Mercian Bikes

strummer_fan said:

Does anyone on the list have experience with Mercian bikes, the ones produced in Derby, England?

merciancycles.co.ukIMG 2095 large.jpgOpen ↗

I am seriously considering ordering a full bike from them. I feel like they are the only purveyor of bikes who offer what I am looking for. I feel like no one else wants to sell me modern race componentry on traditional touring geometry frames.

<begin rant>
At times, it seems as if the road cycling world is split into two camps:
a.) The pro race devotees with titanium or carbon fiber everything, pro peloton body suits, featherweight, low-spoke-count wheelsets. The bikes are fast, lightweight and set for racing, but rather uncomfortable and if you want to ride to the store, you don't even have a place to put a bagel.
b.) The Rivendell retro crowd who will sell you a nice bike that can take a rack and fenders with a beautiful steel lugged frame. But unless you are willing to have downtube shifters or bar-ends and other "vintage" gear, they think you to be violating the purity of the bicycle.

Even in San Francisco, I feel like the only guy who has a Brooks saddle on his Campy-Equipped Bianchi road Bike.

Does anyone else fall between the race and retro camps?

I happen to like Campagnolo ErgoPower shifters and a high performance steel frame, but I don't race and sometimes a guy just wants room for a rack and some fenders without wanting to have to ride a relic.
</end rant>

So, in short, I am thinking of dropping around $2800 bucks for a Centaur-Equipped Mercian and I'd love to hear from other people who ride them. Or if anyone has had luck with other bikes that are similar.

Thanks. I don't mean to pick on anyone with my characterizations above, so please don't take offense.

I am part of the race camp but do enjoy retro bikes. If you are in America there should be plenty of custom frame builders who will give you what you want, Check out this site strawberrybicycle.comstrawberrybicycle.comOpen ↗ Andy builds all steel bikes, both classic looking and race bikes. Have a look, otherwise put in "custom frame builders" in your search engine and see what happens.😄

Sorry that should be "custom bicycle frame builders", Good luck!

strummer_fan said:

Does anyone on the list have experience with Mercian bikes, the ones produced in Derby, England?

merciancycles.co.ukIMG 2095 large.jpgOpen ↗

I am seriously considering ordering a full bike from them. I feel like they are the only purveyor of bikes who offer what I am looking for. I feel like no one else wants to sell me modern race componentry on traditional touring geometry frames.

<begin rant>
At times, it seems as if the road cycling world is split into two camps:
a.) The pro race devotees with titanium or carbon fiber everything, pro peloton body suits, featherweight, low-spoke-count wheelsets. The bikes are fast, lightweight and set for racing, but rather uncomfortable and if you want to ride to the store, you don't even have a place to put a bagel.
b.) The Rivendell retro crowd who will sell you a nice bike that can take a rack and fenders with a beautiful steel lugged frame. But unless you are willing to have downtube shifters or bar-ends and other "vintage" gear, they think you to be violating the purity of the bicycle.

Even in San Francisco, I feel like the only guy who has a Brooks saddle on his Campy-Equipped Bianchi road Bike.

Does anyone else fall between the race and retro camps?

I happen to like Campagnolo ErgoPower shifters and a high performance steel frame, but I don't race and sometimes a guy just wants room for a rack and some fenders without wanting to have to ride a relic.
</end rant>

So, in short, I am thinking of dropping around $2800 bucks for a Centaur-Equipped Mercian and I'd love to hear from other people who ride them. Or if anyone has had luck with other bikes that are similar.

Thanks. I don't mean to pick on anyone with my characterizations above, so please don't take offense.

I rode a Mercian from 1975 to 1984. It was a Reynolds 531, beautiful champagne gold with the lugs pinstriped in red and those classy Mercian decals in red. It was my first serious road bike. I initially had it outfitted with early Shimano Dura Ace and toured on it from Portland, Oregon back to Chapel Hill, North Carolina in 1977. When I got back I repainted it (same color) and decked it out with Campy Nuevo Record, tubulars, and raced it (crits and RR) from 1979 until I retired it in 1984. Unfortunately, I ran into the back of a car and slightly bent the top tube and down tube. I can't bear to throw it away (too much sentimental value), but I've got a custom Columbus frame (1983 vintage) that I'm using as a fixed gear, and a Trek 5200 that's my modern ride, so it's hard to justify getting my old Mercian fixed (would probably cost as much as a new frame).

I think Mercian makes (or used to) great bikes. Great old-school craftsmanship on the lugs. They are beautiful bikes. Haven't seen their new stuff, but in my experience, they are sweet, versatile rides, useful for touring, fast recreational riding and racing.