Merckx arrives! any experts out there?

[CarlosContreros]

Well...
YES!...on Friday my Merckx MX Leader finally arrived..
the "Motorola" colors are stunning to me!..
what an awesome paint job!..."awesome bill from dawsonville! :D

I was also struck by how small this frame was..it looked
"medium sized"...and I had ordered a XL!!

Well...I did some measuring and it's a 64.25cm c-t(63cm c-c)..
so I did receive the proper size...it's just the tubes are so
big(1.5" downtube!)..otrher tubes way oversized as well!

My question?...it has numbers on the bottom-bracket..one
side has the numbers 1942....the opposite side has the numbers
100...over another 100..are these serial numbers??

I luv this frameset!! :banana:
should have built up soon...but I want to admire the frame for a bit! :p

[parallelfish]

You must have gotten one of the 25th anniversary frames that were produced last year. One hundred were made. Yours is the last of the batch, thus 100/100.

Mine is 33/100, and you are correct, they are great frames.

[Fixed]

bro you lucky duck .cheers :beer:

[slowgoing]

You'll love it. Smoothest fork ever.

[bironi]

Please post some pics for us living vicariously.

Byron

[CarlosContreros]

Kewl!
Thanks for the clarification parallelfish!
That can only mean to me that *my* Merckx was possibly the
last "MX Leader" that Merckx will ever build! :)
Just "icing on the cake"!

fixed...I hope you're staying out of trouble!(i know you're probably
surrounded by pirates this weekend! :confused: ).

slowgoing?...do I know you? :D
at size 63cm I hope the entire bike is smooth!...and has a lot of SNAP! when
I end up challenging cars to sprint! :no:

bironi..once built up I will post pics(the frame is currently in my
bedroom at the time...my girlfriend said NO to it being in the bed! :no: ).
Upon waking the last couple of mornings I first have to glance at it! :p

Well....I tried dealing with 2 LBS's...I asked if I were to purchase a
new CDA with new fork....what would the component switch cost?
I was give a quote of $150-$200!! :confused:
I once had a dealer swap components for me from one frameset to
another..NO bike purchase of any kind...and he charged me $75!
Did an excellent job as well.
When I asked a dealer for a price for a CDA with the cheapest fork
available...I first was told $1750..I thought..OK..he's giving me
a good package deal...so I very strongly considered.
Only to have him e-mail me back next day saying he had quoted the
wrong price..that the correct price should be $2750!!! :confused:
So?...ya know what?...I decided on the Merckx!

And I can't say enough about GVH Bikes on the web...Gary was
a great guy to deal with and Tom more than carries on that tradition!
He was over and above fair to me in a lot of ways!
It's almost like...he wants my repeat business....as opposed to
trying to take me for all he can once...knowing I would probably
never come back!
Tom runs the business in a way that a lot of LBS's don't....just
fair customer service...and good prices on everything "bicycling related"!
He .."gets it"!

[SoCalSteve]

Kewl!
Thanks for the clarification parallelfish!
That can only mean to me that *my* Merckx was possibly the
last "MX Leader" that Merckx will ever build! :)
Just "icing on the cake"!

fixed...I hope you're staying out of trouble!(i know you're probably
surrounded by pirates this weekend! :confused: ).

slowgoing?...do I know you? :D
at size 63cm I hope the bike is smooth!...and has a lot of SNAP! when
I end up challenging cars to sprint! :no:

bironi..once built up I will post pics(the frame is currently in my
bedroom at the time...my girlfriend said NO to it being in the bed! :no: ).
Upon waking the last couple of mornings I first have to glance at it!

Well....I tried dealing with 2 LBS's...I asked if I were to purchase a
new CDA with new fork....what would the component switch cost?
I was give a quote of $150-$200!! :confused:
I once had a dealer swap components for me from one frameset to
another..NO bike purchase of any kind...and he charged me $75!
Did an excellent job as well.When I asked a dealer for a price for a CDA with the cheapest fork
available...I first was told $1750..I thought..OK..he's giving me
a good package deal...so I very strongly considered.
Only to have him e-mail me back next day sayoing he had quoted the
wrong price..that the correct price should be $2750!!! :confused:
So?...ya know what?...I decided on the Merckx!

And I can't say enough about GVH Bikes on the web...Gary was
a great guy to deal with and Tom is the same way!
He was over and above fair to me in a lot of ways!
It's almost like...he wants my repeat business....as opposed to
trying to take me for all he can once...knowing I would probably
never come back!
Tom runs the business in a way that a lot of LBS's don't....just
fair customer service...and good prices on everything "bicycling related"!

Buy $75.00 worth of tools and books and learn how to build them yourself...

Ok, maybe a few more $$$..But, something to be said about building up your own bike. Great satisfaction!

As for Gary, he was a great guy when I bought my LandShark from him. Very fair and patient...Glad to hear that the new owners are the same way. I hope maybe I can throw business their way some day.

Steve

[CarlosContreros]

Thanks Steve....I do have the tools and experience....but(now I'm going to
cry..wa..wa!) I work a "ton' of hours and am away from home
for weeks at a time! :crap:
And...I really don't enjoy it('cept trueing wheels...that's like meditation!). ;)

When home I want to ride..ya know?...priorities! :cool:

take care Steve!.(how do you ride such a low saddle for being so tall?...and my merckx is a lot like the BLE you're getting..'cept half-the-price!). :banana:

[Fixed]

!fixed...I hope you're staying out of trouble!(i know you're probably
surrounded by pirates this weekend! :confused: ).

bro my wife is one. I rode my bike down there last night to meet her .we parked her car there after my sat ride then she did her pirate thing . I went back downtown found her and drove her home and put her to bed, bro she was beat. the art prof's not used to walking all day and throwing beads .thanks for thinking of me bro cheers :beer:

[landshark_98]

Glad you got your frame, and glad I didn't by your Molteni (lol - I wish I could have) but I've rebuilt the one I had. I posted some full frame shots in the photo gallery. here's two closer up. Got a new fork with uncut steerer from Gita - last one they had. It still has some tweaks - probably a different post and some other minor details, but it looks pretty good for a ten year old bike that went through the Spring Classic wars!

Get yours built and on the road!

Greg

[The Spider]

Did you end up selling your previous one Carlos or have you started a MX Leader family?

[CarlosContreros]

Did you end up selling your previous one Carlos or have you started a MX Leader family?

Hey Spider....
Yeah...the Molteni 62 is gone(I would have kept it but it was too small).
This 63 is a lot better fit(not only vertically..but longer chainstay
and top-tube as well). :)
Are you an Aussie?...I lived in Balgowlah and Harbord(Sydney suburds)for close to 2 years....I miss the country and people! :cool:

landshark98..grreat looking Merckx!(the MXL)..I wish my frameset had
the "made-in-Belgium" sticker on the down-tube like your's and my
ex-MX had....I can only think that my MXLeader being the "last-one"
to be ever built....maybe they ran out of those decals! :confused:

[SoCalSteve]

Thanks Steve....I do have the tools and experience....but(now I'm going to
cry..wa..wa!) I work a "ton' of hours and am away from home
for weeks at a time! :crap:
And...I really don't enjoy it('cept trueing wheels...that's like meditation!). ;)

When home I want to ride..ya know?...priorities! :cool:

take care Steve!.(how do you ride such a low saddle for being so tall?...and my merckx is a lot like the BLE you're getting..'cept half-the-price!). :banana:

Thats what happenes when you are 6' 5" and have really short legs and a long torso. It's not sooo bad that I need custom (or can join the circus) but, I usually have very little seatpost showing.....Especially with the VERY tall Brooks B-17 saddles.

Enjoy your ride!

Steve

[Argos]

Carlos,

Wow, that's quite a looker (from what I saw online). Can't wait to see pics of the finished product.

I'd say that bike is up there with the 7-11 Serotta's as far as Old skool HOT!

Enjoy

[parallelfish]

Merckx!(the MXL)..I wish my frameset had
the "made-in-Belgium" sticker on the down-tube like your's and my
ex-MX had....I can only think that my MXLeader being the "last-one"
to be ever built....maybe they ran out of those decals! :confused:

Carlos,

The frame should have come with a tag affixed to the brake birdge. The tag indicated model number, size and serial number. Stapled to the tag, there should have been a plastic bag containing a 25th anniversary decal, as well as the "made in Belgium" decal.

In addition, you should have received a folder containing a signed certificate of authenticity. If you are missing any of this, the seller should be able to go back to GITA and get it for you.

[The Spider]

Carlos Mate,

I cut myself the other day and beer flowed...that how aussie I am!

If you miss us, just pop on up to Whistler....I do believe we have taken over!

any difference between the 04 Molteni and an 05 Motorola (other than size?)