Mercian bike fit experience

[Jakob W]

Actually, thinking about it, there used to be a Mercian in the bike racks at my OH's work that was the same red as that Colnago, but with a cream head tube and barber's pole. That looked lovely, and red bikes are supposedly faster...

TBH I think with any of the classic options you are weighing up it will be impossible to get a bad-looking bike, so you may end up just flipping a coin...

[Oxford_Guy]

Actually, thinking about it, there used to be a Mercian in the bike racks at my OH's work that was the same red as that Colnago, but with a cream head tube and barber's pole. That looked lovely, and red bikes are supposedly faster...

TBH I think with any of the classic options you are weighing up it will be impossible to get a bad-looking bike, so you may end up just flipping a coin...

Yes, the problem is, I used to be indecisive, now I'm not sure

[Oxford_Guy]

Think I've basically narrowed it down to these main options:

1) #62 Orange Pearl (Flamboyant) (which is actually now darker and much brighter, like here), or red, e.g. #2 Red Flamboyant or #43 Flame Red pearl, with #46 White Pearl or #19 Cream Enamel "barber's pole" and head tube.

2) A light-mid blue or light-mid blue/green with bands or barbers pole and head tube in white or cream

3) A light-mid blue or light-mid blue/green main colour, but with contrasting bands or barbers pole in red and white or cream - either full length on the seat tube, or with the main colour still showing the top/bottom 1/4.

Option 1) would probably look a bit more "modern", option 2) or 3) more "retro", with 2) being the most subdued

[Oxford_Guy]

Actually, thinking about it, there used to be a Mercian in the bike racks at my OH's work that was the same red as that Colnago, but with a cream head tube and barber's pole. That looked lovely, and red bikes are supposedly faster...

Came across this pic, the frame does look pretty spiffing in red and white with barber's pole, if you ignore the inappropriate pedals and aero rims, that is...



Would also probably lose the 2nd Merican sticker on the seat tube that covers the mid-section of the barber's pole...

Also looking pretty good in orange (and with much more appropriate rims and tyres). This was actually my original choice, hmmm...





Would probably look better with white bar tape and black saddle (or white, though not at all practical), though

[Oxford_Guy]

Bit of thread necromancy, but I said I would post an update when I had more news on my Strada Speciale order - just heard from Jane at Mercian "I am preparing some frame orders ready for the builders, the orders are approaching the top of the queue and yours is one of them." - exciting! My original order was made back in June 2018 - i.e. about 9 months ago.

The only thing I haven't finally confirmed with them is the paint job, which I've changed my mind about a number of times, but need to make a final decision now.

Currently thinking of going for #7 Ruby Flamboyant, with white enamel head tube, down tube lettering, lug lining and a white panel with black horizontal (not stacked) Mercian lettering on the seat tube, some gold accents (e.g. panel / head tube / lug cut out lining) . Perhaps not particularly traditional for a Mercian, but it is a road bike, rather than a tourer/audax machine. And I've never had a red bike before.

I did toy with some of the polychromatic and pearl colours (e.g. Turqouise Pearl), but realised that I'm really not so keen on how the very visible "grain" in the metallic paints look, but do very much like the "flamboyant" (green) finish on my Hewitt Cheviot, where you only really see the underlying metallic grain in strong sunlight.

Hopefully I will get the finished bike by May, or possibly earlier, ready for the summer!

[drossall]

Just to chuck something in the pot, somewhat gratuitous picture of the colour scheme I went for when I had Mercian respray mine eight years ago. The good news is that it still looks like that

I like the barber's pole too, but I couldn't justify the extra cost on top of all the nice things I'd had done already

[Oxford_Guy]

drossal  - now that I think I've decided on the ruby/white colour scheme, I think I've gone off the idea of having a barber's pole done - with red it just seems a bit too much like a candy cane or, well, an actual barber's pole...

I think my favourite look is actually with a panel and twin bands, like this track bike:

[click to expand]



But if I want a second set of bottle bosses (which I think I do), on a relatively small (53cm c-t) frame like mine, I think this may not work so well, I'd probably have to either have to push whole the panel/bands set up away from the centre of the seat tube towards the seat pin, and/or mount the Mercian badge off centre at the top of the panel, neither of are ideal.

So I was thinking of maybe a design more like this Basso, but with horizontal text on the seat tube (and a white head tube), as the second set of bottle bosses would not interfere with the design. But I guess it's not so traditionally "Mercian":



Or I could just go for double white panels/black text on both the seat and down tube - something like this (but with different colours, obviously):



Or I could just forgo the 2nd set of bottle bosses and get the design I actually like most - from what I've seen, this actually seems quite common on smaller frames that want to go the panels and/or bands approach e.g. this one looks about my frame size:



Could be a problem on longer/hotter rides, though...

[Cudzoziemiec]

drossal  - now that I think I've decided on the ruby/white colour scheme, I think I've gone off the idea of having a barber's pole done - with red it just seems a bit too much like a candy cane or, well, an actual barber's pole...

I think my favourite look is actually with a panel and twin bands, like this track bike:

[click to expand]

Nice, but I can see the problem re small frames. Question: What is that rubbery thing around the top tube?

(I think possibly in your position I'd go the panel without bands and definitely keep the second bottle bosses)

[Oxford_Guy]

drossal  - now that I think I've decided on the ruby/white colour scheme, I think I've gone off the idea of having a barber's pole done - with red it just seems a bit too much like a candy cane or, well, an actual barber's pole...

I think my favourite look is actually with a panel and twin bands, like this track bike:

[click to expand]

Nice, but I can see the problem re small frames. Question: What is that rubbery thing around the top tube?

It's to stop the bars hitting the frame, I think, as there are no cables to stop this happening on a track bike

(I think possibly in your position I'd go the panel without bands and definitely keep the second bottle bosses)

That's what I'm thinking, maybe with whole panel moved up a little (I don't mind moving the Reynolds 853 badge to the bottom of the seat tube) and the bottle bosses mounted as low as possible (BTW I went for a braze-on front mech hanger in the end), rather than centralising the panel and offsetting the badge - want to avoid this look, if possible (BTW the photo is of a 53cm frame):

[hubner]

I'd go for something more subtle, with just a discreet transfer on the down tube, and badge on head tube, maybe badge on front of seat tube, tubing stickers, single colour flam. Like this but without the chrome bits:



Although I also really like white panels:



Personally I don't like the barber pole, I think because it's not symmetrical and there's no "natural" end to the spiral.

In the end it's all a matter of taste, and small things can change hugely how a bike looks. To me, the above two bike have brake cables that are too long, saddles that are much too far out of the frame. The  Colnago has brake levers at a ridiculous angle meaning the brakes are probably unusable from the drops.

[Oxford_Guy]

I'd go for something more subtle, with just a discreet transfer on the down tube, and badge on head tube, maybe badge on front of seat tube, tubing stickers, single colour flam. Like this but without the chrome bits:

I know what you mean, but I don't want it to be *that* subtle, it's a road bike, not a tourer, and I do like how some white panels can lift a dark-ish colour and make it look a bit less drab. I'm even considering white bar tape (not cork) - I know, I know...

I also actually considered getting the forks (only) chromed, or maybe just the fork crown, though think I've just about talked myself out of that. Perhaps not a good idea with paper thin 853 tubing anyway...

Although I also really like white panels:

Yes, I like white panels too and I do very much like the styling (and colour) of that Colnago's (typical) paint job, was part of the reason I've gone for the Ruby Flam and white to be honest, White panels with black MERCIAN writing on both the seat and down tube would be the easy way out, I guess, but I do also want the bike to look like a Mercian and not just a wannabe Colnago, if you see what I mean?

BTW the seat tube panel on that Colnago is actually not centred and is offset a bit towards the saddle - that what I was thinking of doing with the panel for my Mercian, so that the design would work better with a second set of bottle bosses.

Personally I don't like the barber pole, I think because it's not symmetrical and there's no "natural" end to the spiral.

LOL! I don't mind them, but think it might be a bit too much for my tastes in ruby/white

In the end it's all a matter of taste, and small things can change hugely how a bike looks. To me, the above two bike have brake cables that are too long, saddles that are much too far out of the frame. The  Colnago has brake levers at a ridiculous angle meaning the brakes are probably unusable from the drops.

My saddle won't be sticking out nearly as much as that, especially as I made them increase the frame size from 52cm to 53cm,partly to avoid having to have an upstand on the headtube. I agree with you on those brakes, especially regarding the Colnago!

[Oxford_Guy]

Double white panels does make the bike look a bit more "race", though, which would not be entirely inappropriate (not suggesting that colour scheme, though!), and I prefer the look of  sideways horizontal writing on the seat tube to stacked letters:

[drossall]

But if I want a second set of bottle bosses (which I think I do), on a relatively small (53cm c-t) frame like mine, I think this may not work so well, I'd probably have to either have to push whole the panel/bands set up away from the centre of the seat tube towards the seat pin, and/or mount the Mercian badge off centre at the top of the panel, neither of are ideal.

My frame's not as small as yours but yes, I had that issue, and I ended up with exactly what you describe - the badge as high as possible in the band, and the bottle-cage bosses just fitting within it below the badge. It's not as obvious as you'd think, because the cage itself hides the big area of (in my case) blue below the badge.

[Oxford_Guy]

But if I want a second set of bottle bosses (which I think I do), on a relatively small (53cm c-t) frame like mine, I think this may not work so well, I'd probably have to either have to push whole the panel/bands set up away from the centre of the seat tube towards the seat pin, and/or mount the Mercian badge off centre at the top of the panel, neither of are ideal.

My frame's not as small as yours but yes, I had that issue, and I ended up with exactly what you describe - the badge as high as possible in the band, and the bottle-cage bosses just fitting within it below the badge. It's not as obvious as you'd think, because the cage itself hides the big area of (in my case) blue below the badge.

Thanks for the feedback, yes I think I can see how when you have the cage mounted, that would not look so odd, though I don't want to *have* to mount the second cage all the time for it to look okay.

Wouldn't moving the whole panel upwards a few cm be another option, allowing to keep the badge central to it, if the panel is kept relatively small? I've seen this done on other (modern) bikes. e.g. here's a more extreme example on a Rourke:




I can see why some are attracted to the barber's pole, it's not really an issue with that, you can even leave the transfer off completely and it'll still look okay. But I've ruled that out now...

The other option is having twin seat tube / down tube panels, with MERCIAN writing on the side of both, which avoids this problem entirely and arguably may look more suited for a sporty road bike e.g.



Seems popular to do this for the Pro-Lugless model:

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[drossall]

Yes, though I suspect that would actually look less balanced, because the positioning of the bands is much easier to see than that of a badge covered by a bottle cage. Personally, I rarely use a second bottle, but I'd never bother removing a cage!

[Oxford_Guy]

Yes, though I suspect that would actually look less balanced, because the positioning of the bands is much easier to see than that of a badge covered by a bottle cage. Personally, I rarely use a second bottle, but I'd never bother removing a cage!

Yes, I think I can see what you mean. Seems a bit of a shame to have a badge, but then to keep it covered, though.

I did think of only going for one cage, as most of the time I can probably do a 40-50 mile ride with just one 750ml bottle, but if it's hotter and I'm on a longer ride where it's not so easy to stop at will for a refill (e.g. longer clubs rides, sportives without feed stops etc.), then I'd need the second bottle.

Of course the other option is just to go for an all-white seatpost (and head tube), which I guess would look okay - looks alright on this orange Mercian:

[Brucey]

FWIW I'd echo the comments above re several of the frames above showing 'too much seat pin', at least  for a frame with a horizontal TT and a  quill stem, that is. 


I think that in the 1980s, race teams pushed this as far as it was sensible to do so, perhaps a touch more. For example this photo of Hinault shows a lot of seat pin



and the stem is as far out of the steerer as would be allowable, for a conventional stem, anyway, so really there is no adjustment remaining. And he was racing; if you are not racing you likely won't be wanting the bars that low....   In some years I think Hinault may have used a frame even smaller than that. No wonder Nitto make extra-long quill stems these days....

cheers

[Oxford_Guy]

Of course the other option is just to go for an all-white seatpost (and head tube), which I guess would look okay - looks alright on this orange Mercian:

Actually, having considered this further and also having sought the opinion of Mrs Oxford_Guy, think I'm drawn back to this simple orange flamboyant / white head tube/seat tube look and may actually go for this - probably with white enamel, rather than pearl white, as think I'm not so keen on the flake in the latter. If nothing else, it'll show off the lugs nicely (which are even nicer on the Strada Speciale than the model shown) and the colour / contrasts are suitably loud enough for a road bike...

[drossall]

It seems that whenever Mercian owners get in touch, they exchange bike photos

Maybe a Mercian invitation ride is called for, when yours arrives

[Oxford_Guy]

It seems that whenever Mercian owners get in touch, they exchange bike photos

Maybe a Mercian invitation ride is called for, when yours arrives

I like the sound of that, as long it doesn't require getting somewhere by car first, as I don't have one!