My father can’t ride this anymore due to his knees so it’s mine now. Custom made for his size; fortunately we are the same height!
by garbageInGarbageOot
My father can’t ride this anymore due to his knees so it’s mine now. Custom made for his size; fortunately we are the same height!
by garbageInGarbageOot
13 Comments
A Mercian! Keep it original, please- it’s literally perfect
That is a fine, fine bicycle. I would clean it up, check the bearings, replace tires, pads, cables, etc as needed. Then enjoy it forever.
If you need tire recommendations, let us know. That bike deserves really nice tires.
Edit: looks like they are 27″ tires, so your only good option is the Panaracer Pasela. They are affordable and good quality.
Custom made extended rear derailleur cage💪
It’s a great bike but…it’s too big for him. And you. If the seat needs to be slammed, it’s too big. If you’re standing over the top tube and it’s making contact with you, it’s too big.
You should have at least an inch of clearance.
You should have almost full leg extension when the crank is at the bottom.
If it WAS originally setup properly and he lowered the seat, then that would explain some of his knee problems.
By the way? Craziest DIY rear derailler cage extension I’ve ever seen.
Wow, a Vincitore! what country are you in?
This is deserving of a very gentle restoration (cleaning, lubrication, but nothing to harm the patina)
Looks like the Reynolds 531 Double Butted Tubing decal above the top of the frame air pump on the seat tube has been scratched off almost entirely.
Velocals is out of business. Try eBay.
Mercian! That’s a keeper! If you intend to ride it, I would replace the handlebar stem, those old ones are prone to breaking when extended that high. That modified rear derailleur was a thing back when there were few alternatives for wide-range gears, but you can do better these days. Otherwise, it’s classic.
The bicycle discussion group Classic Rendezvous would go nuts seeing this bike after it’s all properly cleaned up.
https://www.classicrendezvous.com/British_isles/Mercian/Mercian_main.htm
Yes, please by all means, strive to keep it original as best as you can. It will be truly a treasure to keep.
Does anyone know what that bracket is attached to the handlebar stem with a wing nut is ?
https://www.merciancycles.co.uk/about-us/history/
That’s a nice bike. As with most vintage bikes, the best thing you can do with them is get them back on the road. There are a million suggestions, but regardless of how cool they are, keeping it original with the hope that it will be in a museum some day is kind of pointless. There are more bike museums than visitors. Make it comfortable and to your liking. It’s a good idea to clear coat the decals, and shoot some frame saver inside the tubes to prevent deterioration. The gearing on this one has ample range, you don’t have to be a top racer to climb hills. This one will catch a lot of attention on the road. Mercian is a top notch British bike.
That’s a terrific Randonneuse! I love the (home made?) Campagnolo Rally rear derailleur cage to handle the touring drivetrain.
That’s fantastic, your father had good taste! I’ve ridden a Mercian since 1988. If you would post it here, the serial number should be stamped under the bottom bracket shell and it may have a single digit under it. Depending on age, the serial number may identify the year it was built, and the single digit number indicates the builder. All Mercians are handmade, each bike fully hearth-brazed and built by a single builder. They still do it that way.