# Can anyone date this MXL?



## bing181 (Oct 17, 2005)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7225420059&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT&rd=1

Master X Light ... trying to work out what year it is.

Any info/help appreciated.

B


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## edmundjaques (Dec 29, 2005)

bing181 said:


> http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7225420059&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWA:IT&rd=1
> 
> Master X Light ... trying to work out what year it is.
> 
> ...


2003 or (more likely) 2004. Paint scheme is AD (ie Art Deco) 4 - one of the most popular.
A slight variation of this all steel frameset would be matching paint (ie not chrome) to forks.The advertiser is suggesting £300.00 for frameset - good price if it's straight. I have a record equiped MXL from late 2004 - again all steel - in AD14 (which is yellow). Probably the finest all steel bike you'll get - an Eddy Merckx would get close but would be significantly heavier. I have a Merckx as well but the Colnago is so much more nimble.


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

edmundjaques said:


> 2003 or (more likely) 2004. Paint scheme is AD (ie Art Deco) 4 - one of the most popular.
> A slight variation of this all steel frameset would be matching paint (ie not chrome) to forks.The advertiser is suggesting £300.00 for frameset - good price if it's straight. I have a record equiped MXL from late 2004 - again all steel - in AD14 (which is yellow). Probably the finest all steel bike you'll get - an Eddy Merckx would get close but would be significantly heavier. I have a Merckx as well but the Colnago is so much more nimble.


Why you think 03 or 4? Didn't those have carbon stays? Here's my Ad-4 Y2k MXL...what's the diff?


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## edmundjaques (Dec 29, 2005)

Bocephus Jones II said:


> Why you think 03 or 4? Didn't those have carbon stays? Here's my Ad-4 Y2k MXL...what's the diff?


Carbon stays on 2005 model only - Ernesto soon realised what a crime desecrating such purity meant. You might be right about it being earlier though. I see you have the paint job on the forks - better than all chrome with an AD paint scheme I think. I have an "International" with all chrome forks and it suits well. I have a "Super" with half chromed forks. That's nice too. Aren't Colnagos just beautiful?


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

edmundjaques said:


> Carbon stays on 2005 model only - Ernesto soon realised what a crime desecrating such purity meant. You might be right about it being earlier though. I see you have the paint job on the forks - better than all chrome with an AD paint scheme I think. I have an "International" with all chrome forks and it suits well. I have a "Super" with half chromed forks. That's nice too. Aren't Colnagos just beautiful?


Yeah...the LBS ordered me a yellow lettered Flash carbon fork--I think the white lettering would have looked better, but I didn't complain. It's a great bike. I ride a 62cm and weigh about 200 and virtually no flex.


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## bing181 (Oct 17, 2005)

Bocephus Jones II said:


> Yeah...the LBS ordered me a yellow lettered Flash carbon fork


Didn't it come with a steel fork? Any advantage/difference with the carbon .. well, stupid question, I'm sure there's a difference, but wondering what it is!

Thanks for the photo and year info .. I was guessing the original MXL here was a late 90's/2K.

B


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## dnalsaam (Dec 6, 2004)

edmundjaques said:


> Carbon stays on 2005 model only - Ernesto soon realised what a crime desecrating such purity meant. You might be right about it being earlier though. I see you have the paint job on the forks - better than all chrome with an AD paint scheme I think. I have an "International" with all chrome forks and it suits well. I have a "Super" with half chromed forks. That's nice too. Aren't Colnagos just beautiful?


Ernesto would never rate the Master XL above the Master Carbon. In his view, it is totally nonsense to prefer steel over carbon. His personal beliefs are however not going to affect sales, so he produces what is asked by the market. The Master XL are only being sold in the US and Japan, all other markets in the world sell the master carbon.


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## edmundjaques (Dec 29, 2005)

dnalsaam said:


> Ernesto would never rate the Master XL above the Master Carbon. In his view, it is totally nonsense to prefer steel over carbon. His personal beliefs are however not going to affect sales, so he produces what is asked by the market. The Master XL are only being sold in the US and Japan, all other markets in the world sell the master carbon.


Nope, sorry, we get the Master XL only in the UK. I reckon Mike Perry knows a thing or two about Colnagos. Ask his opinion on the Master Carbon. Also, Competitive Cyclist are discounting Master Carbons. I have read, but can't find just at this moment, that Ernesto still rates steel ++ as a frame material. Metallurgy may yet not be at a dead end ?


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## dnalsaam (Dec 6, 2004)

edmundjaques said:


> Nope, sorry, we get the Master XL only in the UK. I reckon Mike Perry knows a thing or two about Colnagos. Ask his opinion on the Master Carbon. Also, Competitive Cyclist are discounting Master Carbons. I have read, but can't find just at this moment, that Ernesto still rates steel ++ as a frame material. Metallurgy may yet not be at a dead end ?


According to the information that was told to me on my last visit to Cambiago in November, all the Master XL frames being sold anywhere outside of the US and Japan are old stock. If you go to Colnago's own website, you will see that they only show the Master Carbon. If you have any doubts, please feel free to check this information out: 

http://www.colnagonews.com/2006/bike/Colnago_Catalogue_2006.pdf

It is my understanding that the Master Carbon frames were a monumental disappointment throughout the world, as the luddites did not accept them because of the carbon stays and fork; and the riders following the newest trends preferred other models in the Colnago range that did not use teh steel main triangle. It is therefore quite widespread to see them heavily discounted. The same goes for the E1 which still appears in the official Colnago catalog even though no new frames have been built for the 2006 season. The Cristallo is in fact little more than a new improved version of the E1. This discounting of the E1 and Master Carbon makes for some very interesting opportunities

As far as Mike Perry goes, I repeat what I have written before. Mike is not an authorized dealer, and he has absolutely no direct contact with anybody at Colnago. He does not speak for Ernesto. What he says as a businessman is therefore solely flavoured/tainted by his own experience and beliefs. Anybody who states that Mike has any contact whatsoever to anybody in Cambiago is delusional and/or knowlingly lying. I would challenge anybody who disputes this fact to present even one shred of evidence to the contrary.

I do not disagree that Ernesto continues to accept steel as a viable material for frame-building, however this was never disputed. I solely stated that Ernesto does not and will never rate the present steel above carbon fiber; hence he will never rate the present Master XL above the Master Carbon. Notwithstanding that the Japanese and American distributors have ordered new prodution of Master XL frames, it is telling that Ernesto has refused to build any more steel forks to match these frames. They are indeed being sold with a carbon fork.


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

bing181 said:


> Didn't it come with a steel fork? Any advantage/difference with the carbon .. well, stupid question, I'm sure there's a difference, but wondering what it is!
> 
> Thanks for the photo and year info .. I was guessing the original MXL here was a late 90's/2K.
> 
> B


No...ordered it with the carbon fork...I'd imagine the main benefit is lighter weight. I've heard many good things about the Precisa steel fork though. Never tried one though.


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## giovanni sartori (Feb 5, 2004)

This is a pre 2001 IMO. The Master X Light lettering was changed in 2001. I have a 62cm 2001 and the lettering is different. You can go to trialtir's site and they have historical paint schemes. However, since this is being sold in the UK there is a possibility that its a newer one that was painted an older style. Mike Perry in the UK has mine and its being repaired and he did allow for me to paint it whatever scheme I wanted. I decide to keep my scheme within the period.


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