After spending months looking around and selling bike bits to raise extra cash for my first custom frame, I have booked my train ticket to go to Derby on Tuesday.
I am particularly interested to find out their prescription for my frame size as I have an old lugged Rossin RLX frame in the shed (possibly) awaiting components based on the outcome of their sizing. If it turns out to be very different I will have to flog it.
I have looked at Jackson/Whitcomb (HOW much!?)/Condor/Yates/Roberts/etc and it seems Mercian are the most appropriate. Plus they have a decent website and catalogue. I am (possibly ironically, given their expertise) going for a Pro Lugless in 631, unless the experts tell me otherwise! I live in London and don't want to risk a nice colourful paint job, so a dark green or gunmetal with black decals should do it.
Exciting!
Wahey! I am going to Mercian at last!
I got mine back from it's refurb in December. Within a few days, it was re-assembled and out onto the road. Salt, muck, rain, sleet, the lot!
That's what it's there for. Look after your frame, clean it regularly, and every now and again, strip the components off and give it a couple of coats of car polish.
Love your Mercian, and it will love you back.
That's what it's there for. Look after your frame, clean it regularly, and every now and again, strip the components off and give it a couple of coats of car polish.
Love your Mercian, and it will love you back.
Mick F. Cornwall
mlteenie
I treated myself to a Mercian Audax in 06 after years of admiring/lusting/pondering/saving etc. Plenty of miles on it now (although not by some of the standards on this forum - respect!) but I have always been a bit obsessive about keeping it clean. Worryingly, that remains the case two years on! So be warned! It really does'nt look like it's gone that far, but that is'nt the case. It also goes out a lot in the winter.
Anyhow, have fun with whole experience and enjoy your masterpiece.
I treated myself to a Mercian Audax in 06 after years of admiring/lusting/pondering/saving etc. Plenty of miles on it now (although not by some of the standards on this forum - respect!) but I have always been a bit obsessive about keeping it clean. Worryingly, that remains the case two years on! So be warned! It really does'nt look like it's gone that far, but that is'nt the case. It also goes out a lot in the winter.
Anyhow, have fun with whole experience and enjoy your masterpiece.
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Woodbridge Pete
- Posts: 148
- Joined: 5 Jan 2007, 7:36pm
- Location: Suffolk
- Contact:
I bought an old Rossin bike recently. Superb , fine Italian machine with oval tubing and rococo style lugs, Cinelli handle bars, Mavic & Ridgida wheels & Campag & Shimano parts.
Rossin were used by some of the top riders including Kelly, Virenique and Van Poppel but think they got taken over in the 90's. There is a bit about Rossin on Classicrendezvous and 43bikes. If you can restore it then it will be well worth it.
Wonderful pics of the Mercian workshop on their website. Good to see that British craftsman ship is still going strong.
Rossin were used by some of the top riders including Kelly, Virenique and Van Poppel but think they got taken over in the 90's. There is a bit about Rossin on Classicrendezvous and 43bikes. If you can restore it then it will be well worth it.
Wonderful pics of the Mercian workshop on their website. Good to see that British craftsman ship is still going strong.
Thanks for the good will all.
W-Pete - so maybe I should go for the name if it connects with you. Do you do Mercian's graphics then?
Lawrie9 - my frame is a rather tatty SLX tubed model but with lovely cast Rossin lugs. I will deal with tidying it up if Mercian tell me the size is right but I have a feeling I may have a short body to leg ratio and the 57cm square frame may not do - we'll see! Mine has the red/yellow/white cross-hatched paint scheme. Hard to reproduce and with the chroming and decals we are talking a lot of money.
W-Pete - so maybe I should go for the name if it connects with you. Do you do Mercian's graphics then?
Lawrie9 - my frame is a rather tatty SLX tubed model but with lovely cast Rossin lugs. I will deal with tidying it up if Mercian tell me the size is right but I have a feeling I may have a short body to leg ratio and the 57cm square frame may not do - we'll see! Mine has the red/yellow/white cross-hatched paint scheme. Hard to reproduce and with the chroming and decals we are talking a lot of money.
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Woodbridge Pete
- Posts: 148
- Joined: 5 Jan 2007, 7:36pm
- Location: Suffolk
- Contact:
mlteenie - there is a "Mercian" thread further down this Technical section - if you've not read through it (there's ten or so pages on it now), why not gove it a go?
I didn't have mine posted - I don't trust Parcel Force - I went to collect it on the train and the bulky parcel became a conversation piece among passengers close by me - I had to unwrap it for inspection. One chap began to hold forth and tell the assembled company that he had two Mercians, and he described them in really intimate detail. One of the most enjoyable train journeys that I can remember.
I collected it in May last year, and I'm only just beginning to build it up.
I spend a lot of time looking at it!!!
I didn't have mine posted - I don't trust Parcel Force - I went to collect it on the train and the bulky parcel became a conversation piece among passengers close by me - I had to unwrap it for inspection. One chap began to hold forth and tell the assembled company that he had two Mercians, and he described them in really intimate detail. One of the most enjoyable train journeys that I can remember.
I collected it in May last year, and I'm only just beginning to build it up.
I spend a lot of time looking at it!!!
Off to Derby tomorrow morning and almost finding myself more confused than when I started - so many possibilities! The main reason I am going Pro Lugless is to have my Chris King headset fitted. THe other frames are basically all 1" threaded. Bit weird but the whole bike flows from there. Already have Thomson seatpost and XT groupset.
Anyway will no doubt return with glowing reports tomorrow night.
Anyway will no doubt return with glowing reports tomorrow night.
mlteenie wrote:Off to Derby tomorrow morning and almost finding myself more confused than when I started - so many possibilities! The main reason I am going Pro Lugless is to have my Chris King headset fitted. THe other frames are basically all 1" threaded. Bit weird but the whole bike flows from there. Already have Thomson seatpost and XT groupset.
Anyway will no doubt return with glowing reports tomorrow night.
I'm waiting with bated breath for the glowing reports.
What colour did you finally decide upon?