hermesnz
new member
Reged: 02/14/04
Posts: 14
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Hello
I am wondering whether the MX leader steel frame is still being produced, as i could not find it on the Eddie Merckx website.
If it is still produced is this their only/most traditional luggged steel frame?
Thank you.
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Smittyburger
new member
Reged: 01/29/04
Posts: 10
Loc: Ontario, Canada
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Hermesnz,
GVH Bikes has few 2004 MX Leader frames on hand as well as Wrench Science and Chicagoland. Here is a frame description from the Wrench Science site:
"Columbus's MAX tubing offers an ideal combination of strength, reliability, and ride quality for the most demanding pro riders. Eddy Merckx's MAX MXL tubes are drawn to his own specifications and are oriented differently from many MAX frames. To take best advantage of the multi-shaped characteristics of MAX, Eddy designed his own lug set, and a very special fork crown. These light-but-strong conjunctions help give the MX Leader a unique character. Riders have stated this frame to be the best all-around bike they've ever ridden!" Frame weighs in at 4.6lbs.
If you are looking at getting one , it looks like you are in luck!
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hermesnz
new member
Reged: 02/14/04
Posts: 14
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.
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dbrk
contributor
Reged: 12/18/03
Posts: 201
Loc: Finger Lakes, New York
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Not only will Merckx build you a new, custom MX Leader, they will also build a Corsa 0.1. I would strongly suggest you have a good, long look at the differences here because the MX Leader was built for clydesdales. Sure, anyone can ride the MX Leader and have a great ride but the Corsa might be better suited to a ride under 190lbs. My next Merckx will be a Corsa 0.1, custom with a Molteni paint job. Hopefully they will accommodate. Also, with the MX Leader, the fork and crown are distinctive and the Corsa more conventional, and to my eye more handsome.
BTW, all of this is not to detract from the MX Leader. I own Axel's "Caloi" bike from the Motorola days. GREAT bike!
dbrk
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BubbaTex
journeyman
Reged: 12/20/03
Posts: 56
Loc: Austin, Texas
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His Ti frame is not on his website either, but it still seems to be available. I suspect that the MX Leader and the Ti bikes are "US" products as Euro is all gaga over CF & Al. Could be wrong, but that's my "conspiracy theory" for the day.
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"It is more important to do less more often than to do more less often" Ed Burke, PhD
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hermesnz
new member
Reged: 02/14/04
Posts: 14
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Hi
I would be most grateful if someone could enlighten me about the differences between the Corsa 0.1 and MX Leader. Any history on the two models would also be great.
Thank you.
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dbrk
contributor
Reged: 12/18/03
Posts: 201
Loc: Finger Lakes, New York
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The difference between these frames is essentially tubing and fork design. The Corsa 0.1 uses the still available but no longer made tubing known as Zero Uno. Here are it's properties. It is technically called 18MCDV6 and its chemical composition (as a percentage of weight) is:
Carbon (c) 0.16/0.19
Silicio (si) 0.25/0.40
Maganese (Mn) 1.40/1.60
Cromo (Cr) 0.45/0.55
Molibdeno (Mo) 0.25/0.35
Allumino (Al) 0.02/0.04
Vandaio (Va) 0.10/0.15
Nickel (Ni) 0.25
What this amounts to is a lightweight, air-hardened modern tubing comparable to Reynolds and Columbus products, such as 853 and Foco, though the impression of most riders is that this Deda product is not as stiff or as brittle feeling, this being a Good Thing. Further, Merckx had this tubing custom drawn so that it has an ovalized bb to insure proper stiffness in that area. Bikes made with 0.1 will be considerably lighter than the MXL Columbus tubing. I don't believe this tubing is used for forks, so the fork is also not as profoundly stalwart.
In sum, the MXL tubing is for a larger, stronger, more powerful rider while the O.1 suits folks better who are under 200lbs or can't push a really high degree of power. The aesthetic is different too. The 0.1 tubing is more or less round but for the swagged downtube and seattube (much like a Serotta) while there is not one round tube (lots of edges) on the MXLeader set.
I hope this helps.
dbrk
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dbrk
contributor
Reged: 12/18/03
Posts: 201
Loc: Finger Lakes, New York
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Sorry, you asked about history too...
The MXLeader tubeset is old business, developed in the early 1990s to meet the needs of strong, larger riders. This was, after all, the Indurain era though he rode several bikes made of Excell tubing built by Someone We Know But Do Not Name But Whose Bikes Are Admired Around Here.
The Deda Uno is a more "modern" tubeset that came with in with the innovations in air-hardening (like Reynolds 853, etc.) and after the Deda folk spun off their business from Columbus. It's purpose was to have characteristics that would suit making lighter steel sets that maintained vertical compliance but were stiff in the bb (in particular).
Sorry for replying to my own post. Yikes.
dbrk
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dbrk
contributor
Reged: 12/18/03
Posts: 201
Loc: Finger Lakes, New York
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Oops, one more thing.
I do not believe that Columbus makes MXL tubesets any longer but there are still stocks of it around and you can bet that if Merckx has some, they would like to use them.
As for the 0.1, this has been replaced by SAT 12.5 which is essentially the same stuff, as I understand it, but a framebuilder might be able to tell you differently.
three times is a charm...
dbrk
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hermesnz
new member
Reged: 02/14/04
Posts: 14
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Does the bike made for Axel differ in any way from the MX Leaders made for the public?
Once again, thank you very much for the information.
Regards
Graham
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dbrk
contributor
Reged: 12/18/03
Posts: 201
Loc: Finger Lakes, New York
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It is said that the Motorola bikes were built with "lighter" tubing than the stnd MX Leaders. This info came via a former racer (but not one of the Motorolas). I can ask a former team member (though I don't know Axel, just another one) and confirm this. Still, if this is the "lighter" (meaning thinner butted) butted tubing, it's still pretty darn stalwart. This bike is for those who love a sweet ride but aren't much concerned with weight (that would be me, for one).
dbrk
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hermesnz
new member
Reged: 02/14/04
Posts: 14
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Hi there
Excellent, thank you very much. I am not concerned by weight either, and I think one in Molteni would suit me fine.
Regards
Graham
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BubbaTex
journeyman
Reged: 12/20/03
Posts: 56
Loc: Austin, Texas
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wow - and thanks for the education!
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"It is more important to do less more often than to do more less often" Ed Burke, PhD
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Davefromaine
new member
Reged: 02/16/04
Posts: 12
Loc: Maine
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Hi,
The fellow who talked me into buying my Corsa 0.1 just bought a new/old MX Leader from a bike shop in Germany. He paid quite a bit less than the new orange ones, and it has more chrome on it. Let me know if you'd like his contact info, and I'll scour it up.
He's in his mid-to-late 60's and hammers an old Corsa up the Rockies still. He's had 3 Merckx bikes, and puts around 50,000 miles on them before moving on to his next one. I hope I'm that active when I reach the 60's!
Dave
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Davefromaine
new member
Reged: 02/16/04
Posts: 12
Loc: Maine
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I just need to update my post about my friend in Colorado who I said was in his late 60's and puts "only" 50,000 on his Merckx bikes before he upgrades. It's more like 95,000 miles, and he just turned 60.
Oh to be so committed to saddle sores!
Dave
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marron
new member
Reged: 01/07/04
Posts: 14
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That must mean that I'm set for life; I've got an old Coursa Extra that looks like hell but doesn't have anywhere near 50,000 miles on it, an MX-Leader with a couple of thousand miles on it and a TI-AX that has a half-life measured in centuries. At 52 I am ready to exploit any life extending medical breakthroughs.
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