...about Mercians?

[Rabbit]

Thanks all - interesting what digital was saying about the frame. I was thinking of doing it that way as some of the bikes are either madly expensive or just expensive with very poor components. Just wondering what sort of price one should be looking to pay for a frame. There's a resprayed one on ebay starting at £225 at the moment - problem is, how much will it cost to do it justice with brakes, gears, wheels etc etc...BTW some poor soul put a Mercian frame on ebay at the weekend with start price of 99p - then a buy it now price which was MEANT to be £99, instead he put £9.90. One bidder (a bike dealer from the look of it) got it in four minutes. Not sure I'd have been happy taking it for that price - even had I seen it!

[Brucey]

....There are many haters of Mercian on this forum not sure why?....

I think the worst real criticism that has been put forward is that they might be overpriced?

Does that constitute hate?

I don't mind if they are overpriced; that means there are lots of other decent frames out there which will be ignored and therefore cheaper....

cheers

[PH]

They're not to my taste, though when you look at the work that's gone into producing one you can see where the cost comes from. It's a bit unfair to criticise the £5,000 bike, most of that is beyond Mercians control. if you pulled a frame out of the skip and built it up like that it'd still cost a lot. I have no criticism of how people spend their money, and there's no doubt that bikes that get used for decades have proved their value to the owner. I am sceptical of those that think because it's custom it's going to ride better. The tubesets are not unique, the geometry is pretty standard, and the joining technique won't make any difference. I'm not saying it won't be a lovely bike to ride, but in most cases something mass produced and a lot cheaper could have offered the same ride experience if not the same ownership one.

[Cherwell]

I’m saving up for a custom built frame. I like the Mercians but what puts me off is the paint job. The colour options and style look very dated. For a custom build I’d prefer a modern looking and unique paint job. As has been said already, a well built steel frame is a well built steel frame and Mercian are not the only ones who can do this. For my money a custom build warrants a custom finish with stunning good looks as well as a quality build.

[drossall]

There are some amazing multicoloured examples in the shop, or were when I visited - not traditional colour schemes at all. Let's face it though, it's always going to be a paint job rather than carbon.

[JohnW]

I’m saving up for a custom built frame. I like the Mercians but what puts me off is the paint job. The colour options and style look very dated. For a custom build I’d prefer a modern looking and unique paint job. As has been said already, a well built steel frame is a well built steel frame and Mercian are not the only ones who can do this. For my money a custom build warrants a custom finish with stunning good looks as well as a quality build.

There is a very wide range of colours and paint finishes - and they'll paint in any style you want - although it'll probably cost you.

I don't know where you are, but Chris Marshall in Keighley is a frame builder of many years standing, trained by the best (Johnny Mapplebeck - Pennine) and I can tell you that his paint jobs are like jewellery - far, far better than Johnny's ever were.

He builds in all the available tubing (although I don't know about 953) and he's known locally as a superb craftsman.

His telephone number is 01535 815911.

[al_yrpal]

Personally I like the vintage look of Mercians. Modern bike paint jobs are rather like many lycra colour schemes they look over the top and bad taste.

Al

[reohn2]

Personally I like the vintage look of Mercians. Modern bike paint jobs are rather like many lycra colour schemes they look over the top and bad taste.

Al

Beauty/taste is in the eye of the beholder.
I'm not keen on some colour schemes on this thread but that's only an opinion.
FWIW I don't like the look of lugs and overly fancy lugs look awful to me,barbers pole paint jobs should be on,well,err,on barbers poles,again only my opinion.
It's a varied world we live in and it's all the better for it

[Big T]

Haing owned a Mercian, I think they are over-rated.

I bought a Mercian (equivalent of the Audax Special) frame from the shop in 1997, built it up with my own components and rode it quite happily for 7 years before the frame broke (it split/cracked above the bottom bracket). i considered I'd had my money's worth out of it (they weren't as expensive as they are now - I think i paid £225 and that may have been in a sale).

I currently have a 631 steel audax bike from my LBS (Langdale Lightweights), the frame was built in eastern europe. It rides every bit as well as the Mercian and was half the price of what a new Mercian would be.

Mercians seem to be imbued with an almost mystical/magical quality by some, but not by me.

[Brucey]

re the broken frame; any details?

e.g. tubeset, welded or brazed (brazed I guess...), frame size, weight/mileage etc?

FWIW I have seen a broken seat tube just above the BB on a Mercian, belonging to a chum of mine, years ago. In hindsight (and with the benefit of later knowledge) I should not have been so surprised; it was a 531SL frame in ~23-1/2" or 24" size, and my chum was pretty strong (although not that heavy). Before it broke (for months) it seemed to me to be a bit on the whippy side for him, and my chum rode it (carefully) 20 miles home (after it had broken... ) when it was as floppy as an overdunked rich tea biscuit. This was either hilarious or terrifying depending on the POV I suppose.

I have since come to realise that such a frame might be at the limit of what some frame builders would take on; larger frames flex more (a lot more) than smaller ones in the same tube gauges and many builders would advise against those gauges in that size for a strong rider except for competition use. However, 2" smaller frame size and it might have been fine.

cheers

[reohn2]

though when you look at the work that's gone into producing one you can see where the cost comes from.

Can you? I beg to differ.

It's a bit unfair to criticise the £5,000 bike......... I have no criticism of how people spend their money

Whilst it's upto any individual to spend their money on whatever they choose I still maintain there isn't a bicycle on earth worth that kind of money.

if you pulled a frame out of the skip and built it up like that it'd still cost a lot.

Only if you built it up with crazily expensive parts.
Sometime ago I was chatting with a chap who told me he'd got "Colnago fever" and he'd bought a classic steel Colnago Master(I think )s/hand,he went on about how nice it looked and how when he'd bought it the wheels weren't just quite period for the frame and how much it had cost him to source the correct Campag hubs and rims then a good builder to build up the "correct" wheelset,he was almost salivating in the telling of the story.I told he must be very proud of it and asked him how it rode,he said "I dunno really I don't ride it much"
With some it's merely possession.

there's no doubt that bikes that get used for decades have proved their value to the owner.

And those bike needn't cost the earth to be of value.

I am sceptical of those that think because it's custom it's going to ride better.

Me too.Though if you've spent so much a bicycle it simply has to better than the common or garden bicycle

The tubesets are not unique, the geometry is pretty standard, and the joining technique won't make any difference. I'm not saying it won't be a lovely bike to ride, but in most cases something mass produced and a lot cheaper could have offered the same ride experience if not the same ownership one.

Exactly!
It's boys and toys


Ah well back to the dugout...........incoming..........

[Cherwell]

There are some amazing multicoloured examples in the shop, or were when I visited - not traditional colour schemes at all

A shame they don’t advertise it. But I suppose with a six month waiting list for a custom build they don’t need to. The only options I’ve seen are a ‘barbers pole’ or a contrasting seat tube panel, a different coloured head tube, and block or gothic text Mercian transfers available in different colours.

I'm not keen on some colour schemes on this thread but that's only an opinion.
FWIW I don't like the look of lugs and overly fancy lugs look awful to me,barbers pole paint jobs should be on,well,err,on barbers poles,again only my opinion.

+1

I don't know where you are, but Chris Marshall in Keighley is a frame builder of many years standing, trained by the best (Johnny Mapplebeck - Pennine) and I can tell you that his paint jobs are like jewellery - far, far better than Johnny's ever were.

He builds in all the available tubing (although I don't know about 953) and he's known locally as a superb craftsman.

His telephone number is 01535 815911.

Thanks for that. I will contact him when I’m ready to proceed.

Mercians seem to be imbued with an almost mystical/magical quality by some, but not by me.

A triumph of marketing. Reputation and brand awareness. Works every time.

If I could get an old frame the right size and have it done up, that would be fine by me.

[al_yrpal]

Personally I like the vintage look of Mercians. Modern bike paint jobs are rather like many lycra colour schemes they look over the top and bad taste.

Al

Beauty/taste is in the eye of the beholder.
I'm not keen on some colour schemes on this thread but that's only an opinion.
FWIW I don't like the look of lugs and overly fancy lugs look awful to me,barbers pole paint jobs should be on,well,err,on barbers poles,again only my opinion.
It's a varied world we live in and it's all the better for it

Predictable..

Wasnt my choice, it was my brothers bike and he liked flash things. It seems to have the same effect on people as my Triumph Stag. You get lots of ear splitting grin and many effusive kind words. I suppose the rest just mutter obscenities under their breath and pass by - a bit like me when I spot a blinged up Lycra Clad twit on a flourescent steed. Although the modern world is such a grey place, especially the cars, the 70's was best... http://www.flickr.com/photos/alyrpal/2622589050/

Al

[Brian1946]

Hi

I had a Mercian Pro Lugless Time Trial built for me in 1987, I had to retire it last year due to a couple of rust holes appearing at the bottom of the seat tube just above the bottom bracket. It served me well for 25 years!

Last year I asked Mercian to respray an old (1995) Langdale 653 (because they do make a super paint job) here's a picture, seatpost now repalces with Campagnolo aero and bars and stem replaces with Cinelli Campion del Mondo bars, white bar tape and Cinelli xa stem.

A new lease of life for what was my old winter bike.

[Big T]

re the broken frame; any details?

e.g. tubeset, welded or brazed (brazed I guess...), frame size, weight/mileage etc?

FWIW I have seen a broken seat tube just above the BB on a Mercian, belonging to a chum of mine, years ago. In hindsight (and with the benefit of later knowledge) I should not have been so surprised; it was a 531SL frame in ~23-1/2" or 24" size, and my chum was pretty strong (although not that heavy). Before it broke (for months) it seemed to me to be a bit on the whippy side for him, and my chum rode it (carefully) 20 miles home (after it had broken... ) when it was as floppy as an overdunked rich tea biscuit. This was either hilarious or terrifying depending on the POV I suppose.

I have since come to realise that such a frame might be at the limit of what some frame builders would take on; larger frames flex more (a lot more) than smaller ones in the same tube gauges and many builders would advise against those gauges in that size for a strong rider except for competition use. However, 2" smaller frame size and it might have been fine.

cheers

From memory it was a 531c - 23.5 inches. It was lugged and split about 4 inches above the BB - not an obvious stress point (band on front mech). I'm a big bloke but have previously had steel frames that lasted 20 years (another Langdale from when he used to build them himself). I only ditched the previous Langdale because it was in a bit of a state, needed a respray and wasn't drilled out for modern allen key brakes.

I had an old Holdsworth circa 1974 that broke in the manner that you describe above in 1981. Still rideable but floppy as hell. (bought the original Langdale to replace that one)

I'd like another Mercian, but I'm not prepared to pay £7-800 pound just for the frame and I don't do second hand.