Cycling nirvana

[Tom]

Today, I went to Mercian Cycles in Derby to order a new frame. It will be based on my body measurements and I won't get to collect it until well into next year. It will cost me many, many monies. Anyhow, I took a load of pictures of their off-the-shelf examples while I was there, so here they are. These bikes are all Reynolds steel - no aluminium or carbon.

https://secure.flickr.com/photos/soundman/sets/72157645906556081/

I would have uploaded them directly into this thread, but for some reason the forum software doesn't orient the images correctly.

 

[Tom]

Easier gallery here:

https://imgur.com/a/tupdX

 

[TdC]

pretty stuffs! you must have had some mad wood lol

 

[Billargh]

Just looks like a load of old bikes to me.

 

[Gwadien]

This reminds me of the Games Workshops or what ever they're called.

 

[Shagrat]

won't internal cabl

This reminds me of the Games Workshops or what ever they're called.

You mean those hobbyist shops that don't sell bikes or anything cycling related.

Yeah I can see what you mean.....

 

[Embattle]

Some nice designs on those frames although I recognise the Reynolds name mainly from all the Raleigh bikes I had when I was younger.

 

[Edmond]

They look all hand painted, very nice

 

[Job]

Real old school stuff there..which is good unless you are trying to be old school ..which doesn't work you hipster.

Edit...youve made me rebuild my old Viscount aerospace bike...it has tubs...tubs I tell you..and I've got loads in the attic...just need some shellac...move over hipsters.

 

[Raven]

Just looks like a load of old bikes to me.

Old bikes that are still around 50 years on

High quality but won't it be really heavy? Also, the colour sort of looks like you might like shoes (no pretending)

 

[Tom]

Don't confuse hipsters (fashion victims) with cyclists who know what they want from a bike.

 

[Edmond]

Old bikes that are still around 50 years on

High quality but won't it be really heavy? Also, the colour sort of looks like you might like shoes (no pretending)

Yeah, but hand painted shoes though

 

[leggy]

What Raven said... won't they be quite heavy?

 

[TdC]

not really. they may be slightly heavier than alu/carbon/ti bikes, but they will also have completely different riding characters. out of all the bikes I ever had, I favour my two steel bikes the most. I still have one, and have no intention at all of getting rid of it.

 

[Job]

I have resprayed a bike with fancy lugs and those pictures gave me flashback of running tiny paintbrush around the edges and dipping it back into Humbrol gloss black paint tin.

 

[Tom]

What Raven said... won't they be quite heavy?

I don't see Raven's posts. Good quality steel frames may be a pound or two heavier than their aluminium/carbon counterparts, but that's it. The whole bike may weigh 20-25lbs or so when complete, but I challenge anyone who isn't in the world's top 100 cyclists to be able to tell the difference between a 24lb and a 26lb bike when riding. It's just not possible for the average guy. That's one reason why I'm going with steel, others are style, serviceability, sentimentality (I already own one Mercian) and comfort, mainly because most aluminium or carbon frames are not bespoke, and are made for the worst case scenario (220lb rider).

These aren't £100 Asda bikes made from cheap pig-iron. Other websites can do a better job of explaining the differences:

http://sheldonbrown.com/frame-materials.html

 

[caLLous]

Do you have any websites from this century?

 

[Job]

The dude rides a 1916 bike...he only does that so he can go to a bike meet and say 'guess how old my bike is?'..and if I was there I'd say..'your beards caught in the front brake'

Anyways I've just ordered new decals for my double butted..lugless..chrome molybdenum 1970's Viscount..so you have started something here..thankyou.

 

[old.user4556]

I don't see Raven's posts

Blasphemy!!!

 

[TdC]

Do you have any websites from this century?

The dude rides a 1916 bike...he only does that so he can go to a bike meet and say 'guess how old my bike is?'..and if I was there I'd say..'your beards caught in the front brake'

Sheldon Brown was a biking legend.

 

[Edmond]

I love him in The Big Bang Theory

 

[Tom]

Do you have any websites from this century?

The guy who wrote most of it died in 2008, I'm sure if you ask him nicely he'll update it.

 

[CorNokZ]

I like the frames @Tom. Makes me wish my next bike wouldn't be one is these massive fuckers

 

[TdC]

let's keep on topic folks.

 

[Raven]

OMG nazi mod!

 

[Embattle]

I like the frames @Tom. Makes me wish my next bike wouldn't be one is these massive fuckers

Least that is better than the recent trend of wooden boxes on the front of a similar style of bike I've been seeing more of lately.

 

[Tom]

I'd love to have a cargo bike but I have nowhere to put one.

Anyhow, this is what my frame will look like:



Except mine may have a metal logo badge on the front (if it fits), the rear wheel dropouts will be vertical (easier to remove/replace the wheel). It's a long way to go to decide on what groupset it'll have, but right now it'll either be Ultegra, or Ultegra Di2. I'm not having Shimano bearings though, they're shit. For my bearings I'll be going to Barnoldswick...http://www.hopetech.com/

 

[TdC]

hahaha I've been told Hope bearings are made of cheese...although that was when I still rode in the woods....

 

[CorNokZ]

Least that is better than the recent trend of wooden boxes on the front of a similar style of bike I've been seeing more of lately.

?

Wouldn't mind one of those at all. Very practical around Copenhagen. The other one is just safer etc. when riding with children

 

[TdC]

Christiania? Their bike building gig still ongoing?