1988 Merlin

timoshenko

Old School Hero
I've posted a few bikes from my collection but they all tended to be nearing completion when I've taken the photos. This time out I'm going to try to post photos as I work thru the build. This is Merlin #281, which appears to date to sometime in 1988. I picked up the frame on a trip to San Francisco after seeing an ad for it Craigslist. The decals were removed from the frame very early on as a theft prevention measure. It seems to have worked. Speaking with the seller, the bike which belonged to her father, got quite a bit of use early on but had been sitting in the basement for the last 15 or so years.

The frame weighs 3.28lbs, the seat tube is 18 3/4" from centre of bb to top, and 17 1/4" from centre to centre. The top tube is 22" long and the head tube is 4 3/4" tall.

I should also add that the rear drop-out spacing is 132.5mm.



Frame details...







A very solid looking cable stop.

















This was the state of the bottom bracket I removed. Surprisingly, the axle turned freely when it was still in place.



The white material appears to be a lump of lithium grease hardened over time. There's two pieces of electrical tape embedded in the grease. Likely they were used to plug the vent holes, which would imply the frame was upside down when it was stored.



Hollow axle. I'll likely replace it with Phil Wood Titanium to save some additional weight.



I'll likely keep this build mostly period correct using most of a Deore XT M730 groupo, but with some WTB, IRD, and perhaps Cook Bros thrown in.
 
Looking forward to updates on this one!

All of your builds are really well executed and somehow I always think "thats exactly how I would like it to look"



Tony....
 
hi
i also appreciate your builds.
always wanted a u-brake merlin.
any ideas on a fork yet?
will be watching too.
roy
 
tony gti-r":3rgt72ra said:
Looking forward to updates on this one!

All of your builds are really well executed and somehow I always think "thats exactly how I would like it to look"


Tony....

Thanks, let's see how well I read your mind with this build.
 
Retro_Roy":34z5ew0v said:
hi
i also appreciate your builds.
always wanted a u-brake merlin.
any ideas on a fork yet?
will be watching too.
roy

Thanks,

Initially I was thinking of something like the photos below from an 88 review in Bicycle Guide magazine, as I had a straight blade Koski fork available. But I've now used that fork on an Ibis build.



I've been wanting to make use of an IRD Expedition Fork, so that's likely what I'll go with. Then I could continue the IRD theme with other components. I'm thinking about a U-brake on the front too.
 
nice choices. a man after my own heart.
i'm a big fan of ird stuff. sounds like this build is going to be right up my alley. :cool:
is your ird fork a u-brake version? or are you thinking of sliding
the boss up the legs to suit u-brake locations?
if so, how do you how do you plan to get around the difference in
diameter of u-brake boss to canti bosses?
i have an ird build on the go also. was thinking of doing what i just suggested.
 

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