Columbus Brain tubing

Im interested in buying a second hand Eddy Merkcx with Columbus Brain tubing. My friend reckons it would have retailed at around $1000 for the frame and fork. I would like to know if this is a mid or low end tubset as I am looking at doing triathlons and road racing on this bike.

 

The Brain tube set is in the mid to high range. Merkcx frame ars better suit for road racing, it has a very laid back geometry. It is a frame that you can ride all day every day. You might have trouble getting an aero postion that you can handle for a long time. I would say if the price is right get it.

 

I agree, if the price is right, do buy it. Lol I wasn't even cycling when this came up. First post in cycling forums equipment section.

 

Hmmmm, I'd say Brain is more low-mid.

This site say it's basic 4130 cro-mo:
http://www.sevencycles.com/building/Steel.html , but this blurb from the old Columbus site suggests that it's a mix of 'Cyclex' (chrome/molybdenum) and their cheaper 25CrMo4 steel http://www.kvanproductions.com/cycling/Brain.htm
If the latter is the case, then I'd say it has a Cyclex main triangle and 25CrMo stays, which would put it above the cheap stuff, such as Gara, but below the lighter, mid-range, such as SL and SLX. Having said that, before the heat treated stuff came out, SLX and SL was top goodies

BUT......Merckx apparently made very good frames, and they still sell for good money, so, even though this one is made with low-mid steel it may be a good deal

 

I don't think this is an accurate interpretation of the kvankproductions site ... I think that particular "Brain" is the frame name (which MAY be derived from the tubing used, but may not).

Regardless, the Columbus Brain tubing originally dates to the mid-to-late 90s ... my wife's Olmo Scatto (circa 2000) is made with Columbus Brain tubing ... the frame & fork retailed for about $1100(US), so the Merckx frame & fork was probably about $1200+(US) when it was new ... her frame is lugged, standard sized tubing. There used to be a vague description of the tubing on the Columbus site (there still may be) ...

A contemporary Colnago Master X-Lite frameset would have been in the $1600+(US) range, as I recall ...

If your friend had bought his frame separately rather than as a built bike, then he would have paid slightly more than the $1000 he reckons he/someone paid -- all of which was DEPENDENT on variations in the foreign currency exchange rate at the time.

FWIW. The Columbus Brain tubing is better than the Columbus Thron tubing which I reckoned, at the time, was comparable to the Reynolds 501/520 level of tubing ...

Does Columbus still make/sell their SL & SLX tubing?

Regardless, the Columbus Brain tubing IS more robust than the SL & SLX ... I guess that it is like getting a frame made with 531 tubing ... currently, it would be considered mid-range (or, mid-high, as suggested earlier) when compared with the latest & greatest steel tubing that is available ...

I would guess that a BARE (sans fork) 56cm frame would weigh in at just under 5 lbs. The weight of the built up bike would depend on the components you put on it.

The "value" of the frame depends on where you are at ... I reckon anything between $400 & $600 depending on condition ... as low as $200 if the paint is in poor condition and/or the frame has seen a lot of miles ...

ALL STEEL FRAMES ARE GOOD ... SOME ARE BETTER ... and, SOME ARE GREAT!