Mercian Fixed - worth a look

JoeH

Old School Hero
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It's really just an old bike with all the guts kicked out of it. I should imagine it would be as stiff as a blancmange. If I was after a track iron I'd be looking more modern, by about 40 years!
 
Re:

What do you mean guts kicked out?

I understand the seller has spent top money having it officially refurbished at mercian
You simply don't see classic fixed with campy last one eBay sold for 1500 (a cinelli)
Bike has LOTs of options fixed, fixed with mud guards, or deraileur geared...
 
Donny Dee":1ckj070q said:
It's really just an old bike with all the guts kicked out of it.
looks more like a proper fixed gear training bike. Rear facing dropouts is the give away.
 
Re: Re:

JoeH":2t1kist5 said:
What do you mean guts kicked out?

I understand the seller has spent top money having it officially refurbished at mercian
You simply don't see classic fixed with campy last one eBay sold for 1500 (a cinelli)
Bike has LOTs of options fixed, fixed with mud guards, or deraileur geared...

I mean it's 55 years old. It's a showpiece. Any frame this age will have all the tensile strength, the 'whip' raced out of it. The best reason to get a fixie in the first place, for flat out fun.

I doubt this will ever fetch more than 400+. A Cinelli SC track bike is in A different league. British track frames = not so much. They rarely get over 500. Unless something very special, which this is not.
 
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1959 is a very early Superlight and built back in the days of Tom Crowther, I think the first ones were 1958. Good provenance if its been back to Mercian and must be a special order to have the track drop out with derailleur hanger. Probably should be built with Titan, GB, Airlite, Fiamme and Stronglight but still an absolute classic Mercian frame. I don't think the price is far off.

I've seen the race whipped out of a horse can't say I've seen it with a steel frame unless the rust weevil has been at it ;)
 
Re: Re:

Couple of points.
Donny Dee":3lmawrrg said:
If I was after a track iron
It's not a "track iron", its a fixed gear road bike, could have been used for testing, training, light touring or all three. Especially given its age. FWIW, my Dads first proper racing bike was a jack taylor of similar vintage, and very similar design. All the braze ons, rear facing dropouts. He was still riding it well into the 90s, having used it for testing, touring, training and commuting.
Donny Dee":3lmawrrg said:
The best reason to get a fixie in the first place, for flat out fun.
All i'm thinking here is 20cm long bars, a trispoke
front wheel and coloured tyres.

There are many other reasons for having a fixed. I borrowed one as a winter trainer when i was a junior. Probably covered 8-10000 km on it in the two winters i had it. Then my friend came back from Australia. Git.
 
Yeah, in 1925...!


But seriously, I can't see the money in it at all. All modern components, the wheels are built on contemporary Open Pros, most of the rest is 70's/80's. Even specified with period kit, it's still struggling at 5-600.

A considerably rarer Hetchins curly track bike sold for £800 yesterday, all Campagnolo. It's a crazy prize for any kind of Mercian, all the more so for a single gear bike.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from= ... 0&_sacat=0

I know the owner of this bike, it dates 1955 and has racing provenance. The Mercian, nice as it is isn't even in the same league.
 
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