Merckx MXL - help i.d frame?

[malley]

Looking at an eddy merckx frame. It's max tubing, red and in good nick. Here's the thing, tho' - there is no merckx logo where the seatstays meet the seatpost/binder bolt/top tube lug. Also, the decal states columbus MAX ( as it should ) but the top tube has corsa extra on it? Finally, I'm familiar with the profiling on the MXL's but can't tell if the ovalising is oriented corrctly on the top tube - should it appear narrow at the seat or head tube from the side? Sorry, just excited to have tracked one down and want to make sure! Will try and get serial number asap. Any help appreciated.

Cheers.

 

[Old Ned]

You lucky lad! I'd love a Max road frame. Going by my Scott MTB, the top tube is 'flat' at the seat and 'thin' at the head end (ie narrow at the seat and wide at the head looking from the side). The seat tube flattens out across the BB as does the down tube. A very stiff and responsive set of tubing and reasonably light.

 

[malley]

Thanks for that. That is how it appears in the photograph. Anyone have any idea about the merckx logo at the top of the seat stays? Were some produced without it? Cheers.

 

[one-eyed_jim]

Anyone have any idea about the merckx logo at the top of the seat stays? Were some produced without it? Cheers.

Merckx has certainly produced bikes without the EM logo seatstay caps:

http://www.pinionsandpedals.com/1030sc7.jpg

I looked at a bike a while ago that matches your description - Corsa Extra decals with Max tubing. Perhaps a few Corsa Extras were built with Max before the MX Leader was introduced. Just a guess.

 

[Elev12k]

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/gallery2/mai ... ewsIndex=1

 

[Old Ned]

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=40860&g2_imageViewsIndex=1

I've just come over all peculiar looking at that!

Gorgeous

 

[malley]

Wow. Looks exactly like that red corsa extra with max tubing - never heard of such a thing. So looks like it's a legitimate model, then? Any idea of price for a frame in good nick? Or complete bike with eight speed chorus mix?

Where did those pics of Armstrong's MX Leader come from? Class.

Finally, anywhere to check frame dimensions/geometry for that era ( early 90's)?

 

[Old Ned]

Wow. Looks exactly like that red corsa extra with max tubing - never heard of such a thing. So looks like it's a legitimate model, then? Any idea of price for a frame in good nick? Or complete bike with eight speed chorus mix?

Where did those pics of Armstrong's MX Leader come from? Class./quote]

Looks like it's had a lot of use going by the scuffs on the seat stay. Is this from his World Championship winning era?

Tubing details available here - http://www.framebuilding.com/Max.htm

Lots of other interesting stuff on this site too.

 

[one-eyed_jim]

Where did those pics of Armstrong's MX Leader come from?

Looks like it's had a lot of use going by the scuffs on the seat stay. Is this from his World Championship winning era?

I found it here a while ago:

http://www.pinionsandpedals.com/usedrb.htm

It says:

58x58 MERCKX (Belgium) Lance Armstrong's 1992 Motorola Team bicycle used in the US, Zurich, and the Olympic Games in Barcelona.

By '93 I think he was mostly riding a Litespeed in Merckx paint.

I hadn't realised that the MXL tubes had the opposite orientation of the top tube to the ordinary Max set, but it's pretty clear in the pictures here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sashae/set ... 007856394/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sashae/2484643181/sizes/l/

 

[Old Ned]

The track frame appears to have the same tube orientation as my Scott. My frame is lugless (as most MTB's are) but, according to Framebuilding Supplies, the special Max lugs are no longer available which is a pity.