, and with his powerful 29” thighs and an unmatched ability to suffer, he quickly became a force on the bike. He went on to win the 1985 US National Road Championship and compete in the Tour de France.
Heiden’s bike was made for Murray, the 7-Eleven Team sponsor, by legendary framebuilder, Ben Serotta. Serotta started building frames in 1972, at just 14 years old, and by the early 80s he was already building bikes for some of America’s top riders.
The Murray Serotta is built with Columbus SLX tubing, a Campagnolo Super Record groupset, and features the Olympic rings of the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics on the headbadge. Heiden's bike measures 60cm (C-C) with a 58cm top tube.
This bike was given to Bob Balink, manager of Sports Marketing for The Southland Corporation who owned all 7-Eleven convenience stores from 1984 to 1986, by team director Jim “Och” Ochowicz, and then donated to the Davis Phinney Foundation for this auction.
The bike has been appropriately reconditioned. All equipment on the bike is original except for the brake hoods, bar tape, and rear wheel, which has been replaced with an identical wheel and tire.
Included in the auction is a replica 7-Eleven Team jersey signed by former members of the team. The jersey is signed by:
- Davis Phinney – Davis is the winningest American pro ever, with 328 career victories, and the founder of the Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson’s
- Alex Stieda – Alex wore Tour de France yellow jersey 1986, becoming the first North American to ever lead the Tour.
- Bob “Bobke” Roll – Bob is a 3-time rider in the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia, 7-time rider in Paris-Roubaix, 8-time World Champion rider, and a noted cycling commentator.
- Ron Kiefel – Ron was Davis Phinney’s main lead out man. His wins included the 1985 Trofeo Laigueglia and the 1987 Tour of Tuscany. He is the first American stage winner in a Grand Tour, winning stage 15 in the 1985 Giro d'Italia. He’s competed in 7 Tours de France and represented the USA at the 1984 Olympic Games, where he won bronze in the team time trial with Roy Knickman, Davis Phinney, and Andy Weaver.
- Tom Schuler – Tom represented the USA at the 1976 and 1980 Olympic Games, and was the 1987 US National Road Champion
