Early 90s Merckx Corsa Extra -- with Columbus Max tubing



S

Simonb

Guest
I have an early 90s Merckx Corsa Extra frame here (ebay purchase) badged as
Columbus Max tubing: I've looked back through the archives for this
newsgroup (and, indeed, the rest of google) and cannot find any reference to
this frame being made from this material. All references to the Corsa Extra
seem to mention SLX tubing, not Max. Could it have been re-labelled (and
why)? Great looking-frame all the same.
 
"Simonb" <[email protected]> wrote:

> I have an early 90s Merckx Corsa Extra frame here (ebay purchase)
> badged as Columbus Max tubing: I've looked back through the archives
> for this newsgroup (and, indeed, the rest of google) and cannot find
> any reference to this frame being made from this material. All
> references to the Corsa Extra seem to mention SLX tubing, not
> Max. Could it have been re-labelled (and why)? Great looking-frame
> all the same.


Lovely frame.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7110391725

Looks like Max tubing. Max tubes were ovalised, and came with a matching
set of oval-socketed lugs, so you should be able to tell quite easily if
your frame is Max.

http://www.anvilbikes.com/story.php?news_ID=20&catID=3

I'm not a Merckx aficionado, so I don't know if the Corsa Extra was ever
made in Max, but perhaps the question you need to ask is whether your Max
frame has been mislabelled Corsa Extra, not whether your Corsa Extra has
been mislabelled Max.

HTH

James Thomson


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James Thomson wrote:

> Lovely frame.
>
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7110391725


That's the one. All mine!

> Looks like Max tubing. Max tubes were ovalised


Yep.

> and came with a
> matching set of oval-socketed lugs, so you should be able to tell
> quite easily if your frame is Max.


Yep.

> I'm not a Merckx aficionado, so I don't know if the Corsa Extra was
> ever made in Max, but perhaps the question you need to ask is whether
> your Max frame has been mislabelled Corsa Extra, not whether your
> Corsa Extra has been mislabelled Max.


Is this sort of mistake possible?

Thanks James.

ps, anyone know what bottom bracket size is required for this frame? ;-)
 
James Thomson wrote:

> Lovely frame.
>
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7110391725


That's the one. All mine!

> Looks like Max tubing. Max tubes were ovalised


Yep.

> and came with a
> matching set of oval-socketed lugs, so you should be able to tell
> quite easily if your frame is Max.


Yep.

> I'm not a Merckx aficionado, so I don't know if the Corsa Extra was
> ever made in Max, but perhaps the question you need to ask is whether
> your Max frame has been mislabelled Corsa Extra, not whether your
> Corsa Extra has been mislabelled Max.


Is this sort of mistake possible?

Thanks James.

ps, anyone know what bottom bracket size is required for this frame? ;-)
 
Simonb wrote:

> ps, anyone know what bottom bracket size is required for this frame?


Silly question: Italian thread.
 
Simonb writes-"<< I have an early 90s Merckx Corsa Extra frame here (ebay
purchase)
> badged as Columbus Max tubing: I've looked back through the archives
> for this newsgroup (and, indeed, the rest of google) and cannot find
> any reference to this frame being made from this material. All
> references to the Corsa Extra seem to mention SLX tubing, not
> Max. Could it have been re-labelled (and why)? Great looking-frame
> all the same.


I answered-" Could be one of the first MXLeaders, before they called them
that. Kinda tough to see w/o seeing the orientation of the top th=ube ovals and
the fork."


Peter Chisholm
Vecchio's Bicicletteria
1833 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535
http://www.vecchios.com
"Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"
 
Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:

> I answered-" Could be one of the first MXLeaders, before they called
> them that. Kinda tough to see w/o seeing the orientation of the top
> th=ube ovals and the fork."


Will post a pic when I get it back from the LBS (needs a new headset
fitted). LBS owner confirmed that the tubing is MAX without a doubt.
 
Simonb wrote:

> I have an early 90s Merckx Corsa Extra frame here (ebay purchase) badged as
> Columbus Max tubing: I've looked back through the archives for this
> newsgroup (and, indeed, the rest of google) and cannot find any reference to
> this frame being made from this material. All references to the Corsa Extra
> seem to mention SLX tubing, not Max. Could it have been re-labelled (and
> why)? Great looking-frame all the same.
>
>

The weight of the Max ( a Nivacrom material) is only a
theoretical 140g lighter than a Cyclex frame built in
SL/SLX, so weighing it won't be conclusive. The noise is
greater than that.

AFAIK MAX tube diameters and shapes are all weird - oval,
aero, tapered, oversized. SLX didn't come in whacky formats.

What does it look like? Round, normal (25.4, 28.6) tube? Or
not? And the joints - lug or TIG? SLX doesn't TIG well.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971
 
A Muzi wrote:

> What does it look like? Round, normal (25.4, 28.6) tube? Or
> not? And the joints - lug or TIG? SLX doesn't TIG well.


The toptube is round at the headtube and is slightly oval (horizontally) at
the seattube. The seattube is round at the top and oval at the bottom. The
seat stays are elliptical. The downtube starts oval (aligned horizontally)
at the bottom bracket and ends oval, aligned vertically, at the headtube.
All very pleasing to the eye.
 
Simonb wrote:
> A Muzi wrote:
>
>> What does it look like? Round, normal (25.4, 28.6) tube? Or
>> not? And the joints - lug or TIG? SLX doesn't TIG well.


All lugged.
 

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