# MX Leader- What a great bike...



## jroden (Jun 15, 2004)

I end up riding my lighter aluminium bike a lot during the season, so lately I'm just riding around on the Merckx and remembering what a delightful bike this is. I rode for the better part of 4 hours today on roads covered with slush and mud, just droning away on the first nice day in the last week or so. The bike is so nice and stable and smooth to ride, I love the way it looks and feels in my hands. I bet I have over 100,000 miles on the frame, it is on its thrird set of components and has been repainted once by Hot Tubes to better than new in Molteni orange. After bending the fork, I put on a straight carbon, which I'm getting used to.

Its all washed up and drying over the furnace, no worse for the wear after another nasty day on the roads--the bike has been over dirt roads, trails, many crashes, airline shipped and is still straight as an arrow. It has done crits, stage races, hilly and flat races and even seen service as a TT and TTT bike. People make fun of me for racing a 10 year old bike, but maybe I beat them sometimes too.

I have thought of selling this bike many times because I always end up owning a second bike for much of the racing I do, but it is still the most satisfying, delightful bike to ride and race on. I'll give it to my son one day and he will ride like a true champion on it.


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## brewster (Jun 15, 2004)

MX....mmmmmm.....Must see photo!


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## jroden (Jun 15, 2004)

I can't believe anyone would want to see a picture of my bike, my friends complain about having to look at it every year. Had a little low ceiling up over the notch today with a lot of slush and road salt on the way back down leading to some serious iceing on the control surfaces, BUT LO! the MX leader took it all in stride. Guess its needs a little scrub a dub, but my feet were ice blocks, so maybe later. Anyways here it is, in all its glory...


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*still looking for my size 60*

looks good looking well ridden.

looks like you've been out doing some classics


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## jroden (Jun 15, 2004)

Neatest race that bike ever did was Montreal to Quebec- 166 miles, averaged over 26, just getting sucked along by the pack on flat roads. Long damn time to sit on any bike and eat goo packets in any event, but it was more comfortable than some aluminium bike. I race up hills of maybe 10 minutes in length and generally don't feel like I get dropped any more or less than when I'm on the lighter bike. That thing comes home with some serious ice build up this time of year, it's sort of painful to get it so filthy, but it really does clean up quite nicely. Besides the fork, the only non standard thing I had to do was add a cable keeper under the BB when it was repainted a few years ago, as the cables had sawed into the steel where they are run under the slot in the BB, it's kind of a dumb design.

There is zero corrosion that I can see after maybe 100,000 miles in all weather, I blow some oil in it and drain it out after riding in the rain, but it doesn't seem to be the big issue people talk about.

I don't know if the weight is what makes it ride so nice or the geometry, but I'd buy another one in a heartbeat, which is why I was asking about a Colnago over in the other forum. A friend of mine built me a frame a few years ago and we used this geometry, but raised the BB height for crit corner clearance. The bike handled OK, but it wasn't the same.


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## Wilierit (Oct 31, 2005)

jroden said:


> I can't believe anyone would want to see a picture of my bike, my friends complain about having to look at it every year. Had a little low ceiling up over the notch today with a lot of slush and road salt on the way back down leading to some serious iceing on the control surfaces, BUT LO! the MX leader took it all in stride. Guess its needs a little scrub a dub, but my feet were ice blocks, so maybe later. Anyways here it is, in all its glory...


That is the same bike I have. Molteni orange painted at hot tubes etc...Campy chorus and even an ol' rolls saddle. I still have the 1.6 pound crown fork though. I've raced mine as well and this bike climbs well since it is so stiff. It's like a cruise missle on the flats.You just have to have a little more power for anything that goes up. I've placed in the top five on more than one occasion in very hilly road races on that rig back in the cat 4/5 days. I'm planning on riding mine all winter long to build up more power for this next spring.


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## djg714 (Oct 24, 2005)

*Fork*

Man, the MX fork is possibly the sweetest part of the whole bike. It's a great asset to a great frame. If I broke mine and couldn't get it fixed, for sure would talk to a builder like Curt Goodrich or Michael Barry to get a steel fork made...Enjoy your MX people. I also have a Corsa and may add another one this year....cheers...


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## Len J (Jan 28, 2004)

*Ditch the carbon fork......*



djg714 said:


> Man, the MX fork is possibly the sweetest part of the whole bike. It's a great asset to a great frame. If I broke mine and couldn't get it fixed, for sure would talk to a builder like Curt Goodrich or Michael Barry to get a steel fork made...Enjoy your MX people. I also have a Corsa and may add another one this year....cheers...


I have to agree that the fork is important to the MXL ride..........It balances the bike nicely.

Len


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## jroden (Jun 15, 2004)

Thing weighed about five pounds and I needed to use a stupid quill stem that was rusted in place half the time, I was happy to toss it in the trash. It was very sharp looking, though I have become so used to the carbon fork that I kind of like it now. Bike looks real sporty when I mooch some fancy carbon wheels for it...


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## jroden (Jun 15, 2004)

I grew up racing in leather hairnets, Detto shoes and Binda straps, I was happy to throw all that crap in the same garbage can with real leather chamois and wool shorts. I do have a few wool jerseys, they are pretty comfy. 

Time just marches on. No power meters on the MX at least.

You would be apalled if I told you the original fork got bent when the bike fell from the tree where it was hanging so I could hose the Engine Brite off the driveline. So, I won't mention that in this context.

Gotta use 'em, that's why they made 'em. Take that bike barreling down some dirt truck trail through the woods and you know you have lived a great day of your life. Can't just ride to the coffee shop, wasn't built for thay type of service.


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## djg714 (Oct 24, 2005)

Wow sorry to hear that. The thing is that Eddy designed the fork crown and blades to go with that bike. I'm sure if he wanted a bonded Profile carbon fork to go with it, he could have made it happen......  

I bet the front end feels really light now. That's why Len talked about balance....

We haven't even spoken about how the different fork height affects the handling and the front end height.....ride on.....


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## jroden (Jun 15, 2004)

I'd be happy if any of that bike felt light! It felt a little different after the fork swap, but it feels very stable in crits, down big hills, etc. It would be nice to get a proper fork for it, but I don't miss that pound of dead weight trying to keep up with some kid 20 years younger than me.

I wish they would come out with a new Merckx steel bike like this, same geometry, maybe a little lighter tubeset, keep the chrome. It's hard to get all excited about buying some big ugly aluminium frame for over $1000. My friend has a titanium Merckx from a few years back, I wonder if they used similar geometry and if it ends up riding nicely. It's sort of stupid looking next to mine, but I could learn to love it.


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## haiku d'etat (Apr 28, 2001)

166 miles at 26 mph?

what?

btw i rode Len's beautiful mx leader in DC and it was a DREAM.


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## jroden (Jun 15, 2004)

QM is a great event, we have done it now for the last few years. A few years back a couple pro teams came because it had UCI points and just made for this godawful first couple hours. The race is advertised as 250K with 20K neutral as you ride out of Montreal. The time listed for last year's event was just under 5 hours for 166 mi, I think they actually start the clock at the 230K to go mark, which is actually over 28, though this is point to point with a crossing tailwind. Two years ago the race was stopped by a train, it is so strange to be in this tunnel of hell for hours and suddently just stop and stand around. I hope to do it this year again, at 45 with two kids every year of racing is a gift. You don't get to do a lot of domestic races with full closure and a caravan, at least not for hacks like me.

I'm just utterly amazed at people being able to attack at the front of this race when so many of us are just trying to hang in the pack. A few years ago Gord Frasier was in the race and drifted back and started talking with me about my bike and we talked about being a dad as he was just about to have a child and how he kept attacking and everyone was reeling him in and I said ha ha yeah me too, nobody is going to let John Roden just ride up the road so I'm going to sit here in the back and eat goo packs all day. 

Freaking hard race, even on the MX leader.


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## sw3759 (Jul 10, 2004)

*doesn't look like any MX leader i have ever seen*

 ..sorry to burst your bubble but that sure looks like Columbus Cyclex SL (or SLX/TSX) round tubing in that Merckx in the photo.clearly not MAX tubing..MAX has huge chainstays,internal rear brake cable guides and ovalized top and down tubes.SL is great steel but it looks totally different than MAX...


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## jroden (Jun 15, 2004)

how do you tell the model? I think it had a columbus sticker on it before the repaint. The chainstays are oval, there is no internal cable routing and the derailer cables went through a slot in the bottom of the BB. The fork had chrome ends and a flat top with EM engraved on it, while the rear brake arch says eddy merkx--

I bought it maybe 12 years ago new with the same paint scheme as shown in picture, the paint was pretty awful quality. 

what the heck bike is it?


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## waterford (Sep 30, 2004)

jroden said:


> how do you tell the model? I think it had a columbus sticker on it before the repaint. The chainstays are oval, there is no internal cable routing and the derailer cables went through a slot in the bottom of the BB. The fork had chrome ends and a flat top with EM engraved on it, while the rear brake arch says eddy merkx--
> 
> I bought it maybe 12 years ago new with the same paint scheme as shown in picture, the paint was pretty awful quality.
> 
> what the heck bike is it?



I have to agree with sw3759, that is not a MXL. It is probably a Corsa Extra. SLX or TSX tubing. It also may also be a Corsa (SL) as those had flat fork crowns. All good machines so don't worry about the model name. If it is not a MXL, it won't change how the machine functions or how much you like it.


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## djg714 (Oct 24, 2005)

*Corsa & MXL*

I agree with Waterford, both the Corsa and MXL are sweet bikes.
Currently I have both and are really happy with them......both keepers.


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## waterford (Sep 30, 2004)

waterford said:


> I have to agree with sw3759, that is not a MXL. It is probably a Corsa Extra. SLX or TSX tubing. It also may also be a Corsa (SL) as those had flat fork crowns. All good machines so don't worry about the model name. If it is not a MXL, it won't change how the machine functions or how much you like it.


After looking at the picture yet again, I believe that it is a Corsa. The seat cluster indicates that it is Corsa as it is not investment cast. The Corsa Extras had investment cast seat clusters and the binder bolt ears were level with the top of the seat tube. The Corsa ears are set slightly lower at the seat tube opening. Finally, I believe that Corsas had the rear brake cable eyelets on the top tube as shown in the picture and the Corsa Extra had internal cable routing. Hope that this helps.


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## Wilierit (Oct 31, 2005)

sw3759 said:


> ..sorry to burst your bubble but that sure looks like Columbus Cyclex SL (or SLX/TSX) round tubing in that Merckx in the photo.clearly not MAX tubing..MAX has huge chainstays,internal rear brake cable guides and ovalized top and down tubes.SL is great steel but it looks totally different than MAX...


I didn't notice it in the picture until I looked again but it should have the internal cable routing and the ovalised tubes to be a mx-leader.


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## jroden (Jun 15, 2004)

Oh drat, thanks for the info, the cables sure are mounted on the top tube.

If I were to hop on an MXL, how would it differ? This makes me covet one, thanks guys.


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## waterford (Sep 30, 2004)

jroden said:


> Oh drat, thanks for the info, the cables sure are mounted on the top tube.
> 
> If I were to hop on an MXL, how would it differ? This makes me covet one, thanks guys.


The MXL would be heavier and stiffer. Not necessarily better. Enjoy your machine.


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## jroden (Jun 15, 2004)

Well, that makes me a big dope. I have always wondered why people would say the MXL was so stiff in the bottom bracket and mine tended to be a bit mushy when sprinting or climbing. That thing must build out at over 23 lbs with a standard road setup, I'd still like to have a new or newish one in a 58. 

Thanks for all the help, I did not even realize I had a problem!-


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## jroden (Jun 15, 2004)

OK, now I have one, really two LAST questions related to this bike:

1) Is is just me or has listing for the 2006 Corsa Extra just come out:

http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CCY?PAGE=PRODUCT&PRODUCT.ID=1842

2) I wonder what size my bike is? Both tubes are 23 inches c to c, which is 58.4, which is the listed TT size of the 60 cm--did they really measure the seat tube c to t?


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## sw3759 (Jul 10, 2004)

*no problems with your bike bro...*

jroden,
that is still a great bike,no less of a great bike than the MXL for sure.pity about the fork 
though.it is a great match for that frame.I am pretty certain it is a Corsa SL.since you mentioned the flat crown.they used flat crowns on the SL with top mounted cable guides. TSX used internal cables and flat crowns.and a sloping crown on the SLX.SL is great riding steel.just not as stiff as MAX.so what do you weigh?if it less than 180 your better off with SL over MAX.
that link you posted is the same bike as yours.with 7-11 paint obviously.the new Merckx Corsa has no chrome(that sucks).and sloping crown.check out the CC Interbike photos and there is a shot of the new Corsa.
now go wash your bike please


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## jroden (Jun 15, 2004)

I weigh 181, well outside the design limits of my frame. Better start shopping for something new with chrome, will have to swap my sharp looking straight fork onto it, though.

Thanks for your help.

I still don't know what the heck size it is, it seems to be a 60, measured center to top if the 58.4 top tube is an indicator, yet the seat tube is 58 from center to center, how Colnagoish of them.


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## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

I have MX Leader that I rode for about five years before I had it restored by a local frameshop in Portsmouth, VA. Originally it was midnight blue with fancy pinstripe decals. I committed sacrilege by replacing the steel fork with an Ouzo Pro after using the steel fork for about three years. The ride quality did not change but the bike was about a pound and a half lighter. When I had the frame restored, I had it stripped down to bare metal including removing the chrome. The shop sent it off for chrome plating. I had asked that both chainstays be chrome since originally only the drive side was. The chrome shop ended up chroming the entire frame so the remainder of the frame had to be scuffed to take paint. It really made my MX heavy.  I had the original fork stripped and repainted as well. It is a dark yellow similiar to what the Merckx sponsored team uses in Belgium with a classic red decal set. I still have it crated and will build it up when I move to the mainland and get a house with a bike room. It has a CK headset and both forks are in the crate with CK races pressed on. The cool thing about CK is the ability to swap forks between threaded and non by using the conversion kit. There is a newer (26.0) cinelli XA and Grammo in the crate as well.


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