1989 Mercian Mountain Bike

So here starts the build thread.....
I bought this rare beastie off Passiflora who bought it off a chap in Leicester and the story goes that it was one of two that Mercian made in the same distinctive colourway. The history of this one is that it was bought from the shop as a frame like so many Mercians are and that apart from building it up it was never ridden ?

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So a bit of searching shows a post on here from a bike shop owner in Birmingham posted up pics of the sister bike back in July 2014

cool - glad this is getting built up - what are you plans - Euclid or going another route?

will be brilliant regardless - lovely frame and famous colours

nice one

That is a beauty!
Lovely details and colours.
What are your plans? Full Campa?
Are the U brakes Campa as well?

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Based upon these images I set about scoring some Campag OR from the era.
I found Spikes on here was selling some NOS silver 32h Campag rims
these are currently on their way over from Holland and will get Built up by Mercians with some NOS Campy hubs.
The stem and bar combo appears to be 3ttt with the stem particularly ancient with a brass roller fitting..to the rescue Rod_Saetan thanks fella. Ebay turned up a nice silver 3ttt flat bar.
Now the story gets even more interesting...I was searching Ebay for a nice chainset ,Post and pedals and found a gent in the UK selling some NOS items. We haggled a little over postage and then I got a message to call him.
Kevin and I spoke for ages and not only was he able to supply what I needed but he also collects Mercians and I had missed bumping into him in the Derby shop twice the preceding week.
Kevin owns a mettalic puple Mercian MTB and coincidence he owns the sister bike !
He was kind enough to send me some pics over...

that's good! is he the dude in brum?

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Thats correct Nick, from over in Brum we intend to get mine built up in time for the Iconoclassic show and Kev is coming over with his to stand alongside each other.

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captaincosmic":held38xm said:

Thats correct Nick, from over in Brum we intend to get mine built up in time for the Iconoclassic show and Kev is coming over with his to stand alongside each other.

Click to expand...

careful that could cause a black hole of retrobike goodness

sadly i wont be there - but look forward to the pics

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Ha I love it

I'm also taking a couple of RM Altitude team bikes one restored and the other patina

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I took the frame into the shop last week to show Grant
He beamed and told me they made up two for shop stock
and he remembered them and seeing it brought back memories.
He had one himself and seems to think it was pearl white with a green front end.
I asked him how many they made and apart from the two he only made to order and not many.
Kevin and I seem to think there are only five that we know of