Rock Lobster...what are they all about!
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Unclejack
Retrobike Rider
shameless plug.....here's a picture of my 94 Paul Saddoff. (In so much as I believe that before the name fully went to merlin, Paul had some made in a reputable factory in Taiwan. So not built by him, but still his company as opposed to the Merlin ones that just use the name.). If I had to have one bike to do everything then it would be this. but I don't have to. so you might be able to twist my arm into it going spare....... but you won't like it as I cut the rear canti hanger off it. I know, what was I thinking?
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MisterGrizzly
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Nice bikes...
But don't just take my word for it, watch this through and this is how you'll feel riding one, and the last bit at the end sums them up nicely...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es-EIpBbTd8
But don't just take my word for it, watch this through and this is how you'll feel riding one, and the last bit at the end sums them up nicely...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es-EIpBbTd8
MisterGrizzly":2otmxx8e said:Nice bikes...
But don't just take my word for it, watch this through and this is how you'll feel riding one, and the last bit at the end sums them up nicely...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es-EIpBbTd8
Ha good ol Peter Griffin!
makster":xiagsumb said:I had an email exchange with Paul a few years ago, concerning my 94 Lobster.
Considering that it wasn't one made by his own fair hand, he was really helpful with my questions
As I've often found even the coolest/famous-est people, are that, just people! And most of them are quite nice!
Seems the usual misunderstanding ref Rock lobster again.
After Paul went to the far east for his single steel model, which was distributed in the uk by N.T.I, and only avaliable in either green or blue. that is.... about where it ended.
After this, Merlin cycles bought the rights to use the name, and ON there own went to the far east and imported alloy and steel frames by the container load, and assembled them here in the uk to what ever spec you could afford, doing mental mail order deals using surplus O/E shimano etc etc, this was suppose to be there flagship range, toping that of the homebranded Merlin frames, which in all honesty come the end, there was very little difference between the two.
Paul remained hand building frames in the U.S, with absolutely no involvement at all with the Uk mail order firm, selling the generic far east frames of the same name.
The last involvement he had was when he took the original steel wishbone design to the far east for manufacture, leading to the UK supply of the NTI supplied stock.
To be fair to those of us who were doing a Roaring trade with Bontrager frames, when Bontragers were selling hand over fist and we couldnt get them due to demand outstripping supply, we all turned to the Paul Sadoff designed (NTI supplied) ROCK LOBSTER.
They sold and sold well, getting great reviews too. Hardly surprising really given Paul did his time with keith at the beginning, and they were...to my mind, of a similar mindset.
To my mind, all Merlin did was cash in, and buy the "rights" to a good name. They needed a brand name at the time, and they exploited it well. It always got good reviews in the mags, but then, the way it was being done, and the massive low cost on the generic frame, coupled together with higher spec than the competiton on test, it wasnt really surprising the masses bought into it. The sum of the parts and all that....... :facepalm:
After Paul went to the far east for his single steel model, which was distributed in the uk by N.T.I, and only avaliable in either green or blue. that is.... about where it ended.
After this, Merlin cycles bought the rights to use the name, and ON there own went to the far east and imported alloy and steel frames by the container load, and assembled them here in the uk to what ever spec you could afford, doing mental mail order deals using surplus O/E shimano etc etc, this was suppose to be there flagship range, toping that of the homebranded Merlin frames, which in all honesty come the end, there was very little difference between the two.
Paul remained hand building frames in the U.S, with absolutely no involvement at all with the Uk mail order firm, selling the generic far east frames of the same name.
The last involvement he had was when he took the original steel wishbone design to the far east for manufacture, leading to the UK supply of the NTI supplied stock.
To be fair to those of us who were doing a Roaring trade with Bontrager frames, when Bontragers were selling hand over fist and we couldnt get them due to demand outstripping supply, we all turned to the Paul Sadoff designed (NTI supplied) ROCK LOBSTER.
They sold and sold well, getting great reviews too. Hardly surprising really given Paul did his time with keith at the beginning, and they were...to my mind, of a similar mindset.
To my mind, all Merlin did was cash in, and buy the "rights" to a good name. They needed a brand name at the time, and they exploited it well. It always got good reviews in the mags, but then, the way it was being done, and the massive low cost on the generic frame, coupled together with higher spec than the competiton on test, it wasnt really surprising the masses bought into it. The sum of the parts and all that....... :facepalm:
To be fair, hundreds of bike shops up and down the country were buying "Generic" far east frames, and building bikes using O/E surplus from suppliers cheap, ( from the likes of Saracen/Southwestspares etc etc).
Everybody was at it, another example was the "Handsum Dog" range, im sure some will remember.
The only difference was MerlinMailOrder had already used a Name "Merlin", but what they wanted a brand giving a level of Kudos, (given how well real bike shops were selling Bontragers and Rock Lobsters to real cyclists,).
Buying the use of the name RockLobster for this purpose, must have been like finding a Golden goose to them. They certainly had the buying power, and advertising budget to do with it, what others with brands like "Handsum Dog" could not.
With all this said and done, i suspect for the small amount Paul gained from the deal, i cant imagine he will want reminding of it. (IMHO).
Everybody was at it, another example was the "Handsum Dog" range, im sure some will remember.
The only difference was MerlinMailOrder had already used a Name "Merlin", but what they wanted a brand giving a level of Kudos, (given how well real bike shops were selling Bontragers and Rock Lobsters to real cyclists,).
Buying the use of the name RockLobster for this purpose, must have been like finding a Golden goose to them. They certainly had the buying power, and advertising budget to do with it, what others with brands like "Handsum Dog" could not.
With all this said and done, i suspect for the small amount Paul gained from the deal, i cant imagine he will want reminding of it. (IMHO).
