# MX-leader seat lug cracked



## 19lexicon78 (Aug 30, 2009)

hello,
my first post here and unfortunate not a happy one.
a month ago i've bought a mx-leader on the net. the seller told the mx-leader was fine.
after receiving and inspection, the bike wasn't ok. the seat lug has cracked. the seller doesn't want to give the money back. contacted lawyer etc.

i've also contacted merckx and columbus for this lug.they don't have them anymore.
my question, are there people who make/have those merckx mx-leader lugs?
it's a mx-leader 1993 Aslk-Cger team bike.
if i can fix this one, i would.

greets,
stan


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## Maverick (Apr 29, 2004)

19lexicon78,

sorry to hear about the issue.

btw, please attached a picture of the cracked lug.
should give a better indication to other members. 

Rgds


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## 19lexicon78 (Aug 30, 2009)

ok, i don't have a camera. used my mobile.
the left side, the crack is between the arrows
the right side, the crack is all around, starting with the arrow

and a picture of the bike at eby


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## texbike (Oct 21, 2004)

Hey Lex,

Sorry to hear about the troubles with your MXL. I haven't seen a Merckx with a cracked seat lug before.

Your bike has a unique seatstay arrangement that isn't typical of most MX Leaders. The seatstays on your bike appear to be the Max tubing attached to the SIDE of the seat lug. 

Most MXLs with Max-tubed seatstays (flattened) have them attached to the back of the lug. Later MXLs that used rounded (SLX?) tubes for the seatstays had them attached to the side of the seat lug.

I wonder if the unique seat cluster configuration on your bike could have contributed to the failure?

Good luck with the bike. It does look beautiful.

Texbike


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## Maverick (Apr 29, 2004)

19lexicon78 said:


> ok, i don't have a camera. used my mobile.
> the left side, the crack is between the arrows
> the right side, the crack is all around, starting with the arrow


I'm sorry, but i would suggest you get a better camera to allow the members to view it accurately.
it's difficult to comprehend exactly how serious the problem is with the blur pictures.
some macro shots will be necessary.

on a side note, i believe some frame builders should be able to fix this particular crack.

Rgds


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## 19lexicon78 (Aug 30, 2009)

i've talked to a former steel-frame builder. he said a wrong seat post, diameter/lenght, + a crash, could have cracked the lug. the lug has to be replaced.

another possibility could be the use of the bike.
i've bought the bike in west-vlaanderen, and there are many cobblestone races in that area, eg ronde van vlaanderen/paris-roubaix. a wrong seat post and heavy races could be the failure of the lug.
perhaps that's also the reason for the extended headtube.

the seatstay at the right is 75% cracked/loose.
i don't have a good cam, sorry.


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*find a good lug man*

somebody can fix that, somebody could find, modify, cast a new one or
wait to find a detroyed MXL with a good seat lug, rest of the frame could be broken
and salvage the lug


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## 19lexicon78 (Aug 30, 2009)

tja, who is able to cast the seat lug?
the mxl seat lug isn't a standard max lug.


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## Rik H (May 11, 2007)

Oh my! I almost bid on that frame on e-bay (another Belgian here). Certainly is a unique frame, with the freulered headtube. If it's your size, I'd consider having it repaired using a donor frame for the lug, as suggested above.


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## 19lexicon78 (Aug 30, 2009)

yes, the frame is my size 59.5, i'm 1.85m.
i've never seen a mxl donor frame.


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