?merlin rear suspension

orange71 · Oct 18, 2006

I seem to remember a titanium bike that had a sort of rear suspension which had no pivot but used the flex inherent in titanium in the chainstays and an elastomer part way up the struts for about 2 inches of travel. Was this a Merlin?

orange71 · Oct 18, 2006

Ah just found this - I wonder if this was it, though the one I was thinking about was early 90's I'm sure and this looks newer.

stu · Oct 18, 2006

Wasn't it called something like Ti Beat?.....I remember the one with the Cannondale Fatty Headshock that was called the Fat Beat, both names being based around the Moots YBB (Why Be Beat) (I think!)

Just found a (poor) pic of the Fat Beat....

Just found a picture of an earlier Merlin too....

Could always be an Ibis Silk Ti though....

Stu

orange71 · Oct 18, 2006

That bottom one - that's the one!! I knew it had an elastomer somewhere - know what it was called?

stu · Oct 18, 2006

Cool! Not sure what they called it though, don't think many were made

Stu

user7307 · Oct 18, 2006

I think I saw someone who have that old bike on mtbr.com it must be incredibly rare.

stevet1 · Oct 19, 2006

I remember seeing a Merlin frame with somethig like a hoover bag as the shock absorber, don't know if it ever made it to production though.

scant · Oct 19, 2006

stevet1":1nbrclg2 said:
I remember seeing a Merlin frame with somethig like a hoover bag as the shock absorber, don't know if it ever made it to production though.

that 1 was a firestone air bladder around 90-91 with the valve protruding thru the seatstay. The elevated chainstay non pivot was purely known as the merlin full suspension (check mtbr.com as mentioned above).
the merlin fat beat must go down as 1 of the f'ugliest bikes ever IMHO

I like the look of the pure moots back end, but mixing with a headshok.. yikes!

mattpayne · Oct 22, 2006

im sure ive seen anothr prototype merlin full sus - no pivots or elastomers anywhere... the downtube was a 2" wide ti 'blade'

the following pic is rather bad!! but i know what it looks like in my mind!!

i can even see the original mag photos in the depths of my head!!!

orange71 · Oct 23, 2006

looks interesting - wonder if anybody can track down a photo?

?merlin rear suspension

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