Members' bikes

[Cudzoziemiec]

Cool! Mostly... I thought horse riders mounted by putting one leg in the stirrup, grabbing the saddle and jumping. At least, that's what I was told to do on the one or two occasions I've ridden a horse.

BTW, I don't think you understand the true meaning of 'mucky'. And bizarrely, Little Cudzo claims he's seen something very like your bike in Star Wars! 

[ferret]

FWIW, you use a mounting block for a few reasons,

1 it allows stiff people to get on a horse, stiffness usually caused from falling off horse
2 it creates less strain on the horses back, when above people haul themselves in to the saddle
3 it prevents the saddle from twisting, see above,
4 it can prevent embarrassment for young ladies in rather tight jods and little else, when the jods loose their elasticity DAHIK   

[Kim]

it's the only modern mounting block I can think of seeing.

The Kenilworth Brownway has several (railway sleepers, rather than concrete) at points where horsists might want to dismount and carry their steed over the anti-motorbike gates.  Or something.

[Paul]

Well, I waited about 17 years, but I finally have a Mercian.

n+1 is here. Or is that n+2789 (that being the frame number)?

Picked it up today from a guy at work. It's not right yet, but the basics are all good.



There were drops on it once, but he fitted a flat bar when he gave it to his brother-in-law (who died recently). It's an odd ride with the flats, and not entirely awful, but I wouldn't want to go long distances on the flat bars.



You want chromed stays and dropouts? We got them.



Chromed front drop outs too you say? No problem. You want fat-flanged Record goodness with that? Coming right up.



Campag cantis and levers? They're usually here, just next to the hen's teeth... yeah, there you go.



There's a Brooks Champ Spesh in the garage that's been waiting patiently for this bike to arrive. I'll reconvert the bars. The guy says he may have the original bars and brake levers. He definitely has a matching green blackburn rack.

I'm still playing with gear options. I'm going to take my time with this one, because the plan is for it to be my last.

That's the plan, anyway.

[clarion]

Wow.  That's a bit special.  Once you've ditched the ugly flat bars, it'll be lovely

[Paul]

Thanks. I think so too.

It's just funny that it's finally here after all this time. And it just feels like it's right. There are some scratches and even a little ding, but I feel like I love it already, even with it's history showing. I don't feel inclined to get it resprayed, although that was always the plan.

[YahudaMoon]

What clarion said.

Can't say Ive ever seen a Mercian with anything other than dropped handlebars making the bike loook even more odd, and them brake levers look cheap for the bike.

Love the bike though and them hubs  What are they ?

[IanDG]

Really nice Paul - look forward to seeing it with drops

[Sergeant Pluck]

Very nice, Paul. That’ll build up to a very nice lightweight tourer. 

I don’t think I need to say anything further on the subject of handlebars.

[Paul]

What clarion said.

Can't say Ive ever seen a Mercian with anything other than dropped handlebars making the bike loook even more odd, and them brake levers look cheap for the bike.

Love the bike though and them hubs  What are they ?

The brake levers are horrible, but they do have the campag emblem, so someone somewhere will probably want them.

The hubs are campag. The seller thought the front was record and the rear chorus. I don't know enough to tell without researching, but they do look like decent campag.

[Rhys W]

The front hub is the famed "sheriff star" from the C-Record era.

[jogler]

Nice one Paul,that's a real gem.
When you get drops on it, it will be the dogsbollox

That front hub & chrome work look marvellous.

[Paul]

The front hub is the famed "sheriff star" from the C-Record era.

Hmm - having checked on ebay, it seems that "famed" = pricey. These things seem to go for more than I paid for the whole bike.

However, these particular hubs won't be going anywhere that I'm not going (on them, that is).

I'm so chuffed I couldn't sleep last night.

[Tom B]

Can't say I've ever seen a Mercian with anything other than dropped handlebars

Here's one
(With thanks to Redshift
Getting shot of the drops was one of the best bike decisions I've made 

[Rhys W]

The front hub is the famed "sheriff star" from the C-Record era.

Hmm - having checked on ebay, it seems that "famed" = pricey. These things seem to go for more than I paid for the whole bike.

Yes, I had a look at completed items and NOS pairs were regularly priced at £300 or more. However, on closer inspection, most of them didn't sell. Optimistic pricing as usual from people who have old Campag stuff.

[Feline]

Nice bike Paul 
I look forwards to seeing its finished pictures. The colour really suits it too.

[Rhys W]

An example of fine steel engineering in front of another:

[giropaul]

The front hub is the famed "sheriff star" from the C-Record era.

Hmm - having checked on ebay, it seems that "famed" = pricey. These things seem to go for more than I paid for the whole bike.

However, these particular hubs won't be going anywhere that I'm not going (on them, that is).

I'm so chuffed I couldn't sleep last night.

Actually, the front hub is either EXCEPTIONALLY rare, or a "hybrid" adapted from a track hub. As far as I know "Sherrif Star" hubs were only made as track hubs. (That's why the back one doesn't match of course).
If you could prove that the front hub left the factory like this, it could be a real collectors item. Otherwise, as you say, as a track hub (easy to put the right axle in) it's worth a bit.
 

[giropaul]

To correct myself, I have found evidence that some road versions were produced - rare though.

[giropaul]

PS - this is one reason why they are rare!

http://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/bikes-and-gear-features/campagnolo-record-pista-hubs-sheriffs-star-design

[Paul]

Thanks for the research, GP.

But you have got me wondering. Do you have any idea how old the hub is? Is it a slightly odd thing to find on what is mostly a touring type frame? And now I'm wondering if it's the right hub to have on forks that are designed to take front panniers.

[giropaul]

I think we are talking late 80's/early 90s.

The kit on the bike looks to me as if the original owner knew that they wanted a straight-bar machine and just said "best Campag I can have to do what I want". Was it from Mercian's as a bike - they were Campag gurus at the time, and had some hard to get bits because of a close relationship with the factory. I've got some Campag touring record bits I've never seen anywhere, that Mercian supplied to someone I bought a bike from.

PS - from the frame number I think that it was built in 1989.

[Sergeant Pluck]

An example of fine steel engineering in front of another:

Very nice 

Some day I’d like to have a nice “proper” road bike.

[Paul]

I think we are talking late 80's/early 90s.

The kit on the bike looks to me as if the original owner knew that they wanted a straight-bar machine and just said "best Campag I can have to do what I want". Was it from Mercian's as a bike - they were Campag gurus at the time, and had some hard to get bits because of a close relationship with the factory. I've got some Campag touring record bits I've never seen anywhere, that Mercian supplied to someone I bought a bike from.

PS - from the frame number I think that it was built in 1989.

Yep - '89. I'm going to risk £10 and get the history from Mercian.

But as I have been told, it was originally a drop bar bike, and the owner only changed the bars when he gave the bike to his brother in law some time later. The stem is I think evidence of this. The 1" quill 'swells' to a larger exposed diameter, and ends in a much more 90s+ clamp - not what I'd expect to see on a bike that was built for flat bars in the late 80s.

On the other hand, where on earth did those levers come from, and when?

The proof will come if, as he has said he will try, he produces the original bars and brake levers.

[Paul]

An example of fine steel engineering in front of another:

Lovely. But that big ring has me sweating even while I'm sedentary.