MERCIAN

For discussions about bikes and equipment.
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531colin
Posts: 16083
Joined: 4 Dec 2009, 6:56pm
Location: North Yorkshire

Re: MERCIAN

Post by 531colin »

Brucey wrote:from the look of it the track frame doesn't have an especially high BB either. If the fork crown was drilled on day one, I wonder if it was built with 'road/path' geometry (but without mudguard eyes... if not omitted from the start, could they have been removed later?). If so, the frame could have been intended for training use on the road as well, in which case 27x1-1/4" tyres and mudguards would have been required, hence the clearances. ......


But the same 700c/27" wheel thing applies to the road frame of the same vintage, doesn't it?
Brucey
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Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: MERCIAN

Post by Brucey »

well, sort of; I get the impression that many 'clubman's ' bikes were sold with equally large clearances for that exact reason. If you were using Mafacs or Universals in 1967 then the brakes were state of the art and fitted OK on gappy frames. A few racing cyclists would have specified close-clearances and (the then somewhat unusual) short reach side-pulls, but this would have tied you into tubs forever which wouldn't suit a clubman on a budget; 700C wheels and HP tyres were not commonly available in the UK, even years later I think.

But ~1968 the whole game moved on; Campagnolo had launched their brakes, which must have been a revelation at the time. Even at ~60mm reach they wouldn't even fit many popular framesets, so I would suppose that new racing frames would (if they were built to take the best parts) be likely built different thence on in order to accept them. A few years after that they produced the piccolo brake and things were never the same again; that was the point at which state of the art racing frames really became very unsuitable for touring on too, I guess. When I started cycling competitively in the mid 1970's, I lusted after a close-clearance frameset like you couldn't imagine (despite the likely cost of keeping the thing in tubs), but had to make do with a deeply unfashionable and rather gappy used frame, and had to train on 27x1-1/4" wheels because it was all I could afford. I had to file my brakes out deeper in order to fit sprints for racing... :shock:

cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
garygkn
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Joined: 16 Aug 2008, 8:59pm

Re: MERCIAN

Post by garygkn »

I've gotta dash out but the blue road bike was at some point spread to 130mm by the previous owner.
I will at some point return it to Mercian for alignment checking and a renovation.
It rides very well.
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Mick F
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Joined: 7 Jan 2007, 11:24am
Location: Tamar Valley, Cornwall

Re: MERCIAN

Post by Mick F »

When I was "designing" my Mercian, we swapped letters about the spec. It's not made to measure, but it is made to my spec but with advice from Mercian.

I wanted close clearances, but still retain enough clearance for mudguards. They suggested - and supplied - Campag Victory brakes in Piccolo depth. When I take the mudguards off, the bike doesn't look "wrong".

I am obviously limited in the tyre size department, maybe 25mm is the max with mudguards, and perhaps 28mm without, but I accept that and am not fussed about it.
Mick F. Cornwall
Brucey
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Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: MERCIAN

Post by Brucey »

years ago I designed a 'jack of all trades' frame for my then girlfriend which we then had built. IIRC we chose Galli side pulls because they were a reasonable quality brake with a ~53mm drop; just a fraction more than a piccolo brake. Built just right (and it was...) the bike would take 28s and mudguards if necessary. Said frame did everything for a few years; touring, racing, the lot; not without compromise, but it did it.

cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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531colin
Posts: 16083
Joined: 4 Dec 2009, 6:56pm
Location: North Yorkshire

Re: MERCIAN

Post by 531colin »

Yes, the "everything bike".......My "everything bike" is closer to R2's one from the other Mercian thread on the does anybody know board.....but that's only because we happen to like similar sorts of riding, mixing tarmac with tracks......
(pasted from R2.....
..........""FWIW,I've been tentatively thinking of a lightweight frame that builds up into a 10kg bike it would have to take lightweight 700x35mm tyres and m/guards.
As it would be a fair weather bike I'd go for V brakes. It'd have to be steel, probably 631 or 725 and of a compact frame design with a high/long headtube 72deg seatube 73deg h/tube it needn't have overly long chainstays as it wouldn't carry a load other than a day bag.
Mercian could build me such a frame but I'd cost an arm and a leg, if I could get one off the peg elsewhere I'd be happy or if someone knows a frame builder who has a good track record and doesn't charge the earth let me know :)......""

The bike I would build would be a proper light tourer, stable and without toe overlap, with clearance for fairly big tyres, but light enough to be comfortable and a bit lively, and it would be the bike that lots of these "not-really-cyclocross-bikes" seem to be trying to be.
JohnW
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Joined: 6 Jan 2007, 9:12pm
Location: Yorkshire

Re: MERCIAN

Post by JohnW »

531colin wrote:.............if someone knows a frame builder who has a good track record and doesn't charge the earth let me know............


Colin - assuming that you're still not a hundred miles from Harrogate, you do have a couple of framebuilders fairly near - well known to you I imagine - but have you thought of giving Chris Marshall a visit. He's in Keighley which, if Spa is riding distance from me in Halifax, is certainly within riding distance for you. His local reputation is good with local clubmen/racing men and I can vouch for the superb quality of finish - like jewellery - my re-sprayed Pennine lived on the sideboard for six months after I collected it; it was a joy to behold. Still is actually, but having to live in a typical English summer it needs a good clean.

Chris's number is 01535 691073.
JohnW
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Joined: 6 Jan 2007, 9:12pm
Location: Yorkshire

Re: MERCIAN

Post by JohnW »

Let's remind ourselves.
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