# 55 leader on ebay



## jroden (Jun 15, 2004)

Too small for old me. I just found a rust through on my Corsa tonight, boo hoo.

http://cgi.ebay.com/BIKE-FRAME-EDDY...201830765QQcategoryZ22679QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


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## rcnute (Dec 21, 2004)

Is it just me or do Merckx frames seem consistently overpriced?


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*why do Merckx's cost so much?*

uh cause they're worth it

still cheapcompared to alot of sweet lugged steel. remember these are hand brazed bikes not tig welded by machine


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## jamz50 (Oct 7, 2005)

I think they are a bargain compared to high end carbon frames. The MX Leader should be the last frame you'll ever need....built like a tank!!!!


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## Fignon's Barber (Mar 2, 2004)

rcnute said:


> Is it just me or do Merckx frames seem consistently overpriced?


 I've always wanted a Merckx, but when it came down to crunch time, I always seemed to find another brand, even a couple colnagos, that were a better value. I think Merckx simply doesn't produce the volume of frames to reduce cost. Also, being made in the factory in belgium is expensive, but that adds to the mystique. I've seen interviews with Eddy, and he wants to control quality by keeping production in belgium. That's fantastic. But from a marketing side, he should consider selling direct via the internet. The distribution chain adds nothing except cost. Gita is incompetant, as I tried in vain to get an '05 cross frame for 3 months because they "forgot to order them this year because they only sell 13 or 14 a year" (yes, that is a quote from the other end of the Gita 800 number!). People who seek Merckx frames know what they're looking for, so Eddy if you've got one of those Lance-Blackberry things that ring you up when you're name is mentioned in cyberspace, GO DIRECT!


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## jroden (Jun 15, 2004)

Gita is funny, I called them the other day at 4.28 and they had a recording that said their hours were 9-5, well close enough.


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*yes, agreed*

you can be buried with your steel Merckx. last frame you'll buy (unless you live in rust prone areas and don'tuse frame saver)


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## cannibal (Dec 3, 2004)

*support that notion of built like a tank!*



jamz50 said:


> I think they are a bargain compared to high end carbon frames. The MX Leader should be the last frame you'll ever need....built like a tank!!!!


Approx. a month ago I crashed my 1998 midnight blue 59cm MXL into a light pole. My chest hit the pole first followed by the top tube (near the seat tube merge) of the frame. I lost control cornering, hit a mound of gravel and before I could rectify the situation, I slammed into the pole. My riding buddy told me I was rolling at approx. 12mph prior to impact. The bad news is that I put a significant dent in the top tube. Based on the damage, I assumed the fate of my favorite frame was bleak. I knew it wouldn't be cost effective to repair it. 

The good news is that I didn't fracture any ribs, just bruised a couple, and the frame rides straight as an arrow, no lean to the left or right, no wobbles, take your hands off the bars and it tracks perfectly straight, no alignment problems whatsoever. It just looks like an eyesore. The lbs guru told me I was lucky it was a steel frame otherwise it would have been toast. I concurr with your assessment of "built like a tank", but the walls of the pipes are ultra thin and prone to denting, especially on the top tube. 

Case in point: I neglected to mention in 1997 I dented the top tube of my 1995 Ferrari red 62cm MXL. I accidently hit the front wheel of the bike with my foot which was overlapping the doorway in my apartment. The net result: the bike fell over on the low profile coffee table and dented the top tube significantly. Once again, the TT looks like excrement, but the frame is intact and measures up to the legendary riding qualities of the MXL.


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*cost effective?*

it's a lugged frame. filet brazed which means it's the easiest and less stress induced repair one can make. You can just get a reputable frame builder or repair shop to replace the TT.CyclArt in Vista CA does this sort of thing all the time.
so you could replace the TT's and repaint most likely for far cheaper than buying a new one


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