NOS Merlin 1989
- Thread starter merlinfred
- Start date
gingernuts/badger
Senior Retro Guru
Holy crap!
Amazing collection of bits you've found there.
Good work.
We're the nos ringle things in the box too ??
Amazing collection of bits you've found there.
Good work.
We're the nos ringle things in the box too ??
I agree : Rob Vandermark's frames got bigger tubes (for stiffer titanium frames) and developped the S stays and seatstays (but later, in 91).newsboy":17a9l6l2 said:
So, it's a Jo Murray geometry with no signature on the stay.
black or white : I would prefer the black ones, but Newsboy got some very old MErlin with white decals…
You choose fine component for it. But no these low profile canti front brakes on this bike. The first triangular shimano BR M732 or the dia compe 986 would be better
merlinfred
Dirt Disciple
Ok, I'll leave the white decals for now, but remove the Rob Vandermark signature. I actually got the head tube and seat tube decals in black. Miss the downtube "Merlin" and the top tube "Titanium".
The Dia Compe 987 came in the box, are they really too recent? I did put the SS 7 levers on my -94, think they were new release that year, maybe the 987 cantis to. I got two sets of Campa Record OR cantis, also not old enough I guess. Not long ago I scraped a set off the first gen low profile XT cantis, bad timing! I always found them ugly
The Dia Compe 987 came in the box, are they really too recent? I did put the SS 7 levers on my -94, think they were new release that year, maybe the 987 cantis to. I got two sets of Campa Record OR cantis, also not old enough I guess. Not long ago I scraped a set off the first gen low profile XT cantis, bad timing! I always found them ugly
merlinfred
Dirt Disciple
If some of you wonder about the 8 speed cassettes on this bike, I got an explanation; the crafty first owner made a home made 8 speed setup with a Dura Ace hub, mix of XT and Dura Ace cassettes, new Ti axle some distance washer and the friction mode on the XT thumbies. It is all described in an Article in a Montain bike Action mag from -90. The magazine was included in the box. I think he must have bought the Tioga Ti cassette later. 8-speed for MTB came first in 93/94 on the first gen XTR, correct me if I' wrong.
I think I need to find a NOS 7-speed XT cassette to be able to enjoy the full potential of the thumbies.
I think I need to find a NOS 7-speed XT cassette to be able to enjoy the full potential of the thumbies.
Yes, campy was the first to make 8 gears in the Centaur-Euclid groupo
The bike is 1989, and there were not a lot of mtb parts. 6 gears groupos (suntour 7000, shimano XT…) and the best alternative for your brakes would be 986 diacompe. The 987 with the low profile design are really too recent. Sorry. (But it's a detail )
The bike is 1989, and there were not a lot of mtb parts. 6 gears groupos (suntour 7000, shimano XT…) and the best alternative for your brakes would be 986 diacompe. The 987 with the low profile design are really too recent. Sorry. (But it's a detail
)
