Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Freewheeling => Topic started by: Andrij on 21 August, 2008, 09:16:27 pm
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Through the good graces of a fellow forumite I have obtained a Mercian frame and forks of an unknown vintage. This will, over time, be built up into my first 'road bike' — I hope to début it in the new year.
I have written to Mercian with the frame number in hopes they can identify the model and year. IIRC they are on holiday at the moment, but will let you know what they say once they reply.
Right now I'm working getting the frame in shape — braze-ons, respray, etc. The list is ready except for one issue: a pump.
I see that Zéfal do pumps which mount on pegs as well as ones which seem to fit between the head tube and seat tube without any pegs. Am I ready things correctly? If so, how 'solid' are these? I'd be worried about the pump being shaken off while riding over rougher roads.
I put the following questions to your collective wisdom:
- peg or frame mount?
- which model?
- can someone explain sizing? I can't find that info on the Zéfal site.
As this project progresses I will update this thread. I'll post pictures of the frame and forks in their current state after I return from Mildenhall.
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I have a rather natty HPx that seems to do the trick. Sizing was pot luck, but I put a plastic pump peg on one end and the other nestles in the joint at the head tube. It seems to work.
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Good to hear, Andrij :)
Best wishes with it. Is it a touring frame?
I have a frame-fit Zefal HPx and while it has never come off on its own, for security I use a Zefal doodad which is a handy little velcro loop. Handy to have on the bike at times as it can serve other purposes when needed. The doodads (just search on Bike+) can be obtained with shaped rubber blocks if you want to keep the pump off the frame a little, to avoid bosses or cable guides.
Very secure.
To me, that advantages of frame-fit are that you get a little more length to your pump than you'd get if you had frame pegs, and also you avoid unneccessary brazing to the frame. YMMV.
Best way to get it to fit really well is to bring bike to a stockist and try a few until you get one that is the best fit.
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If you want to PM me your frame no, Andrij, I reckon I can date it for you.
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Which is a better offer than Mercian, who charge £10
<<MERCIAN>> (http://www.merciancycles.com/newsstory.asp?id=73)
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Which is a better offer than Mercian, who charge £10
<<MERCIAN>> (http://www.merciancycles.com/newsstory.asp?id=73)
Eek! :o I hadn't seen that.
Wowbagger, YHPM.
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The SJSC website explains the Zefal HPX sizing of the 4 lengths. Just search on HPX.
I had Mercian braze a pump peg on the left seat stay but I still need to by a #1 size HPX to fit so I still use a long Zefal plastic pump under crossbar. I put a loose(ish) cable tie at the front end to ensure it doesn't bounce out.
The HPX pump won't bounce out if you get correct size, the spring is quite powerful.
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SP, it's a touring frame from 1982 (thanks, wowbagger).
LEE, thanks for the lead. Looks like I need a size 4.
I'll be going for the frame mounted pump. Now I'm wondering if the forks would handle a rack and panniers... Good thing I'm not making any rash decisions about this bike. No reason to rush — I've plenty of time so I'll use it to make sensible and well-reasoned choices. (Stop laughing!)
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My size 4 HPX for the tandem is too big for the Merc. I haven't tried, but I reckon a 3. What frame size is it?
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My size 4 HPX for the tandem is too big for the Merc. I haven't tried, but I reckon a 3. What frame size is it?
It's a 21" frame. I measured the distance between head and seat tubes (where the pump would go) and it looks like 53cm.
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Mine's 23" from centre of crank bolt to top of seat tube, 22.5" from centre of head tube to centre of seat tube. But surely the pump won't stay where the angle between the top tube and head tube is obtuse? I thought frame-fitting pumps sat between the BB and the top tube? Unless, of course, you have some anchorage points. The Noble Charlotte, I think, has some reusable cable ties holding her pump in place on her stunningly beautiful Mercian fixie.
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My size 4 HPX for the tandem is too big for the Merc. I haven't tried, but I reckon a 3. What frame size is it?
It's a 21" frame. I measured the distance between head and seat tubes (where the pump would go) and it looks like 53cm.
I have a 20.5" lugged steel frame that takes a size 3 Hpx very snugly. The c-c top tube on that is 53.5cm as I recall.
One advantage of a small frame like this - the gap between top, head and down tubes is just the right size to take the end of the pump. No peg required.
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Charlotte does indeed have re-usable cable ties holding her pump in place, as supplied by me, in blackest of black to match the frame!
If you need re-useable cable ties or velcro straps to hold the pump in place (I use the latter, as does Deano), then drop me a PM and I can stick a couple in the post for you.
The only downside? They colour choices are as per the Model T Ford I am afraid....
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I use Zefal Doodads to hold my HPX in place:-
http://www.greenbank.org/bikes/tempo/tempo6.jpg
This was in response to the pump making a bid for freedom as I hit a pothole whilst descending a hill at 50kph just outside Much Hadham. Luckily it bounced clear of my whirring legs and the rear wheel.
And, yes, the pump was a very snug fit, it had been well behaved for about 1500km before the above incident.
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I have a HPx size 4 on my Surly Pacer, 55 cm top tube. The Surly does have a pump peg brazed on the inside of the head tube.
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Charlotte does indeed have re-usable cable ties holding her pump in place, as supplied by me, in blackest of black to match the frame!
I do - and they're quite fabulous.
Reusable cable ties are, in fact, the world's most useful invention evah :D
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From where do you procure such things? (apart from 'from tiermat', of course). Have only ever seen the normal ones.
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From a friendly server build person, they tend to be packaged with new servers (especially Dells which have the gert long ones, IBM have carpy thing velcro straps that don't work and HP tend to have both, IME). Or from out of my bike shed.... :)
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They're not easy to find, sadly. Much like the everlasting lightbulb, manufacturers of cable ties would probably prefer that they weren't sold at all.
My last bag was bought from Maplins, but they don't usually have 'em in stock - you have to special order them or buy them on the tinterweb.
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Or here : Cablecraft - Cable Identification and Cabling Accessories - Product List - Releasable Cable Ties (http://www.cablecraft.co.uk/ProductGrp/releasable_cable_ties)
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Maplins is only round the corner from my workplace so I'll give it a go sometime, being as I don't have any server build people close to hand! Although the staff are muppets. They just didn't understand when I wanted a can of compressed air to blast the crap out of my keyboard...
Edit: or that link if the staff are being very crap, ta.
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Releasable cable ties? I always thought they were reusable cable ties.
I've been searching for the wrong thing!
Tiermat - I love you, I do!
:D
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Releasable cable ties? I always thought they were reusable cable ties.
I've been searching for the wrong thing!
Tiermat - I love you, I do!
:D
Easy tiger, people will start talking... ;D
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You can re-use non re-usable cable ties.
When fitting it, don't cut the bit that you pull to tighten it.
To remove, get a pair of pliers and pinch the square that you pass the cable through, at the corners. Pinch opposite (diagnal) corners together. This should open up the hole which you pass the cable through enough for you to be able to release the cable tie.
It works better with larger sized cable ties. But you can only do it a few times because you weaken the structure of the square each time you do it.
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usefull tip Tg, but I suspect that short velcro straps (B&Q or any similar shop) would be more convenient when the fairie calls on a dark wet night down a dark wet lane. No pliers in the seat pack on the trek for me.
:D
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Thank God for ignorance!
My bike knowledge is very limited. In general I know what I need to build up the bike but not specifics. If I had known this stuff last weekend I would now be broke, having spent loads of money at Mildenhall. As it is, I only purchased a new black Shimano hub dynamo (HB-C050-D) for a tenner. Not the latest and greatest, but it will do. I really was expecting to get a silver one, so now I'll need a black rear hub and black spokes...
I've had a reply from Mercian about the frame. As stated upthread, I was informed that there was a £10 fee (but they did confirm it's from 1982). I'll do it as some point.
As promised, here are pictures of the frame and forks in their current state.
(http://www.pivets.plus.com/img_0085.jpg)
(http://www.pivets.plus.com/img_0086.jpg)
(http://www.pivets.plus.com/img_0087.jpg)
(http://www.pivets.plus.com/img_0088.jpg)
(http://www.pivets.plus.com/img_0089.jpg)
As you can see it needs a bit of work.
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I'm pretty sure it's a Campionissimo model.
From the catalogue of the time:
"A first class frame for the beginner, yet light enough to be used as a racing frame. The frame is handbuilt with the quality and precision of the dearer frames of the Mercian range, and is made throughout in Reynolds 531 double butted tubing. The fact that the model is built to our standard specification is the reason for its competative price."
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I'm pretty sure it's a Campionissimo model.
From the catalogue of the time:
"A first class frame for the beginner, yet light enough to be used as a racing frame. The frame is handbuilt with the quality and precision of the dearer frames of the Mercian range, and is made throughout in Reynolds 531 double butted tubing. The fact that the model is built to our standard specification is the reason for its competative price."
Thank you! :)
1981 Catalogue (http://www.merciancycles.com/graphix/81_full_campionissimo.jpg)
EDIT: corrected link
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I hope you're planning to build that lovely old frame up into a fixed wheel posing machine! ;)
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I hope you're planning to build that lovely old frame up into a fixed wheel posing machine! ;)
ROTFLMAO!
My old bike (pic (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2220/1550215050_b40da0b42e.jpg)) will one day become my ss/fixed bike. The Mercian will end up with a fair number of gears most likely courtesy of Shimano, as well as mudguards. Don't tell bobb. ;)
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What's the rear dropout spacing? This may limit the number of gears you'll be able to get in there.
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130.
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A frame of that age would surely have 126 spacing, no?
EDIT: And yeah - you need to be getting some serious retro Campag for that frame!!
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Unless I've measured incorrectly it is 130. When I send it for the respray I'll make sure it is reset to 130.
If this was a pure restoration project I'd be on the hunt for 'period' components but that's not my goal. Maybe once I've built up a proper stable...
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Maybe. Old steel frames have a tendency to not being very precise. My old skool frame measures 128. I would bet on my mother's life that your frame would have been built to 126 from its age. But who knows what has been done to it in its lifetime?
Anyway, those lovely (what look like long Campag) dropouts deserve better than modern Shimano!!
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130 is useful. My 1980-something Raleigh Randonneur, which is 126mm, is limited to 7 speed. I don't really find this a problem, but I did have to be careful finding the right STI shifters - I found a pair of new-old-stock 7 speed/tripple shifters on Ribble, but 130 should give you many more options.
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You can re-use non re-usable cable ties.
When fitting it, don't cut the bit that you pull to tighten it.
To remove, get a pair of pliers and pinch the square that you pass the cable through, at the corners. Pinch opposite (diagnal) corners together. This should open up the hole which you pass the cable through enough for you to be able to release the cable tie.
It works better with larger sized cable ties. But you can only do it a few times because you weaken the structure of the square each time you do it.
Penny-pinching or what! Zip ties are pence for a bagful and if you go nr. any building site they are generally liberally scattered across the road.
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I hope you're planning to build that lovely old frame up into a fixed wheel posing machine! ;)
My thought exactly. Charlotte has that 'spectacular' green Mercian and I think this needs to look a bit standout :P
Re that pump, just order the Park Tool PMP-5 It's a one-size frame pump,it's made by Park Tools, it has a hole for a pump-peg at one end, it's £20.
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I don't have a green Mercian. Mine's black and silver (http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b187/vicechair/Mercian/DSC_4368.jpg) :)